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New Horizons

(The Cadet Experience, Class of 2012) Permanent link All Posts

It’s late January at the Academy, which means the first couple weeks of classes have passed and the academic semester is just starting to lock into its groove. Though I just returned from winter leave earlier this month, I can already tell this is going to be one of my most demanding semesters at the Academy.

Late last year, I received my assignment as Echo Company’s Executive Officer (XO) for this summer. Essentially, this means that during the first several weeks of the summer, I will be responsible for carrying out the company’s duties and responsibilities while the upcoming 2/c are undergoing their training. This also means there will be a lot of work this semester to prepare for the summer, which includes dealing with the planning, logistics, and room assignments. While it’s definitely a bit of a workload, I’ve heard from 1/c cadets who filled similar positions last year that it is a pretty rewarding experience.

In addition, this semester promises to be academically challenging, as well. Those in the MES major have never had the easiest schedule, and this year in particular there seems to be a glaring lack of free periods in my day. It’s especially tough because my roommate is a Management major, whose “homework” always seems to involve watching Youtube videos.

I’ve also got several other ventures going on this semester, including preparing to take on the role of Tide Rips Yearbook Editor next year, as well as attending a community service trip to Honduras over Spring Break.

Overall, everything about this semester seems to be about looking forward, not just to everything that’s going on this semester, but also to the upcoming summer and all the challenges and experiences it holds. And, of course, looking forward to graduation, which comes ever closer as the calendar year changes once more.

More about Mark.

Posted by Leann Strickland at 2/1/2012 3:26 PM