Did anyone in here attend the Naval Academy? Right now I’m a triathlete/swimmer in High School (junior) and just began doing my summer seminar application that came out today.
Since most of us triathletes 
are dedicated people and you’ve got to be top notch to get into this school, one of you guys or girls might have been able to get in. I was wondering if I could just ask you some questions on your time there.
Thanks all for you help.
.
I graduated from the Naval Academy in 1990. Boy that seems like a long time ago. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about the place. Not an easy place to get into or graduate from but well worth it! Feel free to email me at jaxkola@aol.com. Good luck.
Steve
I did but it was so long ago … you would do better to get your information from some of the more recent grads, although I doubt a lot has changed (except for the girls, a good change me thinks). That being said I would recommend it to anyone willing to work VERY hard and who has the maturity to accept learning how to take orders in order to learn how to manage people. It is not a good fit for everyone. Plus you will graduate with zero debt and have a job that can be a lot of fun.
Frank
Bigd, while I did not go to the Naval Academy, I had the fortune of going to Royal Military College here in Canada (our equivalent to West Point, NA and USAFA). I went on a bunch of exchanges to West Point and judging from my own experience, be ready to work REALLY hard, get used to being sleep deprived, get ready to meet the best friends you will ever make in your life and reap the rewards for the rest of your life. For a moment, I do not regret to become an officer in “Her Majesty’s Service”, and while my military career has come and gone (I graduated in 1988, and “retired” in 1996), I got the see all corners of the world, got to train like crazy, got to race on the military tri team which is a better deal than being an Olympian for a slightly above average age grouper.
And if you are worrying about training and racing, the lifestyle is not “optimal” but as we use to say, “The Institute will take care of those who excel in Sport”. Clearly if you are a stud athlete, the Naval Academy will take care of you, as proven by the likes of Roger Staubach, Napoleon McCallum and David Robinson. Then again, all these guys play ball sports, but hey, Tony deBoom is a West Point grad !
Here’s an indicator of how well Academy athletes are taken care of: Last christmas I did a long run with a friend’s son. He was home on christmas leave from the naval academy. The tri team, which he was a member of, all recieved new Litespeed blades in school colors. They had to pay some money for them… a whole $350…
no matter what academy you pick, if that’s what your looking at, physical training and readiness is ingrained into the culture.
But why any sane person would want to willingly go to the naval academy instead of West Point is beyond me…
oopps did I let my bias show??? sorry… 
Jim
MAJ, USA
No, I was in submarines, Hunley was the name if memory serves me correctly.
I’m an Air Force grad … class of 92. It is a lot of hard work, but worth it in the end. Post again if there is anything specific I can answer.
drn92
I’m a '91 grad. “Lousy place to be, but a great place to be from”. Hands down, hardest 4 years of my life, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It sure is nice to have on your resume also. You will meet some of the finest people you’ll ever come across and build many friendships that will last a lifetime. It’s definitely hard work while you’re there (especially if you study engineering). If you want to fly, I recommend Poly Sci! Send as many questions as you like.
Good Luck! Go Navy!!
Wow, I never knew I would get this much of a response. I guess it shows how great the Slowtwitch.com community is. Instead of e-mailing each and every one of you, I’ll post my questions on here instead since there might be some more people out there. (Sorry if this post gets long but this is a big decision in my life just as it was with yours.) I’ll start with some background on myself which I really don’t like doing.
Most importantly, in school I’m a good student. I’m certainly not the best, but I’m managing to pull off a 97-98% GPA and in the top 18ish percent in my class. Right now, I’m looking into major in either some type of engineering or video editing/production/animation. I’m starting to lean towards engineering since I enjoy math and physics a lot. I still have yet to take the SAT’s but I took PSAT’s and they said I would do about a 1290 (I’m not a fan of big tests). I’m part of a few clubs due to my limited time due to out-of-school hours activities.
Outside of school, I swim most of the time and when I say swim, I mean I swim 24/7. My team is very lucky that we are both a High School team and a club team that swims USS so we got the full range of swimming. We’re also very lucky that we were State Champs last year and District champs for 7 and most likely 8 years in a row coming up soon. In order to do this, we’re in the pool for 4 hours a day during normal training then during Xmas training, we’re in it for 6 hours doing a total of 95,000 yards per week. From this side of me, I really think I will fit well into the strict lifestyle NAVY has and you are getting a clear picture of my crafted character from this team.
Now onto NAVY: I first got interested in them during my summer 2002 triathlon season at the Lancaster Family Triathlon where their entire team competed. I saw Tim O’Donnell crush the entire field and it certainly caught my eye. The next year, instead of competing in a relay at the race, I went solo to hopefully catch the eyes of the NAVY coaches at the hilly, long, and cold race to see if they would at least want me at the school. http://www.usna.edu/Triathlon/result%20files/lancaster03male.htm There are the results, which fully convinced me that I could hold my ground on at least a team and got to meet the coaches.
So after looking into all of this some more, filling out some applications and signing up for the summer seminar, I got a few questions but I will certainly e-mail or post more in-depth questions later.
If you could have gone to a “regular” college/university instead, would you?
How hard is the first year? The website certainly says its hard, but not in too much depth. Any examples from personal experiences?
How are the teachers at the school in your opinion?
Do you have any “down” time during the week? It looks like you don’t.
If you need help in any subject, are there tutors available or do your fellow classmates help each other most of the time?
What are some of your favorite things about the college?
Thank you all for all your support and help. I can’t describe how much this helps me. I’m sorry that this was very long. I will most likely e-mail each of you individually sometime this week.
Now on topic – Did any of you guys race on the Tri team? IF I get into this school, oh please lord, I have a big debate whether to join the swim or tri team.
Thank you again and BEAT ARMY!
*My e-mail address and webpage are listed in my profile.
Well, some of the guys were suggesting you get the news from someone more recent…how’s 2000?
First off I’ll be straight with you and tell you it was the greatest experience of my life. It definitely had its low points, and it definitely sucked huge sometimes, but I would do it again a hundred times over. That being said, it wasn’t easy, but I don’t believe that truly worthwhile things are ever easy.
On to your questions:
‘Regular’ College: ha, nope. I got too much out of the place and I know i couldn’t find it anywhere else. I applaud you for recognizing early that the boat school isn’t ‘regular,’ a few of my classmates weren’t so prepared and they were in for the surprise of their life on I-day. haha.
Plebe Year: i can tell you it isn’t easy. Time is short, sleep is short, your life sucks, blah blah blah. Yeah, its bad, but the thing that people have the hardest time getting over is failure. You’ve got people from all over who were the big fish in the small pond and the thing about the boat school is that someone has to be last. The process of Failure, and learning to deal with it, is accelerated and is usually the most difficult thing to deal with. You’ve got to understand alot of things are designed to make you fail. It is impossible to memorize all your stuff and its even harder to yell it out when some asshole is screaming in your face. So, deal with it. You’re not perfect and noone cares if you are. In fact, don’t be…it gets you attention, and at that point in time, attention might not be a good thing. Basically, realize that it won’t easy, learn from your mistakes and realize that there really are no excuses. After that, its easy. Ok, not really.
Teachers: like anywhere, it really depends. I had some great ones, i had some bad ones. I had some who understood what life was like at that place, and I had some who didn’t give a rat’s ass. It depends. Overall my experience was good, you just have to ask for help if you need it.
Down time: boy, you’re funny. What do you think it is there, a country club, oh…wait, Army guys will tell you that it is…the sun, the water, the sailboats…bah… BS. If you have any down time it probably means that you forgot to do something. I can guarantee that during Plebe summer you don’t have an ounce of free time. Once the academic year starts I can assure you that you better not have any down time. Sure, you’ve got time to workout, you’ve got time allotted for sports and you’ve got time for studying, but you most likely won’t have any free time. Like i said, if you do, you’re probably forgetting something.
Tutors: yep, they’re there. I was a chemistry, physics, statics and dynamics tutor for 3 years. You can find help in just about any subject (and not necessarily school, but other ‘subjects’) but the biggest problem is that some people are afraid to ask for help. If you’re having a hard time, ask, you’ll be amazed how the people there can work together.
College? Ok, maybe we’re not so clear…hehe. I could say it taught me this, taught me that, say i met great people…its all true. BUT, my favorite part, as a 20 year snot, F-14’s in Key West for a month. As a school, that was the coolest part. Sure, you can get out and do a hell of a lot more, but we’re not talking about life after, we’re talking about life (if you want to call it that) during.
If you’re ready for some fun, go for it. Just be ready to screw up and realize that you are in fact the lowest form of scum on earth. Once you’ve got that, all the insults will just be compliments! haha.
GO NAVY!
While usna00’s remarks were right on in most repects I take issue with one of his remarks. Unless he experienced all of the following (which i doubt) I can assure you that I (and my classmates) had the last REAL plebe year (made only tolerable by the fact I was a plebe when Roger Staubach led us to the Cotton Bowl and lots of weekend carry-on). You know, back in the days of wooden ships and iron men (the original Iron men). So, ever hear of:
Even tho the above little fun things have probably been phased out, even if not, whatever they throw at you is tolerable. Just remember, anybody who kills you probably won’t graduate so they probably won’t kill you. Then there are some “good” things you will remember also.
Question for you usna00. Do plebes still try to eat 12 cannonballs when the opportunity arises? Or, do they still serve cannonballs.
There are some One thing I learned to love at the boat school was strawberries and ice cream for breakfast.
I went to a “normal” school and made the most of the “extra curriculars”. A bunch of my really good friends went to the Academy. Many I knew in high school, and many I met during college. In many ways I was jealous of their experience, and in many ways they were jealous of mine. Going into the military is certainly a personal choice and it is certainly not an environment for everyone. That said, if the military suits you, and you it, going to the Naval Academy is IMO a great thing to do. Many of my friends are now SEALs, pilots, husbands, and fathers. They are incredibly responsible, and enormously considerate. I guess it helps my outlook that one of my best friends who went to the academy is responsible for my picking up triathlon. (He’s still pissed that I ran an Ironman before him! Pussy SEALs…)
Don’t get me wrong, I also have a close friend who quit the academy because it just wasn’t right for him. He was right to do so. I don’t want to give the impression that the Academy is the best thing for everyone. As a matter of fact, I think that it’s only the right choice for a small percentage of high school graduates. BUT, if a military life is right for you, and your a bright guy (which it appears you are) then I think it is a great place. I know that sometimes I regret not giving it a shot.
Make sure you get cracking on that recommendation!!!
Oh my, how could I have forgotten, my plebe year was certainly not real…my apologies. If you’d like to talk about ships of wood and men of iron, maybe you could have a ‘chat’ with my sponsor, class of '50. I doubt he’d agree that yours was real either…hehe.
On that note though, if my plebe year wasn’t real, then how in the heck did our class manage to get a cover on the chapel dome…
If things were so tame, then why in God’s name did a car blow up in T-court while I was there…
Some things change, some things stay the same. Some traditions are lost, but we tried to keep a few alive…on your quiz I’ll buy 2, 3, 4 and 5.
What about the Ho Chi Minh trail…or were you all too scared?? By the way, what class are you…2000-???
Cannonball Run baby…it still happens. Of course we had a time where they stopped making them, but it came back and the puking resumed. Thank the lord! Unfortunately we missed the days of ice cream for breakfast. Second class year they brought ice cream back and with that came handmade milk shakes. And I have to say, if your blender ever breaks, find a plebe, they work just as well…
Oh yeah, its getting seriously cushy now. All of Bancroft has been renovated and AC has been installed…not to mention the phone lines everywhere…crap, pretty soon it’ll be horrible, just like the zoomie hotel.
class of '83. now, frank, how about that alumni discount?
Oooh, Alumni discounts, I like…
You are definitely doing the right things by asking any and all questions. You want to be as informed as possible when you make your decision. I went to school at USNA with a lot of great people that did not really know what they were getting themselves into and subsequently left.
USNA00 had some very good comments. I certainly did not have a ‘real’ plebe year like Frank but at least much more son then USNA00. Just giving out a hard time. Anyway to answer some of your questions from my perspective:
No, I would not have gone to a regular college. Much easier to say this now then during my first year or two at the Academy though. I had the opportunity to attend some very good schools but very glad I made the decision that I did.
Your first year is tough no doubt. Even in this politically correct society. I had an advantage since I went to NAPS (Naval Academy Prep School). This really made plebe year and especially plebe summer much easier. Once you get over the fact that the upper class are going to yell and scream at you it gets a little smoother. Academics, at least for me, were an eye opener. It is not high school and you have to work hard.
The teachers there were a mixed bag of civilians and military. As USNA00 said some were outstanding while others were fair at best. This is true at any institution. I went to Michigan for my MBA and found the same thing there.
Down time? Not your first year. You do get a little more as you progress but time management will be one of the biggest hurdles you have to overcome. You can make time for whatever you want to do but it isn’t easy.
Tutors are available in many forms. I found that even my upper class were more then willing to help as long as you were trying. The teachers there would also make a lot of their time available to those that needed it.
To me the best thing was the friendships that you will make. My friends there would do anything for me. When I applied to grad school I was on the border but one of my friends was currently in the program. The dean asked him about me and what he thought about my getting in. My buddy looked him in the eye and siad “I would take a bullet for that guy.” I got in. I am sure at other schools you would make great friends but there is something different about the bonds you make at the Academy.
As far as whether I would join the swim team of tri team. Well when I was there there was no tri team. I played lax. Maybe I am biased but being on a varsity team vice club team has a lot of advatages especially plebe year.
Hope some of this is of help. Good luck with your decision.
I’m a 1992 grad (Computer Science). I’m not ever sure where to start talking about my experience. Its definitely a love/hate thing for me. Depending on the day I might tell you I loved it or I hated it. Best way to describe it for me: Its a great place to be from, but not always a great place to be. LOL
As to your questions:
Never even considered going to a regular college. I planned on going to USNA from my freshman year of H.S. Did I miss out on some things? Yeah, sure. But most of my non-Academy peers didn’t get to do half the things I did during my summers. I sailed to Burmuda on a 40 foot sloop with 9 other middies my first summer after plebe year. For a farm boy from North Dakota that was something else. So I missed out a few frat parties…I wouldn’t trade my experiences for that.
Yeah, the first year is hard. I had no frigging clue what I was getting myself into. The biggest lesson for me was realizing that I wasn’t in it alone. You have your entire platoon and you’re all going through the same thing. Once we realized that it got so much easier…but it still sucked. 
However, the last 7 days of Plebe year make the previous 11 months worth it.
As stated by others, its a mixed bag. I had some great ones and some pretty lousy ones. But that’s par for pretty much any college.
As a plebe we got liberty from noon to midnight on Saturdays with a 18:30 muster in there. Other than that, I mostly remember having my nose buried in books (even during that liberty).
I was a 2.0 and go guy so yes, tutors are available. Biggest advice here I can give is learn how to study. It was a skill I didn’t need in High School (it was easy for me) and one I had to develop at USNA. It took me a good 2 years to get good at studying properly.
My favorite things: Sailing to Bermuda my first summer, being in Patriot Games, seeing Israel, Turkey, Sicily, France and Italy in one four week firstie cruise, Army/Navy football games, playing sports I had never heard of in North Dakota, the Inner Harbor, the incredible friendships I formed, and that’s just a few of them.
The tri-team didn’t form until after I graduated. I will say this though, if I hadn’t joined the Marines and been stationed in Hawaii I probably wouldn’t have become a triathlete. And my experiences as a midshipman and a Marine have been invaluable both in the ‘real world’ and in my training.
Last bit of advice…if/when you graduate, put away your ring while in the service. As Mr. Tibbs stated, there are lots of AD’s out there and even more folks looking to lump you into that catagory by nothing more than the ring you wear on your finger. Don’t give 'em the opportunity. Be a great leader and then let 'em find out you went to Canoe U. I can’t tell you how many times I heard, ‘You went to Annapolis?’ in a good way because I never wore my ring.
Polar bears anyone? How about ‘uniform Batman’? ‘Stop the music’? Bracing a Form 2? “No more water midshipman.”
Would I have gone to a regular college? If you would have asked me while I was at the academy I would have said yes. Now that I’ve been gone for 12+ years I would definitely say no. I wouldn’t trade my memories of the academy for anything and I certainly wouldn’t trade my 10 years on active duty with the Marines. It’s tough, but it’s definitely worth it.
**How hard is the first year? **Plebe year sucks no matter what year it is. As long as you’ve got thick skin you’ll be fine. Your life will be turned upside down for at least the first 6 months but as long as you’ve got a sense of humor you’ll do fine.
How are the teachers at the school in your opinion? They’re like any undergrad program: some are good and some are bad. Some of my best teachers were military officers and some of my worst teachers were military officers. You’re going to find lousy teachers at Stanford, Harvard, West Point, etc.
Do you have any “down” time during the week? No, especially if you’re an engineer and you play a varsity sport. I was an Aeronautical Engineer and I played baseball and I had no free time at all. In fact, I spent many nights staying up until 1-2 am doing wind tunnel reports, etc. Junior year as an engineer will be the worst year of your life. Yes, it will actually be worse than plebe year.
**Tutors? **If you need help, you’ll get help. Classmates, Upper Class, professors are always willing to spend extra time with you.
**Favorite things about USNA? **The people I met and the friendships I’ve made. The experiences that I had (i.e Jump school, midshipman cruises, road trips to Goucher Womens College, etc). Annapolis is an awesome town. The people I met. The alumni network. The people I met. Army/Navy Football. Graduation. The friendships I made. The fact you’re garanteed a cool job after graduation.
Good Luck,
Weasel, '91 USNA grad
You have all the great answers from the Navy guys that match my experience on the Air Force side. Here is my perspective …
Regular College: I actually had the opportunity to go to a regular college, as the AFA had a program called “stop-out” while I was there. I spent one year at the University of Utah and decided to head back to the Zoo without a second thought. The only this I missed about the U was skiing 75 days that year. The academics, athletics, social life, entire experience at the Academy were for me much better. The big driver of your last three years will be your roommate and group of friends you find.
First Year: Brutal. But not un-doable. You’ll do fine.
Teachers: Based on my experience at the Univeristy of Utah, better. At the undergrad level, particularly at larger schools, you will probably have a grad student do most of the teaching. The instructors are not as accessible, and the classes are larger. My instruction at the Academy was much better than at the U and compared very favorable with my MBA experience.
Down Time: Yes and no. Time management is absolutely necessary but I was able to do well academically and spend a lot of time at the gym. Engineering is the toughest track, so be prepared to work very hard (I rarely went to bed before midnight during the week and pulled more all-nighters than I care to remember). However, having an engineering background will help you down the road.
Tutors: Always available and travelled with the varsity teams.
Favorite thing: Friends I made, experiences I had, the alumni network.
Also, Mr. Tibbs is right. Just because your are a grad that doesn’t make you “the man.”
Finally, no matter how hard your first year (plebe, doolie, whatever) is, it was never as hard as the year before.
drn92