cadet blogs

After Receiving my Appointment

(Choosing the Coast Guard Academy, Class of 2013) Permanent link All Posts

Spring Break is almost upon us! The excitement is palatable throughout the halls. Everyone is preparing to forge through as best they can through the last day of classes, and break into the glorious freedom that is a week off. People are heading out with their sports teams to Florida, on mission trips to Honduras and the Dominican Republic, and to the mountains to ski. As for myself, I’m heading to Ireland with a few shipmates of mine; it’s sure to be a blast, but that will be another journal.

It’s hard to grasp how much time has passed since I was where most of you are right now: spring semester of senior year. I had received my appointment a few days before Christmas, but withheld sending in my acceptance until the end of January. To be honest, I wasn’t 100% sure it was what I wanted to do, and I am still a firm believer that, if you decide to come here, you should be certain it’s what you really want. If you’re not, you will be miserable, and in all likelihood, you won’t last. In March of 2009, I was starting to get in shape for Swab Summer; I started jogging more, working out a bit, and just trying to be healthier. Looking back, my only regret is that I didn’t do more of it. Swab Summer still kicked my butt, despite my preparations, and I wish I had worked just a bit harder to have made it through better.

On the flip side of the coin, during senior year, I was doing my best to make sure my grades stayed up to my standards, that I was hanging out with my friends as much as I liked to, and that I was still volunteering. Just like any other college, if things start falling through, the Academy doesn’t have to take you, so making sure that I maintained my appointment after I accepted became a big part of my life. Of course the last really big thing I was dealing with was preparing for graduation. I cannot stress enough to you however, that as important as graduation is, don’t let the celebration ruin your future. There is a tendency for people to go out and drink after graduation, and unfortunately, there are instances where such stupid decisions have lead to people not getting to come to the Academy. If coming here is something you really want, you have to make that choice.

I think that’s about as much preaching as I’m going to do this time. I’ve just finished a massive load of homework, and I am one day and one wake up away from being on a flight to Ireland. I’ve got some packing, sleeping, and planning to get up to, now that the schoolwork is done. As always, if you have any questions, I ask that you please send them my way, and I’ll answer them as soon as I can!

Semper P.
3/c Stephen Nolan
Stephen.T.Nolan@uscga.edu

More about Stephen.

Posted by Leann Strickland at 2/13/2012 3:41 PM