Hey guys! This sucks that I cant contribute to the conversations on here as much as I would like. Also, I dont even have any GTA games here at West Point, so I wont be posting any records, except when I get to play during break. I guess my life has changed quite drastically since high school graduation. June of last year, I left my Kansas home for New York. I spent 6 and a half weeks during Cadet Basic Training, which was a lot of getting yelled at, getting hazed, doing pushups, standing in lines at issue points, waking up at 5:15 every morning for physical training, and learning basic Army skills. The cool stuff that I did included shooting my M16A2 assault rifle A LOT, learning bayonet skills and going through the Rifle-Bayonet Assault Course, going through the Grenade Assault Course, throwing live grenades, going through the gas chamber, ruck marching miles and miles, sleeping in the woods, learning Close Quarters Combat, and a few other things. It was a tough summer, but I learned a lot. I was considered a New Cadet during that time, which is the scum of the earth
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In August, I graduated to a cadet when the academic year began. There are about 1,200 people in my class, ranging from 17 to 23 years old. Im only a Plebe (freshman), so I still have to do stupid things, like delivering laundry to upperclassmen, greeting all upperclassmen, not talking outside, and learning Plebe knowledge. West Point is a military academy, but it is also a college. I have regular classes. Most of which are taught by Army officers with PhDs. Schoolwork is tough, and Im always studying, like a regular college I guess.
There are many things that separate this place from civilian colleges though. First of all, my overall GPA is made up of three pillars: 55% academics, 30% military, and 15% physical. The military grade is determined by several things. I have many different uniforms for different occasions, and they all need to be nice and ironed and look good. I also have to shine my shoes and leather boots. I have a formation before every breakfast and lunch, which are mandatory on every weekday. I take a Military Science class every semester. I have to keep my room nice and clean. I also have random military training every once in a while. As a Plebe, Im required to take half-semester courses in Swimming, Gymnastics, and Boxing. Im also required to participate in an intramural every semester, and take a physical fitness test every semester.
Money isnt really an issue here. I have a cadet account which receives a deposit of about $800 bucks per month. I get $200 of it for my personal use. The rest pays for my books, uniforms, laundry, barber, and several other expenses. I was also issued a nice laptop and printer at the beginning of the year. Everything else is also paid for by the government. All my money pretty much goes toward traveling expenses, like bus and plane tickets home, which is about 1500 miles away. The next time Ill be back is for about 3.5 days over Presidents Day weekend. I always miss home.
Overall, life isnt too bad here at the academy. There are high standards in everything (uniform appearance, rooms, military bearing, physical fitness, academic grades, leadership, social behavior, knowing army knowledge, and just general professionalism), but Ive gotten used to it. There are a lot of mandatory things and places to be at certain times, which gives little time for actual homework. Sleep deprivation during the week is quite common. There are fun things to do though. We have a massive Physical Development Center, supporting every sport. The Plebes have huge pillow fights in central area every once in a while. I went to Six Flags on a trip section for free, where the cadets were guests, and they let us ride the fastest and highest roller coaster in the world 4 times in a row. Ive seen Jon Stewart live here. I went to an opera a couple days ago, and Im going to see David Copperfield next weekend. I dont have to worry about buying clothes, or getting food, or housing, or laundry. Its not too bad.
Next summer, Im doing 8 weeks of Cadet Field Training. Thatll be awesome! Anyways, thats my life in a nutshell. If youre confused about anything, or you want to know more about the United States Military Academy, just ask me. You guys are my friends
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BTW, does anybody facebook?
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. Since Emohawk`s Canadian, he has a shot as long as he does the things mentioned above. If you`re an American, do all of the above plus brown-nose the mods; there is a small chance of earning one then.
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