One of the best things about USAFA is that the summers are great. While civilian kids usually try to pick up a near minimum wage job, we get awesome opportunities.
Our summers are divided up into 3 periods, about 3 weeks long each, preceded by a period called "prep-week". Prep-week is from the end of final until after graduation, and usually prep takes place for your summer programs - hence the name. A typical summer includes two periods of activities, with one period of leave (vacation).
Fortunately, I get to avoid prep week this summer, as I'll be running the Great Wall of China Marathon in - you guessed it - China. It's a paid trip by the Olmstead Foundation, which provides money for cadet groups to experience different world cultures. Should be pretty exciting.
For first and second period, I'll be working on a Cadet Summer Research Project (CSRP) at Brooks Air Force Base near San Antonio, TX. I'll be working on a project that is attempting to modify circadian rhymicity in people using magnetic fields.
For third period, I'll be a Flight Commander for 2nd Basic Cadet Training (BCT or "beast"). A Flight Commander is directly responsible for the day-to-day activities of all the basic cadets (incoming freshmen) for each academic squadron. After working 1st BCT last summer, I'm looking forward to experiencing the other half - 2nd BCT. 2nd BCT is more like a camping trip in "Jack's Valley" and emphasizes more physical activities than the first portion of BCT, which emphasizes learning military discipline and knowledge.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Daily Life Here at USAFA
Hey all,
I know a lot of my family has asked what my daily routine looks like at USAFA. While it obviously varies day-to-day, there are a few common themes I can touch on.
First let me mention when it comes to classes, we have both M-days and T-days that alternate. For example, if Monday is an M-day, Tuesday would be a T-day. I don't realize why the "powers-that-be" gave them the name "M-days" and "T-days" rather than "A-days" or "B-days", because you'd think M-days are on Mondays... which is not always the case.
While there are 7 academic periods in each day, we don't have 7 periods of classes everyday. The periods we aren't scheduled for are free time. For instance, on M-days, I have 4 periods, and T-days I have all 7 periods full.
6:40 am - Start the day. Brush teeth, get into Uniform of the Day, and get materials I need for class. The freshman help get you up by calling "minutes" - them announcing in the hallways the meals for the days, uniform, etc. The freshmen usually start the day earlier, since they have to empty all the trashcans in the squadron, and call "minutes" 30 minutes before breakfast.
7:20 - Mandatory Breakfast in Mitchell Hall
7:50 to 11:43 - The First 4 class periods of the day
11:55 - Here, on Mondays and Fridays, we have Noon Meal Formation (NMF) - we march to lunch. Wednesdays we have a parade that is a more extensive version of NMF. Tuesdays and Thursdays, we have lunch immediately w/o marching... this gives us time for "Cadet Professional Military Education" (CPME) after lunch. CPME is usually briefings on topics relevant to military officers.
1:30 pm to 4:30 - The last 4 class periods of the day, and with intramurals every other day. IMs are played squadron against squadron. In the fall usually do Ultimate Frisbee, and the Spring, Cross Country.
5:30 - Dinner. Dinner is the only optional meal of the day, and served buffet style. Cadets come in at their leisure between 5 and 7 pm. "Touch-and-goes" are popular - take out to your room.
7:10 - 7:40 - This time is referred to Military Call to Quarters (MCQ). This time is blocked off for military related duties, such as attending briefings. If there's nothing going on during this time, I usually use it for homework.
7:40 to 11 - This is Academic Call to Quarters (ACQ), which is time blocked off for homework.
11 - Lights out. This is mandated lights out, but upperclassmen can use "Late Lights", or permission to continue academic work after 11.
I know a lot of my family has asked what my daily routine looks like at USAFA. While it obviously varies day-to-day, there are a few common themes I can touch on.
First let me mention when it comes to classes, we have both M-days and T-days that alternate. For example, if Monday is an M-day, Tuesday would be a T-day. I don't realize why the "powers-that-be" gave them the name "M-days" and "T-days" rather than "A-days" or "B-days", because you'd think M-days are on Mondays... which is not always the case.
While there are 7 academic periods in each day, we don't have 7 periods of classes everyday. The periods we aren't scheduled for are free time. For instance, on M-days, I have 4 periods, and T-days I have all 7 periods full.
6:40 am - Start the day. Brush teeth, get into Uniform of the Day, and get materials I need for class. The freshman help get you up by calling "minutes" - them announcing in the hallways the meals for the days, uniform, etc. The freshmen usually start the day earlier, since they have to empty all the trashcans in the squadron, and call "minutes" 30 minutes before breakfast.
7:20 - Mandatory Breakfast in Mitchell Hall
7:50 to 11:43 - The First 4 class periods of the day
11:55 - Here, on Mondays and Fridays, we have Noon Meal Formation (NMF) - we march to lunch. Wednesdays we have a parade that is a more extensive version of NMF. Tuesdays and Thursdays, we have lunch immediately w/o marching... this gives us time for "Cadet Professional Military Education" (CPME) after lunch. CPME is usually briefings on topics relevant to military officers.
1:30 pm to 4:30 - The last 4 class periods of the day, and with intramurals every other day. IMs are played squadron against squadron. In the fall usually do Ultimate Frisbee, and the Spring, Cross Country.
5:30 - Dinner. Dinner is the only optional meal of the day, and served buffet style. Cadets come in at their leisure between 5 and 7 pm. "Touch-and-goes" are popular - take out to your room.
7:10 - 7:40 - This time is referred to Military Call to Quarters (MCQ). This time is blocked off for military related duties, such as attending briefings. If there's nothing going on during this time, I usually use it for homework.
7:40 to 11 - This is Academic Call to Quarters (ACQ), which is time blocked off for homework.
11 - Lights out. This is mandated lights out, but upperclassmen can use "Late Lights", or permission to continue academic work after 11.
Introduction
Hey all-
I created this blog for my family and friends to keep them updated on my life at the United States Air Force Academy. As many of them know, I'm terrible at keeping up correspondence, so hopefully this will help out. Feel free to ask me questions or pass me news on here, or send me an e-mail.
To update everyone where I am at the Air Force Academy now, I currently am a Cadet Second Class (C2C), the equivalent to a junior at a civilian college. I'm a biology major, hoping to continue my journey in the Air Force as a physician.
For my first couple of posts, I'm going to try to incorporate background information about my past 2 and 1/2 past years at the Academy, as well as newer information. Some events I have coming up that I'm looking forward to include a 3-week trip to China in May, conducing some of my own research on affecting behavior with magnetic fields during the summer, and becoming a Cadet First Class (C1C), or "Firstie" as we colloquially refer to them here.
I'm hoping this will make up for the negelct to my family and friends. Let me know if there's something you'd like me to elucidate!
Alex
I created this blog for my family and friends to keep them updated on my life at the United States Air Force Academy. As many of them know, I'm terrible at keeping up correspondence, so hopefully this will help out. Feel free to ask me questions or pass me news on here, or send me an e-mail.
To update everyone where I am at the Air Force Academy now, I currently am a Cadet Second Class (C2C), the equivalent to a junior at a civilian college. I'm a biology major, hoping to continue my journey in the Air Force as a physician.
For my first couple of posts, I'm going to try to incorporate background information about my past 2 and 1/2 past years at the Academy, as well as newer information. Some events I have coming up that I'm looking forward to include a 3-week trip to China in May, conducing some of my own research on affecting behavior with magnetic fields during the summer, and becoming a Cadet First Class (C1C), or "Firstie" as we colloquially refer to them here.
I'm hoping this will make up for the negelct to my family and friends. Let me know if there's something you'd like me to elucidate!
Alex
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)