sTUPID qUESTIONS aBOUT ocs

[Spekkio]

Happy sock

In all seriousness, things have changed a lot in the past year, so I guess someone new will have to chime in. You always go to church in the AM...then it used to be RLP prep from week 1-3, then you sleep all day in week 4 since you had about 2 hours of sleep that week. After that it slows down a lot on Sundays...I typically took care of little odds and ends that you couldn't the week before...studying, laundry, preparing for an inspection the following week, etc.

 

[m0tbaillie]

Happy sock

The little sock so stiff that it could stand upright on its own...

 

[Srp7286]

Happy sock

In all seriousness, things have changed a lot in the past year, so I guess someone new will have to chime in. You always go to church in the AM...then it used to be RLP prep from week 1-3, then you sleep all day in week 4 since you had about 2 hours of sleep that week. After that it slows down a lot on Sundays...I typically took care of little odds and ends that you couldn't the week before...studying, laundry, preparing for an inspection the following week, etc.

Whats with week 4?

Besides the RLP

 

[revan1013]

I've asked this question before, but perhaps someone can clarify this for me.

I just received word (after a few weeks of no communication) that I need to retake my PRT for my final select to get sent out. Now I was told by multiple sources, including my recruiter (not my OR/OPO) that an overall good-low was fine. I only got satisfactory on the run, but was told it should be fine, and that I should retake prior to OCS, but that my package was being sent. My recruiter was out of the office, which may explain why it took so long to let me know.

Apparently there is some kind of problem, and the request to retake the PRT was given by the OPO. I have no idea what the issue is, but I was told I'd be good to go for the final select.

Anybody know what the hard-and-fast rule is about the PRT scores required for the final select?

 

[Spekkio]

Whats with week 4?

Besides the RLP

There is no "besides RLP." You spend every waking free minute (which isn't much between classes, drill, and getting RPT'ed just because) making your stuff perfect...then you stay up all night to make your stuff more perfect. It used to be -- as in like, last year -- that, unless you were "academically challenged", RLP was really the only roadblock between you and a commission. Failing it twice (and at least about 50% of your class will fail on the first one because that's just the way it goes) means going to H and trying again...which you may fail again if the new class team doesn't like you. Fail 4x, and you go to a board to evaluate your future in the Navy. Pass, and barring any serious injury or the aforementioned lack of intelligence, you will graduate with the class.

However, I hear through the grapevine that since my DI and class officer decided to fail 100% of his next class for RLP on the first inspect, which led to a large number of roll-outs on the re-inspect, the grading system has been over-hauled.

Anybody know what the hard-and-fast rule is about the PRT scores required for the final select?

They re-vamped the in-pfa for OCS, so they might have lifted the "good low or you don't go" rule. Apparently too many fatbodies were rolling out, so they give you a practice pfa during indoc and a "real" pfa during week 3 now.

 

[BACONATOR]

There is no "besides RLP." You spend every waking free minute (which isn't much between classes, drill, and getting RPT'ed just because) making your stuff perfect...then you stay up all night to make your stuff more perfect. It used to be that, unless you were "academically challenged" (ie mildly retarded), RLP was really the only roadblock between you and a commission. Failing it twice (and at least about 50% of your class will fail on the first one because that's just the way it goes) means going to H and trying again...which you may fail again if the new class team doesn't like you. Fail 4x, and you go to a board to evaluate your future in the Navy. Pass, and barring any serious injury or the aforementioned lack of intelligence, you will graduate with the class.

However, I hear through the grapevine that since my DI and class officer decided to fail 100% of his next class for RLP on the first inspect, which led to a large number of roll-outs on the re-inspect, the grading system has been over-hauled.

They re-vamped the in-pfa for OCS, so they might have lifted the "good low or you don't go" rule. Apparently too many fatbodies were rolling out, so they give you a practice pfa during indoc and a "real" pfa during week 3 now.

1. Grading "system"? Exactly what "system" would that be? For us it was: if your class DI/Chief/O want you to pass, they'll make up a couple hits, PT the shit out of you and let you on your merry way to week 5. If your DI/Chief/O didn't like you, then you failed, and by how much you failed by indicated their contempt. There was no "system" involved. The grading "system" with which they took hits was a dog and pony show. Your passing week 4 depended on your performance in weeks 1-3.

2. Wait what? When I was there, you needed to ship with a good-low at least and get a sat-medium in every category to stay with your class. If you can't get a sat-medium in at least every category, you truly suck balls and shouldn't be there. Of course now they are relaxing it because too many people suck and the bar gets lowered. That makes a lot of sense. The standard keeps lowering, so let's lower the bar some more....

 

[Spekkio]

The scuttlebutt I heard was this:

1: re: RLP, the point scoring system has changed to something that I don't even understand...it's out of like 200 points or something. Like I said, it was done after my class team failed 100% of their next class on the initial inspection and spent the entire day beating them in the sandpit. Someone who has recently gone through the program has to clarify, but I got the impression that it's much easier to pass now. When I went through a whole year ago, the grading system was much like you described it.

The grading "system" with which they took hits was a dog and pony show. Your passing week 4 depended on your performance in weeks 1-3.

Eh, I would say that this holds true for the top X% and bottom Y%, but if you as a candidate do your job of being indistinguishable in weeks 1-3, the quality of your items will have a higher effect on your passing RLP. It was still rather arbitrary and depends on who's doing the inspection, though.

2: Re: in-pfa: yea, I think it's dumb, too. I went into OCS thinking that I'd need a good-low on the in-pfa; I was pleasantly suprised to find out that the minimum was a sat-med that Tuesday morning. What's more disturbing, though, is that so many people have trouble meeting that standard that they completely re-vamped the in-pfa process.

Dunno who it's coming from, but it seems like there's more pressure to push candidates through the program more quickly rather than hold them in H for things like not folding their shirt 6"x6" or being unable to crank out a whole 42 pushups.

 

[revan1013]

The scuttlebutt I heard was this:

2: Re: in-pfa: yea, I think it's dumb, too. I went into OCS thinking that I'd need a good-low on the in-pfa; I was pleasantly suprised to find out that the minimum was a sat-med that Tuesday morning. What's more disturbing, though, is that so many people have trouble meeting that standard that they completely re-vamped the in-pfa process.

Ok so I see that the OCS PFA's seem to work this way. Yet does anyone know the rule for what you need for a submission of your package for final select?

I appreciate the quick and detailed comments Spekkio. My situation is confusing me though. No one seems to be able to show me (or tell me how to find) the requirement for the package submission. My recruiter is out of town sadly, and the other personnel seem to not know the exact issue either.

 

[Spekkio]

Well, the answer is simple: Do you want to be an officer? If yes, then take the PRT again like they ask. It isn't the end of the world, and you should've been trying to get into better shape anyway.

 

[revan1013]

And I have been. I'm going bright and early to get my run in before sunrise. Every little bit helps. I just wasn't sure why I need to retake, not complaining about the PRT itself.

 

[Krafty1]

I had to score a Good-low to submit and will also have to score a Good-low (or better) again within 30 days of my OCS date.

 

[Ken_gone_flying]

I had to score a Good-low to submit and will also have to score a Good-low (or better) again within 30 days of my OCS date.

Thats standard. I had to retake the PRT just before going to OCS because I dropped out of the window. It wasn't pleasant either, with the temp. 35-40 degrees. (I thought that was cold until I got to Newport in February)

 

[revan1013]

Oh man I'd kill for that weather during a PRT. I love exercising in the cold ^_^

 

[MidWestEwo]

Thats standard. I had to retake the PRT just before going to OCS because I dropped out of the window. It wasn't pleasant either, with the temp. 35-40 degrees. (I thought that was cold until I got to Newport in February)

Do they make you run outside during the winter in Newport?

 

[Ken_gone_flying]

Do they make you run outside during the winter in Newport?

If its really cold (ice/snow on the ground), you will run indoors in the gym/drill hall. Personally I'd rather run 2 miles outside in the cold rather than running many small circles indoors.