What High School Electives/USNA?

[louisvillefan77]

Also, I'm glad to see you aren't just changing your signaure every two seconds, but leaving us little snippets and anecdotes that look like signatures.

Oh, I want a signature. But remember, I am new here. I am trying to choose which one I like best. I am still trying to decide if I should go with war, Louisville, are just something random. And anyone can control my thread now? Well, I don't care. I got the answers I wanted. I don't need it anymore.

Is this what "experienced" people on this site use before their signatures?
______________________________

A nuclear war can ruin your whole day

Screw the Cards, go Steelers...

I want the Cardinals to win. Not a fan of either of them, just cheering for the underdog.

_______________________

A nuclear war can ruin your whole day

 

[Wingnut172N]

Take hard classes, but at the same time, don't overload yourself.

If the choice comes down to a B in AP Calculus or an A in a regular math class, take the AP Class. That said, if you don't think you can get at least a B, then maybe opt for an easier class. The whole idea is to prove that you're someone who can handle difficult classes, and doesn't opt for the easiest way out.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Take difficult classes - AP if your school offers them, Honors if not. Some would say "take the hardest classes that you can still get good grades in," but I would submit that if you can't hack at least a B+ in a High School AP class, then you're going to find the Boat School academics pretty damn tough going.

USNA looks for the "whole person". That means someone who's not a jock, nerd, or member-of-every-damn-club joiner, but a mix of all three. They want someone who did well in classes while also playing a sport and doing a few extra-curricular things, plus maybe hold down a part-time job. In other words, someone who would be able to handle tough classes and manage all the extra demands when they're a Mid. And they'd rather have someone who did all those things pretty well, rather than someone who excelled in just one area.

(note: credits don't transfer, but USNA will take AP exam scores as validating some classes. I got a 5 on AP English, which validated me out of a semester of Plebe English)

You're doing the right thing by starting the process as a freshman. It's not at all early. Keep your grades up and get involved in whatever interests you and you're willing to stick with (Admissions knows what a "joiner" looks like on an application, being a member of every single club the school offers won't impress them). Play a sport - you don't have to be team captain, just show that you have some athletic ability. If you are so physically hopeless that you can't get on any team...USNA may not be for you.

Strongly recommend doing Summer Seminar when you're a Junior. It's a great full-immersion program and gives you a good taste of Middie life. And do the overnight visit as well - it's like a pre-frosh program where you drag with a Plebe or Youngster overnight. My advice is, drag with a Plebe and do it during the Dark Ages (Jan-March).

Talk to your Blue and Gold officer with any questions. They're not so much recruiters as sources of wisdom and reality-checkers. The Boat School gets enough applicants that they don't have to talk anyone into it who isn't interested, or who they feel isn't right for the program.

Good luck!

Fester USNA '99

 

[nzachman]

I don't know if anyone has said this already but at most schools AP/Honors classes are on a 5.0 scale while regular classes are on a 4.0 scale, so if you think you can get a B or higher in an AP/Honors class then take it. If you think you will suck and get a D, then pass on that class and pick another accelerated class to boost your GPA.

 

[Uncle Fester]

I don't know if anyone has said this already but at most schools AP/Honors classes are on a 5.0 scale while regular classes are on a 4.0 scale, so if you think you can get a B or higher in an AP/Honors class then take it. If you think you will suck and get a D, then pass on that class and pick another accelerated class to boost your GPA.

I'd have to disagree with you on that one. Again - if you think you'll get a D in a high school AP class, then USNA is probably not your speed. You have to take a lot of very tough classes in all areas, no matter what your major. I was a History major and still had to take several semesters of physics, chemistry, electrical engineering, naval engineering, calc, probs & stats, and a language. The Engineering and Sciences majors have to take plenty of humanities core courses, plus humanities electives.

I did well in my humanities classes, but anything with numbers kicked my ass. My mad-genius Aero major roommate could not write an English paper to save his life. So you may as well learn how to survive in anything you're not naturally good at. If you're determined to get into USNA, take tough classes.

 

[eddie]

Oh, I want a signature. But remember, I am new here. I am trying to choose which one I like best. I am still trying to decide if I should go with war, Louisville, are just something random. And anyone can control my thread now? Well, I don't care. I got the answers I wanted. I don't need it anymore.

Is this what "experienced" people on this site use before their signatures?
______________________________

A nuclear war can ruin your whole day



I want the Cardinals to win. Not a fan of either of them, just cheering for the underdog.

_______________________

A nuclear war can ruin your whole day

Well, you remember that technically I am nobody (lest I forget)! Except that I was probably about your age when I started on here...

As for "control," well, reading more stuff here will give you a better idea of what I mean...


Signatures is in your control panel (CP) or something. I hardly ever visit mine...

 

[HeyJoe]

Oh, I want a signature. But remember, I am new here. I am trying to choose which one I like best. I am still trying to decide if I should go with war, Louisville, are just something random. And anyone can control my thread now? Well, I don't care. I got the answers I wanted. I don't need it anymore.

Is this what "experienced" people on this site use before their signatures?
______________________________

A nuclear war can ruin your whole day



I want the Cardinals to win. Not a fan of either of them, just cheering for the underdog.

_______________________

A nuclear war can ruin your whole day

Well, you remember that technically I am nobody (lest I forget)! Except that I was probably about your age when I started on here...

As for "control," well, reading more stuff here will give you a better idea of what I mean...

Signatures is in your control panel (CP) or something. I hardly ever visit mine...

Listen to eddie. He literally grew up on the forum and learned when to listen. As to who controls the thread? You can control what you type and that's it. You can select your avatar, username, signature, etc. Of course, Mods can take control and modify it accordingly (such as replacing your USAF F-16* with a USN aircraft...this is a Naval Aviation site after all). You're proabably too young to remember the TV Show, The Outer Limits, where they take control of the "horizontal and vertical" at the beginning and return at the conclusion. We now return control of your signature and avatar to you under the next episode that is.....

*This is a USAF F-16 in case you didn't know. More appropriate for Baseops.net

LF77's first avatar

 

[louisvillefan77]

Listen to eddie. He literally grew up on the forum and learned when to listen. As to who controls the thread? You can control what you type and that's it. You can select your avatar, username, signature, etc. Of course, Mods can take control and modify it accordingly (such as replacing your USAF F-16* with a USN aircraft...this is a Naval Aviation site after all). You're proabably too young to remember the TV Show, The Outer Limits, where they take control of the "horizontal and vertical" at the beginning and return at the conclusion. We now return control of your signature and avatar to you under the next episode that is.....

*This is a USAF F-16 in case you didn't know. More appropriate for Baseops.net

LF77's first avatar

I know it is an AF plane. But when I first joined this forum, I wanted to join the AF. I saw this avatar and decided I liked it, and tried to find out what type of plane it was. When I did, I decided to keep it. I now want to join the Navy to become an aviator, but not then.

Oh, and I found what they signature thing was. Thanks for the help.

 

[exhelodrvr]

I was a History major

USNA history majors ROCK!!!

 

[wink]

USNA looks for the "whole person". That means someone who's not a jock, nerd, or member-of-every-damn-club joiner, but a mix of all three. They want someone who did well in classes while also playing a sport and doing a few extra-curricular things, plus maybe hold down a part-time job. In other words, someone who would be able to handle tough classes and manage all the extra demands when they're a Mid. And they'd rather have someone who did all those things pretty well, rather than someone who excelled in just one area.

You're doing the right thing by starting the process as a freshman. It's not at all early. Keep your grades up and get involved in whatever interests you and you're willing to stick with (Admissions knows what a "joiner" looks like on an application, being a member of every single club the school offers won't impress them). Play a sport - you don't have to be team captain, just show that you have some athletic ability. If you are so physically hopeless that you can't get on any team...USNA may not be for you.

Strongly recommend doing Summer Seminar when you're a Junior. It's a great full-immersion program and gives you a good taste of Middie life. And do the overnight visit as well - it's like a pre-frosh program where you drag with a Plebe or Youngster overnight. My advice is, drag with a Plebe and do it during the Dark Ages (Jan-March).
Talk to your Blue and Gold officer with any questions. They're not so much recruiters as sources of wisdom and reality-checkers. The Boat School gets enough applicants that they don't have to talk anyone into it who isn't interested, or who they feel isn't right for the program.

+1 pony
As a Blue and Gold officer, I can say this summarizes everything a Boat School wannabe needs to know.

 

[Giggles]

Here is an Idea, dont go to the Academy...now you dont have to worry about what classes to take.

 

[DanMa1156]

I know it is an AF plane. But when I first joined this forum, I wanted to join the AF.

So you went from being in the Air Force, to becoming a SEAL or Marine with a second choice as Naval Aviator all within the matter of a few days? Hmmph.

 

[louisvillefan77]

So you went from being in the Air Force, to becoming a SEAL or Marine with a second choice as Naval Aviator all within the matter of a few days? Hmmph.

No, I didn't wat to be a SEAL or a Marine. I just got bored and wondered what others would rather be. And I was stuck on Air Force for about a year, than my friend persuaded me to look into the USNA. I decided it was better for me. My family wants me to go to the USAFA though.

 

[Slammer2]

...My family wants me to go to the USAFA though.

Hear what they have to say and make your own decision.

 

[Uncle Fester]

You HAVE to make up your own mind on where you want to go. If you go to USAFA (or wherever) because someone else is pushing for it, I can guarantee you won't make it through the first year.

I saw plenty of guys who should have made it who didn't even last out the summer, and lots of guys who seemed like shipwrecks on day one made it all the way through to graduation. Difference was desire to be there.

One guy in my plebe summer company was one of those 4.0-Prom king-soccer captain who looked perfect on paper, but from I-Day on he kept talking about how he didn't need this shit, he could have gone anywhere he wanted, but he was going to stick it out because his dad and granddad had gone and he wasn't going to be the first to drop out. Guess what? He was gone after two weeks - which is the earliest you're allowed to quit.