Hardest Part of attending West Point

marciemi
Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:09:56 +0000

Personally, I’d say it’s just the overall length. First, your goal is to get through R day. Then Beast. Then plebe year, then Buckner. Somewhere around the middle of yearling year, you really think it’s never going to end. Classes get harder, and then the whole dark ages (or whatever they call it now) time in Feb/March gets you down every year and it just seems like all of life is just focused on graduation and how far away it seems. Not trying to sound depressing here, but I see so much focus on getting through Beast, but not much on the long haul.

Otherwise, as airborne said, wherever you’re weak is going to be the hardest part for you, especially during Beast. If you have trouble memorizing, that will become obvious quickly. If it’s running, that too. Academics won’t hit you until fall, but they will hit you! I guess just focus on staying ahead of wherever your weaknesses are. If it’s physical, work on that now. If it’s academics, ask for help as soon as you start to have trouble. Get used to depending on your professors, friends, classmates because you won’t make it without their help!