<p>Congratulations to your son on his appointment!</p>
<p>Have you found the regimental calendar on the parents page of the web site? It has way more detail than you’ll probably want, but does tell exactly when mids are released and the dates of the trimesters.</p>
<p>This year, summer break begins at 1600 on 23 June. However, B splitters for class of 2012 will begin their sea year then. Exactly when they join their ship is, of course, determined by the individual ship’s schedule. More experienced parents can give you a better idea of the likelihood of a few days break. Class of 2011 B splitters will have begun Sea Duty on Friday, March 6. Both groups will return for the beginning of the second trimester next year.</p>
<p>Trimesters this year are/were July 27 - October 31, November 9 - March 6, March 15 - June 18 (but mids can not leave until June 23).</p>
<p>B splitters generally lose their summer breaks for their first 2 years while A splitters are at sea for the winter holidays their 3rd and 2nd class years. </p>
<p>I can give you an idea of my plebe D’s breaks so far this year. After Parents Weekend, they began to have some liberty during the day Sunday. She did spend Columbus Day Weekend with her grandparents after a sports meet. Her term break in November was split between her grandparents and on campus because of sport commitments. She came home for 4 days for Thanksgiving. She said that they had begun having semi-regular Saturday liberties. (Liberty for plebes can be revoked for any number of reasons, of course.) Some plebes take the opportunity to escape for the day, others enjoy being able to close their door and have some extra rack time. Tentative weekend liberty schedules are listed in the Regimental Calendar as well. Holiday weekends are generally liberty for all mids who don’t have other obligations. For example, the band and a large part of the regiment will be in DC for the Inauguration, which will probably impact their liberty for MLK weekend. </p>
<p>Being on a sports team has definitely impacted D’s liberty. However, she was able to travel off campus before most plebes. TMs provided an escape and the camaraderie with teammates was fantastic. She will go A split so she can continue her Fall sport. </p>
<p>Good luck to your son as he makes his decision. It is not an easy one for most young people. My D knew she wanted it without a doubt. It is hard! She did not want to go back after Thanksgiving Break. But the friendships are amazing. Her ties to the people there after such a short time are incredible. She really has found where she belongs. I sincerely hope your son finds the place he belongs!</p>