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Lessons from Outside the Front Gate

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

Cadets love to complain…about everything. We all hate inspections, waking up, and schoolwork, among other things. We live for the weekend. In the midst of the whirlwind schedule that is cadet life, it is far too easy to forget why you are at the Academy and why you actually want to be here despite the pressures. It seems like just when you are really questioning your decision to attend the Academy, something completely unexpected and random happens that makes the Academy 100% worth it, if you can manage the pressure.

My friends and I generally spend the average Saturday afternoon relaxing at a local cigar lounge and this past weekend was no different, with one exception. There was a photo shoot taking place for a clothing company and as my friends and I sat in the background, we heard some interesting conversation. Two of the models attended Connecticut College and remarked how they both absolutely hated their jobs. They both took jobs that had nothing to do with their degrees to pay the bills, and they couldn’t have been more unhappy with what they referred to as “the real world.”

It’s easy to lose sight of the big picture when you’re in the weekly grind, but every now and then, there is a friendly reminder that perhaps the choice was worth it. In a year and a half I’ll have a job that I’m 90% sure I’ll love. Cadets certainly undergo quite a bit of stress but thankfully finding a job in this economy is not one of them, not to mention the money isn’t bad either.

More about Steven.

Last Edited by Leann Strickland at 2/8/2012 3:08 PM