Advice for Plebes

Plebe is short for Plebeian, from the Latin meaning "a member of the ancient Roman lower class or common people" and lowly it is. But with determination and self discipline, you will meet the challenges of being a lowly Plebe one day at a time, with the help of your fellow classmates.

If you're not already in excellent physical condition, start getting that way now! Plebe summer will be very demanding and the hot, humid days of running and physical exercise will take its toll. In addition to getting in shape physically, candidates should begin acclimating their bodies to the new time schedule, 0530 - 2230 hours (5:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. well in advance of I-Day).

You will not be allowed to lie down on your bed during the day until taps at night, so you should make sure that you are in great shape so you can survive all that marching, running, chopping, without a nap!

Get a regulation haircut before reporting in on I-Day. It won't keep you from getting another one that day, and once a week thereafter, during your Plebe year, but at least you won't be such a shock for Mom and Dad when they see you the first time during Parents Weekend.

Take a minimum of "civvies". Whatever you are wearing at the time you report for I-Day, will be taken from you – along with your cell phone if you have brought it with you.  The cell phone will be made available at those infrequent times when you are allowed outgoing phone calls.  Your civvies (civilian clothes) will be “stored” for you until the end of Plebe Summer and then returned to you.  You can give them to your Parents when they come to visit you during PPW (Plebe Parent Weekend) or have them shipped home.  You will not need them – and you will not be permitted to wear civvies within a 22 miles radius of the Yard until after the end of your Youngster (sophomore) year at the Academy.

The academy issues most, if not all, necessities, but you will receive a list of what to bring with you. You may bring a few of your favorite snapshots, as Plebes do rate pictures, as long as they are kept under the clear plastic blotter on their desks.

Bring some medicated powder. Some of the Mids have developed body rashes from a combination of the chemicals in the fabric of the new uniforms and the very humid conditions that exist in the summer at Annapolis.

For most, once the uniforms are laundered, this is no longer a problem. Athlete's foot is a common ailment, however, and you may go through 2 or 3 cans of medicated powder before you finish the summer.

Consider the summer a survival challenge.  You will not be the first one to have undergone this trying time, nor will you be the last. Take whatever harassment may be issued one moment at a time, everything has a purpose. You may not see that purpose during Plebe summer, but by the time you are a Youngster you will appreciate the "hidden motives". Don’t take the yelling personally.

Organize your time. Never allow 15 minutes to go by without doing something constructive. If nothing else is pressing immediately,...clean your room. You can never get it clean enough to pass inspection without some hits anyway.

Take an alarm clock along. They will see that you get up, but you will not want to go out into the hall to see what time it is. A reliable, shock absorbing wrist watch is good to have also – but remember, it will most likely be taken from you during Plebe Summer and returned at the beginning of the Ac Year.

If you are not a specialist in some sport, now may the time to try something that you may have never had the opportunity to participate in before, i.e. rugby, lacrosse, squash, or crew. You will also get an opportunity to enter the boxing ring in competition, though probably not before your second year.

Thoroughly digest the regulations governing the USNA and pay particular attention to the Plebe Indoctrination System, it is vital that you study and know your rates when asked.

Take stamps, pre-addressed cards and envelopes with you. You will want to get your new address back home to family and friends as soon as possible.

Calculators are required. You'll receive suggestions for the specific type in the material that will be provided for you from the Academy.  Information on the current calculator requirements can be found right here on our website - click here > 'calculators & computers' .

Computers will be issued to each new Plebe before the start of the academic year...Printers are not provided and while not required, since a master print room is available, a personal printer in the Mid's room is certainly an asset.  Sometimes one roommate will buy a printer and "rent" it to the other roommates for a specific fee for the semester. Your parents could bring your printer to you as soon as Plebe Parents Weekend, if you already have a printer at home.  If you're bringing a printer from home, be sure that: 1. it is compatible with the current version of computer being issued to your Mid; and, 2. that you also bring the CD/ROM or diskette with the printer's operating software and drivers on it so your Mid can install it and use it on their new machine.

E-mail - Shortly after the start of the academic year each new Plebe will be issued a computer and an email address. You may contact them easily through their email address if you also have a computer and email address.  Every Midshipman has an E-Mail address – it is a combination of their Alpha number (m08xxxx) and their Internet address (usna.edu) thus, their email address will be (m[alphacode] @usna.edu .... or ... m084321@usna.edu).

Spending Money - Very little will be needed over Plebe summer, but an occasional coke is good. Also during the summer a couple outings are planned such as the Baltimore Orioles baseball game, at which time Mids eat a lot of hot dogs.
 
Get a Telephone Credit Card for your mid. It will make calling home a lot easier and quicker.
 
I-Day Suggestions - If you are planning on driving your mid to the academy, get there on time, or better, e a r l y !  Be prepared to stand in line from 2 to 4 hours. Buy your Class of 200x shirts, if you want them.  Many times they run out of this item. To get a good seat for the actual swearing-in ceremony, claim it by early as there are only two sets of bleachers. The place to meet your new Mid afterwards will be defined for you – usually it is along Stribling Walk and identified by the initial of their last name.  (Don’t worry about where Stribling Walk is.  There will be lots of helpful Academy staff and upperclassmen there to assist you on I-Day  - and within a very short time, you’ll be an expert on where such places are on the Yard.)

Mail and Packages - Mail is crucial during plebe summer and during the entire plebe year. Write often. Encourage friends and family to write, but explain to them that they probably won’t receive a response because the plebes are so busy. Send pictures of friends, pets, the house, local community events - anything that keeps them in touch with home. Order a subscription to the local newspaper delivered by mail to your mid. Anything that keeps them up to date is greatly appreciated. It also serves as an icebreaker and makes it easier to learn about each other and to make friends more easily.  Mail is very important as a morale booster. One plebe told of being encouraged to see a letter from home sitting on his desk even though he didn’t have a minute to tear it open and read it for two days.

Each Mid is assigned a P.O.Box number in the main mailroom at Bancroft Hall.  It is a 5-digit numeric code (such as 24345).  It becomes part of their address, and the last 4 digits also become the second half of their 'Zip-Plus 4' ZIP CODE.  (see below)

Thus, the proper address for Midshipman John P. Jones, after the beginning of the Ac Year would be:

MIDN 4/C John P. Jones
Xx th Company – Class of 200x
P. O. Box 23456
United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, MD 21412-3456

 Suggestion - Mail a letter or postcard from Annapolis or home on I-Day, so mail comes as soon as possible. During the summer, send packages through the Postal Service. After the academic year begins, you can use UPS if you prefer, but packages shipped UPS must be picked up in a special area and plebes just don’t have time to go and pick them up. The Postal Service delivers directly to their dorm area, so it is much more convenient for your mid.