The Academy Insider Podcast - Your Guide to The Naval Academy Experience
The mission of Academy Insider is to guide, serve, and support Midshipmen, future Midshipmen, and their families. Through the perspective of a community of former graduates and Naval Academy insiders, this podcast will help you learn about life at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. Through our shared experiences, Academy Insider guides families through the anxiety and frustration caused by lack of understanding, misinformation, and confusion. This platform is designed to better relationships between midshipmen and their loved ones. This podcast is not affiliated with the United States Naval Academy, the United States Navy or Department of Defense. The thoughts and opinions are exclusively those of your host and his guests.
The Academy Insider Podcast - Your Guide to The Naval Academy Experience
#071 EXAM WEEK!! Six and Twelve Week Exams at the U.S. Naval Academy
Learn about Academic Reserve Weeks at the United States Naval Academy as we explore the intricacies of the Academy’s unique examination structure. Join us alongside Langston Goldenberg, a midshipman first class and the brigade operations officer, who shares his insight into this unique aspect of life in Annapolis. This episode promises to illuminate the distinct six-week, 12-week, and final exam schedule that defines the midshipmen's rigorous yet rewarding educational experience.
Discover how midshipmen navigate the demanding exam weeks, balancing military obligations, academics, and athletics. Langston provides insights on how the X period exams level the playing field by having all students take core course exams simultaneously, reducing stress and fostering unity.
Venture into the world of study habits and stress management with an emphasis on self-awareness and seeking help when needed. From the Academic Center for Excellence to the Midshipman Development Center, we delve into the wealth of resources available to support midshipmen in their academic and personal growth. Langston and I discuss the importance of building solid study habits early and managing stress effectively, empowering listeners with strategies to thrive under pressure. Whether you're a prospective midshipman or just curious about life at this esteemed institution, this episode offers a comprehensive look at how midshipmen succeed during these crucial academic reserve weeks.
The mission of Academy Insider is to guide, serve, and support Midshipmen, future Midshipmen, and their families.
Grant Vermeer your host is the person who started it all. He is the founder of Academy Insider and the host of The Academy Insider podcast and the USNA Property Network Podcast. He was a recruited athlete which brought him to Annapolis where he was a four year member of the varsity basketball team. He was a cyber operations major and commissioned into the Cryptologic Warfare Community. He was stationed at Fort Meade and supported the Subsurface Direct Support mission.
He separated from the Navy in 2023 and now owns The Vermeer Group, a boutique residential real estate company that specializes in serving the United States Naval Academy community PCSing to California & Texas.
We are here to be your guide through the USNA experience.
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Welcome to Season 2 of the Academy Insider Podcast. Academy Insider is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that serves midshipmen, future midshipmen and their families. At its core, this podcast is designed to bring together a community of Naval Academy graduates and those affiliated with the United States Naval Academy in order to tell stories and provide a little bit of insight into what life at the Naval Academy is really like. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you so much for listening and reach out if you ever have any questions. Hey everyone, and welcome back to the Academy Insider Podcast. In today's episode we're going to learn all about the academic reserve weeks at the Naval Academy. If you've heard your midshipman or midshipman talk about six weeks, 12 weeks or just, you know, exam weeks, this episode is going to give you a deep dive into everything that goes on at the Naval Academy during those weeks. Again, the Naval Academy it's a university, it's a college. We take exams but, unlike normal colleges, we may have a midterm and just a final. The majority of our core classes at the Academy are going to have a six-week exam, a 12-week exam and then a final exam. So if you're interested in learning a little bit about exam weeks at the Academy, how that affects the midshipman life, how that affects specifically plead life and plead duties and obligations. Then check out this episode. It's a super fun deep dive into this week, including all the resources that exist for midshipmen to help them academically and help them decompress and kind of handle the stress management of all of the difficulties of the academy, especially during the exam week. You're going to love it. I think it's a super cool episode and insight into the midshipman experience in Annapolis. So check it out, leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thank you so much and I hope you have a great listen.
Speaker 1:The Academy Insider podcast is sponsored by the Vermeer Group, a residential real estate company that serves the United States Naval Academy community and other select clientele in both California and Texas. If I can ever answer a real estate related question for you or connect you with a trusted Academy affiliated agent in the market which you're in, please reach out to me directly at grant at the Vermeer groupcom. You can also reach out to me on my LinkedIn page, grant Premier, and I'd be happy to respond to you there. Thank you so much and now let's get back to the episode. All right, hey Langston, thanks so much for taking the time today to be a part of the Academy Insider Podcast. Do you mind, before we get started, just telling us a little bit about yourself, where you're from, how you ended up at the Naval Academy, and then a little bit about your midshipman self company activities, kind of what you're doing now in your brigade leadership position as well?
Speaker 2:Absolutely so. I'm a midshipman first class links in Goldenberg. I'm the brigade operations officer. I'm from New Orleans, louisiana, originally, and I applied to the academy three times so I got on the third time. But I went to Tulane for two years. In New Orleans I'm part of 24th Company. I was on the varsity offshore sailing team, my plea beer, and then I retired. I now do intramural pickleball, I'm doing the mountaineering club, I got SCUBA certified here, so I'm pretty involved in all aspects of midshipman life. And then last year I was the brigade conduct sergeant, so I know the conduct system quite well too.
Speaker 1:There we go. Yeah, hopefully we'll stay away. We'll stay away from the conduct system today, but pickleball is an intramural sport. Now, like you, can play company pickleball intramurals.
Speaker 2:Well, it was, it's been. It got brought to the academy my youngster year, so I was on the team youngster year, both semesters, and then actually I don't participate in intramurals as a striper, okay, but it's gone now. So now it's back to the more mainstream sports, but I'm hoping to bring it back next semester when I go to be a squad leader back in my company.
Speaker 1:Dude love it. That's so cool and what? Going to college in New Orleans probably a little bit different than being at the academy.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I'm from New Orleans so I'm used to the activities, but definitely night and day difference from going from New Orleans to Annapolis.
Speaker 1:For sure. Well, cool, today's episode again for everyone listening is really going to be all about what we call academic reserve weeks. But what you're really going to hear is like six week, 12 weeks exams, and so at the Academy we kind of have an interesting structure where, you know, at a lot of universities it may just be your final exam, maybe a midterm, but at the Academy it's kind of broken up into six-week exams, 12-week exams, then you have your finals, and so you know again I want to put this back over to you, langston, if you don't mind just doing again an explanation when a midshipman is talking about the fact that it's six weeks or it's 12 weeks or they have a six week exam, what are they talking about? Can you kind of explain the structure of the academic reserve weeks at the academy?
Speaker 2:Absolutely so. Every core class, to my knowledge, follows the six 12 weeks final schedule. Some of your majors courses will deviate, but that's like that's a special case scenario. So typically how we'll go is you'll have six weeks or five weeks of instruction period. Usually on the last week, the last few days of that fifth week, you'll do a review and then, come the next week, on Monday through Friday of the sixth week or the 12th week, you'll have an exam week.
Speaker 2:Now, exam week at the Naval Academy is not like you have one exam and then you study all day for the next one. You have an exam from 655 to one exam and then you study all day for the next one. You have an exam from 6.55 to 7.55 and then you start a full day of class. So you're studying throughout your working work week. So you're actually going to class. You still have homework assignments, you still have papers due, but you just have exams in the morning. So you just add an extra hour to your school day.
Speaker 2:Essentially, however, I think there's pros to that format. I think that if you take the material six weeks at a time, you're able to actually digest it easier. So, for example, I just took principles of naval architecture and a weapons exam, both four credit classes. And thermodynamics is a good one double E those kinds of classes if you take it six weeks at a time. That way when you get to the final you can look back at the six week chunks and see the important stuff, whereas if we just had a midterm at the eight week mark and then a final, those pieces of information might be harder to digest for midshipmen who are busy. So I think the format may be tough to adjust to, but I think overall it actually does help out the midshipmen.
Speaker 1:No, absolutely. I agree wholeheartedly with you, especially with the amount, like we were talking about the amount of courses that you're taking as a midshipman at the academy, right, when you're taking 19 or 20 credit hours to like remember all that information over the course of an entire semester. If it was just like a final exam, like it would be completely overwhelming, right, and so it's a cool structure. And when we talk about you know, these exams, how much of these exams count towards your final grade in the semester and is it consistent or kind of like you're mentioning, with some majors, courses, et cetera? Is it dependent on the instructor or the course and kind of when do you learn or know, kind of the weight of this exam towards your final grade in a course?
Speaker 2:So another unique thing at the academy is we don't have a syllabus week like a normal school. So typically you'll go through the syllabus in the first 15 minutes of your first day of class and then you'll immediately go into material. So you'll get the weight the first day of class and then you have the syllabus to refer back to and typically, like the six week and 12 week weights are around like total, around 25 to 30% total. So each exam could be worth 10 or 15% each. Some classes, like weapons or boats, they will have actually a six, 12 and 16 week exam.
Speaker 2:I think plebe chemistry has the same way. Plebe physics or youngster physics has the same thing. So each exam could be 10%, 30% total for those midterms or six week, 12 week, 16 week exams, and then the final exam is typically like between 25 and 40% depending on the class. Some exams are up to 45% and some of those majors courses you can have a midterm and then a final that can completely get rid of that midterm. So the structure really is up to the department and to the professor. But I'd say a standard layout would look like 25% to 30% total for your exams and then your final would be worth another 30%.
Speaker 1:Yeah, 100%.
Speaker 1:And I think what's really interesting too about the academy, like you said, there's still a very heavy weight towards the exams that you take, but there's also part of your grade and I think this is probably different than a lot of universities that is, is there for homework, for quizzes, like actual participation throughout the, you know, throughout the course, and not just again like I'm not, I don't know the normal college experience, but just from talking to people like there are a lot of people who just your final exam is like the sole grade that you have in the class, right, and whether or not you show up and do homework doesn't kind of matter.
Speaker 1:But I think it's really interesting at the academy because, again, the fact is one, you have to be a class there's kind of no exception to that but but your homework and like quizzes play a factor into your overall grade as well when it comes to the weight, and so all that stuff is really interesting. But what I do want to kind of mention is you talked about in previous episodes. For anyone who's listened if you listened to the episode with Sarah Riley, you know that the school day starts at 7.55. You mentioned that you may have to take an exam starting at 6.55. You mind talking about what that period is during the exam week, that X week or that X period, in explaining kind of a little bit about the terminology and what it is.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. So most core courses will take an X period exam because it's a common exam. So there's a course coordinator, there could be like 10 or 15 sections for the whole class and everyone will take the same exam at the same time. So x period is uh 655 to 755 um, and let's say, like the whole plebe class will take chemistry one at the same exact time. It's the same exact test, and then all the teachers come together to write the test with the course coordinator. So that way it's a fair and even playing field for everyone taking the test. And then some core courses, some majors courses, you can take it during the class period. So I think as you get higher in your academy career like as a first D I just finished six weeks last week I didn't take a single X period exam. So I think it just depends on the course. But most of those like plebe, youngster courses are, you're going to be taking X period at least two or three during that week.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, absolutely, like you're saying, the core course just makes it and I love the way you said it so that everyone's on an equal playing field, right, because if you think about it and you're like, hey, if someone took the, you know there are 12 sections of plebe chemistry or whatever, and there's some people who are taking it during first period and others who are taking it during fifth period, right, again, you may hear people over talking, or like overhearing people talk about like, oh man, that exam was hard, I didn't know this question or that, right, like I was lost and it kind of would give people a little bit more of an insight into, oh, what I may need to study at lunch break for right, and so, by putting it all at the X period exam, like you're saying, very, equal playing field, everyone takes it at the exact same time, uh, and it just gets it all complete at that moment, right, and it just works well for one, organizationally, but two, to make sure that all midshipmen have an equal playing field when it comes to those exams for your, for your core courses that happen at the academy, right, and so, um, so that's again, that's, that's really the rundown of the structure of your six-week, 12-week exams. The fact that you have an X period for core courses you mentioned like life doesn't change at the academy from an academic stance. You're still going to class, right, you take that exam at 655, but then you have you probably you know you take a double E exam at 655, but then you have double E at you know 1055 for your normal course anyway. So it just continues and class continues through the week.
Speaker 1:But I do want to shift this now because I think this affects a lot of people, especially the plebes, is how does your day-to-day life as a midshipman change during this time period when it comes to plebe duties or military obligations? And so I want to shift this now to the midshipman life during exam weeks. And so you mentioned earlier about I want to shift this now to the midshipman life during exam weeks. And so you mentioned earlier about intramural pickleball and all and trying to bring that back and some of the extracurriculars. When it comes to exam week in academic reserve week at the academy, do intramurals continue, kind of how is the shift happen with, kind of the academic or physical mission at the academy?
Speaker 2:That's a good question. So from an ops perspective, this is like one of the things I work heavily on with both the officer and the midshipman side is academic reserve week is typically protected from any military obligation that we can avoid, so there's not going to be any forestall lectures. There's not going to be any shape sessions. You're looking at class exams and studying. If you're a varsity athlete, you'll still have practice, but most teams on the yard will give you an academic day if you need it. If you have maybe a doubleheader the next day, they'll give you the day off from practice, but you're not going to have any mandatory trainings. You're not going to have any intramurals. That week is pretty much closed off to school exams and studying, and it's for a good reason, just so you can take all that academic loading on your plate without having any external factors that can affect your exam grades was how it was for us and even for varsity basketball again, which is something that I know well.
Speaker 1:That's what I played, and I was just in Annapolis this past week, which was it was the first week of the basketball season, which coincided, unfortunately, with six weeks at the academy, and so, again, normally most programs around the country are not only practicing every day, they're kind of doing double days for that first week it's kind of the jump into the season. The academy they practice, right, naval Academy they practice Monday, tuesday, thursday, friday. They gave everyone the day off on Wednesday to study. It was a singular day of practice and so, you know, it's still a lot, but there is definitely an accommodation factor for the realization that, again, six-week exams are difficult, right, and there's a lot of time associated with studying and you know, like even waking up potentially earlier to take the X period exam, et cetera. And so you know, like you're saying, on a case by case basis, based on the team, based on the schedule, based where they're at in their season, you know things can adjust and and be slightly different from time to time, right, and so that's kind of where we're at now.
Speaker 1:I do want to talk a little bit. As we mentioned, core courses are very similar but as you get into your majors courses, a midshipman's academic experience could adjust. What is your experience or observation been when it comes to teachers during six weeks? Are you getting a lighter load of homework during that time, knowing that midshipmen have multiple exams and quizzes and kind of what, in your opinion, is like the classroom like during that X or during that, uh, academic reserve?
Speaker 2:Um, I think that that question really depends on on the professor and really the semester. I've had semesters where, um, all the teachers have, um, I'm somehow linked up and I have no assignments that week and I'm just able to study. But then I've also had semesters where I've had two papers due. I have another test that that is just during a class period. I have got homework due. So I think it all really depends.
Speaker 2:Something at the academy that's different, I think, than than my experience in New Orleans, tulane, was teachers here stick to the syllabus and they do not. They do not deviate. So if the syllabus says during six weeks you'll have these assignments due and you will learn this, monday, wednesday, friday, you will learn that Monday, wednesday, friday and those assignments will still be due. So like there's not going to be any deviation. I would say getting an extension here is also the process is different. Like if you're you're going to ask for an extension from professor, you better have a good reason, or else they're not going to grant it because at the end of the day all of us have have the same load. And if they're giving an extension to one midshipman because they feel like they're, they maybe have too much, but so does everybody else. So if you give one extension and you're going to have to give a class extension, just it's snowball. So typically the extensions are pretty rigid and depending on the semester, the professors you get a light load, you get a heavy load. Your six week could be really light, but typically around 12 weeks, no matter what year or major. It's a heavy load because you're going into Thanksgiving a week or two after and teachers are trying to get things in before that 12 week marking period. Yeah, I guess it's not the good thing to hit on the marking periods between six and 12 weeks.
Speaker 2:So at six weeks we have a marking period. That's what the academy kind of sees how you're doing. If you have two Ds or an F, you're unsat, so you lose weekend status. That doesn't necessarily affect your order of merit then, but they start restricting that. Uh, you're pretty much mandated to study and the 12 weeks is the same thing. Six weeks less serious, you can still recover. Sure, if you're not looking good at 12 weeks, you got four weeks to turn it around and then a final exam. So, like at that point you probably should do nothing else but sit in your room and study. Um, so it's. It's it's also like a good check-in period to see how you're doing academically.
Speaker 2:Um, I think sometimes people forget that this is a university and a military institution, um, and so sometimes you can't do both and you got to choose, like, do I want to get good grades or do I want to make sure that I meet this obligation? Uh, to make myself, like, look good, maybe to a officer professor, like, sometimes you got to make this, make the choice, um, to see what your priorities are. Are you gonna fail prono on friday so you can get an a on your chemistry test? Are you gonna do well on prono, but are you gonna bomb that chemistry test? Are you gonna do boards? You can take chemistry. So there's just so many different factors that that, like, would guide your week. Um, those types of things will happen, no matter what. The boards will still be due, the, the sig sheets will still be due. Um, prono is still happening. So, like those types of things, you'll have to decide what's more important.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. Again, that's what you're talking about. That's what makes the academy so special.
Speaker 1:I mean, it makes it so difficult, but it makes it so special, right, as you're put in these constant situations where you have to make tough decisions about what you're going to prioritize, where your focus lies, where where you're investing your time and effort right through the whole experience and navigating that, and then also, at the same point, right is talking being vulnerable, vulnerable enough and self-aware enough to be like shoot dude, like I need help, no-transcript, and it can be really difficult, right. And so I kind of want to now focus and shift a little bit on what help do midshipmen have? Like, if a midshipman is self-aware enough to know like, hey, proactively, I'm struggling, right, like this is going to be really difficult. What resources do midshipmen have to prepare for exam weeks? Right, when it comes to MGSP, EI, the Academic Center for Excellence, you might touching a little bit on some of the different resources that exist for midshipmen who need a little help, especially on the academic side, and you know what they do at the academy to support midshipmen.
Speaker 2:Absolutely so. I was a third time applicant so I definitely was an academic stud. So right out of the gate during pleb summer you can sign up for what they call supplemental courses for chemistry and calculus and essentially one of your free periods throughout the day you'll go to the academic center of excellence and they'll teach like that week's course on calculus, maybe in a different way or or maybe there's some practice problems or whatever, maybe for calc and chemistry, and then that follows your syllabus. So all the syllabus, all the syllabi for like plebe, calc and chemistry, like they're all the exact same and they follow like the same rigid schedule. So the academic center can help you because they know where you're at in your in your curriculum that that week. So that's a good option. I did that my first semester plebe year. I ended up dropping out of the like the chem two supplemental class but I I kept the the Calc one. I think different things help different folks but that helped me a lot.
Speaker 2:Mgsp is like midshipman led EI and EI is extra instruction. So like midshipman led ei and ei is extra instruction. So like midshipman lead um groups at night, typically from like 19 to 200 until maybe 2200 and they'll sit there and like go through practice problems, they'll go through homework, um, whatever you need they'll do. And these mgsp leaders, essentially they get one credit on their transcript for teaching the class, um, and they're in charge of just helping out midshipmen. And these midshipmen that are teaching have been vetted. They all have to have like a certain grade in the class, they have to have a certain GPA, they have to, you know, like certain metrics to hit, they have to do interviews. So, like no one that's doing MGSP is going to not be able to help you with whatever you need. Ei with professors Most professors are available from start of the day until 1600.
Speaker 2:Some of the professors that go above and beyond will be here until 2000. So, like I've done EI virtually before, like some teachers that don't work on the art every day, like the assistant professors or the associate professors, will do like research when they're not at the academy. But you can typically always reach them via Zoom or Google Meet to get help, and so I've done that multiple times. I think it's just important to note that at some point everyone will struggle with something here and if your struggle is academics, not being embarrassed of the struggle and just getting the help, because if you're failing here, honestly it's your own fault, because there's so many resources that can help you out yep um, even even your company mates, I mean, for, uh, plea beer.
Speaker 2:I leaned on a company made heavily to get through chemistry and that was really uh important to me, and so he, he pretty much helped me through chem one and chem two. Um, but then, like the next year, he was more of a STEM brain and then we were doing a lot of writing and so I was helping him with with all of his writing. So I think it goes back and forth and everyone has something to offer and everyone has something to gain. So I think that's the important dynamic that you should take, not that you're going to come in here and kill it academically and then, if you're not killing it, you're embarrassed, so you start failing and then it, just like it, leads to a snowball.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a hundred percent. I couldn't agree more and I think that's one of the best lessons I learned at the Academy. Right Is being self-aware enough to ask for help when you need help, cause, like you're saying, the Academy's it really is hard. Right, it's a really difficult experience but, like you're saying, the amount of resources that exist on the yard to help support midshipmen and help them succeed, right, like you're saying, if you invest in that and you take advantage of those resources, like you will pass, you will succeed. Right, but it just comes down to a certain level of proactivity and a certain level of effort to actually bring those things to life. And uh, you know that that one was interesting for me Cause I always, like I did good in school. I think I had a cumulative GPA of like the three, three, three, four. So, like, school was good.
Speaker 1:But then in my first year, dude, I decided so I was a cyber major. I was a cyber major and I had some electives that were like you could either take because cyber is so interdisciplinary, you take different majors. Well, I wanted youngsters on on Fridays as a. As a second semester first year, I was like I want youngsters on Friday, that's the most important thing. So I didn't. I decided to take high performance computing. There's a 400 level computer science class. Um instead is my elective for the cyber major, and I had. No, I had no idea what was going on. Like we're programming way out of my level, and I was like this is crazy. For the first time of my life, at that six week you talk about that marking period I had a D, I had a D and I was like oh my God. I was like this is not good. I was like I can't fail, I need to graduate. Dude, the second semester first year, I was like I have to graduate. And again, all this goes back to, though, the amount of times I went to MGSP, the Machinima Group Study Program, with some firsties who had already taken that course to help me out. The amount of times Professor Carl Albing, my guy, went out of his, even out of his office hours to meet with me on a daily basis to help me get through that course right.
Speaker 1:The resources exist. If you are struggling and you are having a hard time Because, like you're saying at the academy, you are going to struggle at least in one thing, whether that be academics, whether that be least in one thing, whether that be active, whether that be the military obligation, whether that be athletics, right, like there's gonna be a struggle, point right. And so you just have to be willing to ask for help, and there are so many resources at the academy to help you succeed and help you get to that point where where you're getting taken care of, right. So, um, I just always think it's interesting because, again, it was like one of those things I did fine at the academy and then then that semester came and I was like, oh snap, I got to. I better figure this out really fast.
Speaker 1:But now I kind of want to shift to probably like the topic on most people's minds, especially for all the parents out there, which is what happens to plebes during academic reserve week, because, again, like, the amount of plebe duties can be really difficult, and so I do just want to touch on how plebe life either stays the same or slightly adjust during the academic reserve weeks. And so questions for you to do signature sheet requirements pause, like so when they went through this past six week exam, your sheet requirements, what about boards? Are they already done by that point? Kind of? When that happens, what's kind of the process for for plebs?
Speaker 2:Um, so this year we made boards due on September 4th, so the boards had already been completed. Um, the SIG sheet format has changed since I was a plebe and definitely has changed since since you were a plebe, you calling me old dude.
Speaker 2:So, like they no longer, there's no longer a sig task associated with the six sheet. Um, it's more about getting to know the, the company mates. So, like a lot of the signatures, you just go, you get the signature and then it's done so that, like, doing the sig tasks that make the six sheets take so long, that's gone. So that's like a stress that's, I guess, lifted up off the plebe shoulders, sure? Um, during six weeks there's a carry-on for the plebe. So, like the, the chopping doesn't happen. Um, you're still squaring corners, you're still walking the middle of the p-way, you're still not talking to the middle of the p-way, like, like those, like basic plebe uh, duties are still on. You're not doing morning workouts so that you can either study, get some sleep, go to next period, so the morning, but everything else is pretty much the same. There's not prono, so the six week and 12 week there's not prono. So you're not worried about studying for that prono exam on Friday and doing whatever exam you have that week, not using your phone during study period or enforcing study period on the company level. I think those things actually lead to plebe success, whereas, like when you are a plebe me included you feel like wow, this really sucks. And like, oh, I can't use my phone, like those types of things are.
Speaker 2:It's all about building good habits. So if you embrace plebe year and use those habits that you build throughout your time at the academy, you'll typically succeed. I think like kind of a little anecdote from my time at the academy you'll typically succeed. I think like kind of a little anecdote from my time at the academy. Typically, if I see a PS5 or an Xbox in a room, I can almost guarantee that they're cupers below 3.8. And typically, typically, I'm pretty right. So like, the more, the more distractions you have, the habits you don't build as a plebe can really come back to bite you because you're we like to say that professionalism never goes up. So if you start as a plebe, as an ultra professional, you'll probably end with a little bit less than that as a first year.
Speaker 2:But if you start as a bad plebe you didn't embrace plebe year, you didn't use the training to get better come first year you probably have nothing left in the tank're not?
Speaker 2:You can't get better at that because you've you've only got, you've gotten so low. So I think it's important to, uh, to build those good study habits, plea beer. I think me, with two years of college under my belt, I already had kind of like my study habits in place, um, but a lot of the academy is more of a high school feel when it comes to academics, with the, the class periods and the kind of like the tempo of the day. So I think you could even have an advantage coming straight here just continuing that same like six or seven class periods a day tempo, because it's almost like high school where you rotate around the teachers, like I have Monday, wednesday, friday schedule, tuesday, thursday schedule they're typically the same and we have class eight hours a day, like all those kind of things kind of stay in place. So there is a pro and con to having college before we're just coming here directly.
Speaker 1:No, absolutely I. I love what you talked, touched on there. Um, for anyone who hasn't listened, I did an episode with, uh, philip jones. He was a class of 12 graduate. He's currently the.
Speaker 1:He was a marine corps officer and now he's the mayor of the city of Newport News in Virginia and he talks about that thing especially, which is like you know, when you graduate, your habits aren't going to magically change and you're going to become a great officer if you weren't taking it seriously at the academy and building those habits as a midshipman.
Speaker 1:When it comes to professionalism, when it comes to you know your behavior and how you just act right as a person and as a leader, and so you and so I think that piece is really interesting and for me, yeah, I played a little bit of NBA 2K and FIFA in my time as a midship and I probably didn't help with that high performance computing grade as a firstie. So, yeah, I back that one, I back that piece of advice. But I do have a question. You use this term carry on as it related to plebes like rating media or rating these things. Do you mind talking about what it means to rate something and then, with that is what this term carry on means when it relates to a plebe at the academy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so essentially, rating something is you get to do it. The academy yeah, so essentially, rating something is you get to do it. So, for example, at the academy we have stairwells that are it's called like a youngster ladder, so anyone who is a youngster and above can use that ladder. Well, so we call it, they rate it. A plebe does not rate a lot of things because they're a plebe and we're trying to build the good habits, trying to start them off with a good foundation. So typically, like during the school week, plebes do not rate walking in Bancroft until 2,200. After that then they can walk.
Speaker 2:You have to square your corners, like that's something that they're supposed to do. Then there's also like the term knowing your rates. So like a rate would be knowing a news article every day. Child calls is considered a rate. Knowing all the four stripers and above, like knowing the chain of command. Those are all rates that the plebs are expected to know and if ever asked, they're expected to give the right answer. If not, then there'd be some sort of remediation there. Carry on is typically like a reward. So like if you win a plea bet with an upper class or you get, like you get shouted out by the company officer or CC for doing something good, you get carry on. So typically you won't have to chop, you'll be granted like doors closed while you're in it, because typically we have a door open policy for plebs. So when you're in your room the door stays open until you're ready to go to sleep or you're changing that kind of thing, and that's just so we can make sure the plebs are doing the right thing. You'd rate media with carry on.
Speaker 1:So, like all those like simple plea breaks that you get taken away, you get given back with carry on, sweet, love it you mentioned like until you go to bed is again, quite literally, is there a lights out time for plebes? And then, with that is when it comes to the academic reserve week, does that get lifted? I remember being a midshipman and we had what we called blanket, late lights shits, so like you could stay up to study. Is that kind of currently how it continues to operate? Or what's the aspect when it comes to again, for lack of a better term forcing pleads to go to bed?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that's enforced on a company level. So I think companies all have their own like different procedure for that. For my company specifically, so just like on a regular day, everyone is expected to go to sleep by 2300. So 11 pm everyone's expected to be in bed sleeping. Or plebes are Upper class, are allowed to stay up later, but you have to be on deck after you sign.
Speaker 2:That's called TAPS. It's essentially like a roster. You sign at night to prove that you're now on deck for the rest of the night and you won't leave until 530 the next morning. So once you sign TAPS you can go to sleep, and so TAPS goes up at 2,100 and it comes down at 2,300. So let's say you're a plebe, you don't have an exam the next day, you go sign TAPS 2,100, you want to go to sleep. You can close your door and go to sleep at 2,100. Let's say a plebe has not signed TAPS, it's 2,255, they go sign TAPS 2,255, they can go to sleep, but they have like five minutes where they're supposed to be in bed.
Speaker 2:Sure, um, a late lights chit essentially grants you, uh, the privilege to stay awake past 2300. Uh, for whatever reason that may be in um, most companies that you have to get it signed by your squad leader and then you tape it to your door so that, um, like this, the company duty officer's tracking, that you can stay awake later. Um, I think that's an interesting idea about the uh, like a company blanket shit. I think it's a good idea for for six and 12 weeks. But, like I'm, I'm like completely opposite. I typically like 10 PM.
Speaker 2:No matter what circumstance, I'm in the bed. Good on you, I'm in the bed. I believe in sleep for memory and for the betterment of the next day. My kind of philosophy on that is if you're staying up past 2300, most cases. Obviously there's exceptions but if you're staying up past 2300, there was some time management failure in the day somewhere. I'm taking 19 credits applying to grad school and brigade ops. I'm able to get in bed by 10 PM. So I know plebs can do it if they put their mind to it.
Speaker 1:Love it and kind of wrap it up here. When we talk about, you know, academic reserve week, the amount of stress that comes with being a midshipman, just blanket. But then you tack on all these different exams. What resources do midshipmen have if they're feeling overwhelmed and like super, like over the top stress when it comes to these reserve weeks? Again, I remember during my time MDC, the midshipman development center, was really standing up and we kind of had like there were service dogs that came in during exam week. Is that something that continues and kind of what resources are available to midshipmen who just maybe need like a deep breath and a little assistance to kind of come bring the stress levels down during during the exam week?
Speaker 2:absolutely. Yeah, the stress, the stress is definitely real during exam week and it may sound weird to like someone who's applying to the academy like I wouldn't get stressed out by an exam. It's not like one exam stressing you out, it's the exams, the military obligations, the class, the homework, the police duties, like once it just stacks up on you like there can be a breaking point, and we try to avoid any breaking points, we try to catch it before then. I'd say you have a few different options. You can use your training commands like always talking to your squad leader or like a company mate always helps, and you can just like talk to your problem and typically someone will help you with your solution, whether it's like taking a watch or we're helping you with your homework, whatever it may be. Like midshipmen help each other and that is something that's really unique to here is no one's going to let you fail without trying to help you first.
Speaker 2:We have NBC, the midshipmen development center. They typically put on their own events. So every exam week they do like a de-stresso bar and they it's a. It's like they have snacks and like dogs and you can like take a bag or take a take a pack oreos and like talk with your friends or whatever may be. Um, everyone has their own way to like de-stress. So you know you can go take a walk on the yard somewhere, like I typically just like go on a jog. It's really nice to get the stress out. Um, there's like the coffee shops are open late, so like's like the mid stores open late so you can go get a snack or anything like that.
Speaker 2:The chaplains are also always available, so there's always a duty chaplain. So like, if you're, if you're really in a tough spot and like just need to talk to somebody, immediately, there's a chaplain available 24 seven and they can talk to you. Like, typically, the chaplains the very wise they can talk to you through your problem and typically nine times out of 10, I would say they would help you solve it. If it's like super extreme, then there's like other routes you can take, but essentially 24-7, 365, the academy has resources that will always be there for you. Like, no matter your problem, whether it's medical, mental, physical, there's someone here at all times that's going to help you out.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, love it Absolutely. Well, dude, thank you so much for taking the time to be with us today and kind of give people a little bit of background and knowledge into the six-week exam period. 12-week exams just academic reserve weeks at large so they can better understand their kids' experience or get a sense of what they may be getting themselves into. So genuinely appreciate it. The last thing I want to ask is especially, like you mentioned, you applied multiple times to get to the academy because this is something that you really wanted and really loved, and so my question to you is what's your best recruiting pitch? Why should young men and women want to go to a service academy? What's made it amazing for you? What was your motivation and inspiration to keep like applying and be a midshipman at the Naval Academy? And, yeah, what's your best recruiting pitch for why young men and women should consider a service academy education?
Speaker 2:Well, I think, first and foremost, the people that you're surrounded by at the academy. First and foremost the people that you're surrounded by at the Academy, they are just like top tier people through and through. You will not find 4,400 people like this anywhere else in the world, and, I have to say, not even at West.
Speaker 1:Point Air Force.
Speaker 2:Yeah, beat them. Only here will you find that group of like driven, motivated people that are coming together, um, that want to serve the navy and marine corps and want to be better. I think something that's really unique is a lot of, a lot of stuff we do in the yards midshipman run, um. So midshipmen also buy into the process here and and enjoy holding high standards, um. So that's that's a pitch. If you're like on the fence playing where to go, maybe, um, I think service academies in general produce probably the best network in the world. You can see it pretty much in every sector of the United States. There's a CEO or someone in the C-suite that is a service academy grad, and just having that connection gives you a foot in the door where maybe you wouldn't have in the past. And then I'd say my last recruiting pitch would be going to a service academy makes you unique.
Speaker 2:So Tulane, very good school. I was a Marine option midshipman there. I would have commissioned the Marine Corps same commission that you get here. And so when we're in the military, we're all the same. When you get out, I have a Tulane degree or a Naval Academy degree, which one stands out more. And so coming to a service academy. We're only. I'm one of 1,085 people in my class, so I'm unique in that way and no one else can take that away from me once I have a diploma. So I think the uniqueness, the network and then also just the high caliber of people, that's what makes this place different.
Speaker 1:Love it 100%, man. I just double down on that to the point which is, again, you see it more and more the older you get, like me, and the more separated in perspective you have. But like, again, it may sound cheesy, but like we're forged by those common experiences, right, like these struggles, these difficulties, the life that you have, the experiences in Annapolis, just the, the, the like being instilled with the sense of, of service, right, like going out and making a positive impact in people's life and like holding that to your core Again, whether you continue that in the military, whether you do it as a citizen and in like civility or in government. Right, and so really, really awesome opportunity. And, and you know, langston dude, like, thank you so much, thanks so much for taking the time to to be here with us today. It was like really cool to get to talk to you. It's fun getting to to chat with midshipmen about all this stuff. So, thanks for your time.
Speaker 1:I'll let you get back to your day. I'm sorry, I probably stole your 50 minutes of free time in the week to do this. The old, the old voluntold, the old voluntold, come share the midshipman experience. So, dude, I like I really appreciate it. Yeah, absolutely, please put them on. Put them on, let's go. Um, so, absolutely, thank you so much, and uh, for the Academy Insider audience. If you have any questions, please let me know, reach out. And uh, really appreciate it, langston. Thanks again, man.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:All right, have a good day you too. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Academy Insider Podcast. I really hope you liked it, enjoyed it and learned something during this time. If you did, please feel free to like and subscribe or leave a comment about the episode. We really appreciate to hear your feedback about everything and continue to make Academy Insider an amazing service that guides, serves and supports midshipmen, future midshipmen and their families. Thank you.
