opinions on memorizing reef points before showing up at USNA?

[DSL1990]

there is a huge argument going on here (over 110 messages):
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/naval-academy-annapolis/334978-skinny-reef-points.html

about whether it's cool to buy a copy of "Reef Points" off ebay and memorize it before showing up at USNA for Plebe Summer. i have to deal with this issue if i go to VMI (since they have something similar called "Rat Bible") so i've just recently joined this debate.

the discussion is pretty heated, with a usna grads coming out on both sides. one participant even tried to categorize usna grads as GOOD and BAD based on this question... lol. :icon_tong

i happen to come out on the side that it is cheating. what do you USNA grads (or MIDN) think?

 

[Rg9]

....i happen to come out on the side that it is cheating...

I see you haven't been to flight school yet . If you aren't cheating you aren't trying.

Note: I didn't go to the Academy. Is this some set of info you have to memorize during PLEBE summer?

 

[phrogpilot73]

i happen to come out on the side that it is cheating. what do you USNA grads (or MIDN) think?

It's not cheating. It's simply being more prepared than your fellow classmates. I personally don't see the need to memorize it prior to plebe summer - and if I remember correctly, they mail them to appointees before they show up for plebe summer anyway. That seems to me to encourage them to read it ahead of time.

 

[DanMa1156]

I see you haven't been to flight school yet . If you aren't cheating you aren't trying.

Note: I didn't go to the Academy. Is this some set of info you have to memorize during PLEBE summer?

Yeah there is a bunch of stuff you learn to memorize over Plebe Summer and throuought plebe year. I knew a few basics, but honestly, having at least a basic knowledge of the Navy, the ranks, the platforms, and so on, and showing up in good physical shaped helped me the most. I don't know anyone who memorized much beforehand. It would help a little, but you never want to be a show off, or bilge your classmates... Anything they don't know, you better shut up because "you don't know it either," unless specifically told to "help out a shipmate."

I can't speak for how VMI's system works.

I didn't realize how involved parents were in all of this... kind of bothers me.

Agree that it's not cheating at all. Like Phrog said, they'll send you the stuff you have to memorize beforehand anyway... show up knowing that, with a good attitude, in shape, wanting to be in the USN/USMC, and willing to work hard, and you'll be fine during Plebe Summer.

 

[jt71582]

I'm no Academy grad, but I did time with the VTCC (you know this), and I imagine this is the gouge book similar to something we had (guidon) at VT. The memorization of information is part of the mental and emotional challenge of being a freshman in a service academy. I don't see what would stop people from buying the books from years passed, but I personally wouldn't do it.

The freshman experience is a stressful one, but it is designed to be that way. Prior memorization of all of that information may be beneficial, but may also draw unnecessary attention to a plebe/rat/knob, etc.

- Just my opinion.

 

[Rg9]

Yeah there is a bunch of stuff you learn to memorize over Plebe Summer and throuought plebe year. I knew a few basics, but honestly, having at least a basic knowledge of the Navy, the ranks, the platforms, and so on, and showing up in good physical shaped helped me the most. I don't know anyone who memorized much beforehand. It would help a little, but you never want to be a show off, or bilge your classmates... Anything they don't know, you better shut up because "you don't know it either," unless specifically told to "help out a shipmate."

I can't speak for how VMI's system works.

I didn't realize how involved parents were in all of this... kind of bothers me.

Agree that it's not cheating at all. Like Phrog said, they'll send you the stuff you have to memorize beforehand anyway... show up knowing that, with a good attitude, in shape, wanting to be in the USN/USMC, and willing to work hard, and you'll be fine during Plebe Summer.

Ah, ok. It just sounds like good gouge. Its not cheating. Go for it. But with most things in Navy training they give you what you need when you need it and not before, so I probably wouldn't stress out too much.

Naked finger non-Academy guy walking out of discussion now...

 

[DSL1990]

I didn't realize how involved parents were in all of this... kind of bothers me.

you're telling me! those other usna forums are so loaded with parents and no kids that i've started thinking the kids actually don't exist. the parents must squeeze them out of the playdoh fun factory when they realized that SOMEONE has to show up to Plebe Summer! rofl! :icon_tong

 

[Fetus]

The wake up moment for most of those who poured over Reef Points during the summer after their senior year will be when they are doing pushups because their roomate standing next to them doesn't know Reef Points. Go to Cancun and enjoy the foam party....

USNA '98

 

[xmid]

You can actually make your classmates hate you for having it memorized before hand. I knew some things just because I had lived there, but we had a guy in my company that had memorized practically the entire damn book by the time he got there. If he wasn't bringing pain on the class for knowing stuff they didn't, he was making them look like idiots for struggling to get out some bit of information that he could spit off rapidly and concisely. Everybody was wondering how this kid memorized these paragraphs of info so much faster than everyone else. If they wanted you to study before hand they would give it to you before hand. The point is not the memorization, its the stress of it all. If you already know everything in the book they will just give you more "extra-curricular" stuff to memorize...

 

[HH-60H]

Ugh, that thread makes me nauseous.

 

[kejo]

I did Plebe Summer detail twice (neither by choice). IMHO, the ones I thought were the best performers weren't necessarily the ones who knew their rates (i.e. Reef Points) down cold all the time. The best performers were the ones who brought a good attitude and leadership to their peers, even when things were going to shit on those miserably hot, humid Annapolis summer days. I was way more impressed when someone dropped back in a run to motivate a struggler than someone who knew the weapons fore to aft on a DDG yet ignored their classmates.

 

[insanebikerboy]

Got Reef Points mailed to you beforehand? Shit, that would've been nice. I just remember showing up the day of e-dog check-in expecting to get liberty before the real I-day started to be told, hit the rack, revillie is at 5 in the morning. :icon_rage

 

[a_m]

Outside of some basic naval organization, There really is NO point in trying to learn them ahead of time and then acting like you don't know them in order to not sell out your classmates.


The idiots in that thread made me laugh.

 

[phrogpilot73]

Got Reef Points mailed to you beforehand? Shit, that would've been nice. I just remember showing up the day of e-dog check-in expecting to get liberty before the real I-day started to be told, hit the rack, revillie is at 5 in the morning. :icon_rage

Yup - I got them IIRC around May... I've got a picture of me holding up my brand-new Reef Points next to Dad's old, beat up Reef points...

As for the e-dog check in - if you were a Marine you had to be there (at the barracks) like 3 or 4 days before all the e-dog Navy guys showed up. We got liberty then

 

[JBM]

If you want to help yourself out it wouldn't hurt to go over the basic organization of the Navy. Learn the ranks but don't go memorizing everything. You will be given plenty of time to memorize it later. I vaguely remember being told I had to have the mission memorized before I showed up, however the number of people that actually had that down was minimal.

Whatever you do chose to learn the most important thing is help your classmates learn it as well.