Lou Holtz, the University of Notre Dame’s erudite ex-coach, entrusted with turning UND football players into graduates, once exhorted, “How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a loser.”High School is like the second half, and you’re about to find out if you’re a winner. At the starting line, all students are equal, crossing the freshman threshold with the same opportunities, and same possibilities for their future. The 4.0 student stands shoulder to shoulder with the star athlete, and the C student who aspires to nothing more than minimum wage work has an equal chance that inspiration will strike. Every one approaches the starting line, not knowing if the race will be won with brains, hard work, willpower, or intensity of desire.
But you’re different. You know what you want: USNA. There are five general skills you’ll have to learn over the next three years (if you don’t have them by the time applications go out, prior to senior year, it’ll be too late).
- How to solve problems
- How to manage your time
- How to prioritize
- How to get along with people
- How to think
Maybe you’re thinking, that’s easy. I do it every day. Or maybe you’re wondering: How do I make this happen? I can answer both: It’s not easy or everyone would do it. The only thing easy is the instructions for making it happen.
Vigilance. That’s right. Be vigilant. Every time you’re faced with a problem, try to solve it first. Every time you meet a person you just don’t like, figure out how to get along.
More on this later. For now, know that these are skills the Naval Academy values so they’re worth learning. You either learn them now, in high school and in time for the USNA application, or you’ll learn them later in the School of Hard Knocks that is life.
This series delves into making the military part of college-career choices. All the links are there but some for future dates:
- 5 Must-do Skills to Accomplish During High School
- 5 Popular Excuses for Not Going to USNA
- 9 Secrets for Getting into a Service Academy
- 11 Ways to Become a Navy Officer and a Gentleman
- Apply for a Military Academy
- Average USNA Candidate
- ASVAB or a Service Academy? You Decide.
- College Bound: Take Inventory
- Didn’t get into a Military Academy? Try NAPS
- Goal Setting for a Fourteen-year-old
- Is a Military Academy Right for You?
- Leadership Traits Found in USNA Midshipmen
- Preparing for the College Interview
- OCS–an option
- STEM at USNA
- Successful USNA Graduates
- What Happens After USNA Graduation
- Why the USNA?
- You’re a Freshman and Interest in USNA
- You’re a Sophomore and Interested in USNA
- You’re a Junior and Interested in USNA
- You’re a Senior and Interested in USNA
- You Know You’re a Plebe if…
Here’s the sign-up link if the image above doesn’t work:
https://forms.aweber.com/form/07/1910174607.htm
“The content presented in this blog are the result of creative imagination and not intended for use, reproduction, or incorporation into any artificial intelligence training or machine learning systems without prior written consent from the author.”
Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.
Those are excellent posts, I believe for the Naval Academy as well as life.
Yikes I got behind on comments! Yes, these were critical skills to my daughter accomplishing what she had thought impossible. Now she’s a Commander in the Navy, being looked at for Captain. Military is a good career for the right people.