I’m planning on attending SUNY this fall, already accepted. I’m a 36 year old truck driver here. I’m not a veteran and this will be my first bachelors degree. Anyone have any experience being one of the old guys in academy they want to share? Will probably just take room and board through the school as the apartments in the area look to be way overpriced compared to the school room options.
I doubt that you are going to be happy living with a bunch of kids in a highly restrictive dorm room setting.
You’ll likely be a day student (unless you didn’t apply for that status or opted out of it…)
As a DS you’ll have 1st class privileges during the academic school year but no command authority (not that it matters.) You’ll live in the “new dorms” (they never named this building) and have formations twice a week for the first month of the year, then one day a week afterwards. You’re pretty much a nobody and it’s nice. Once cruise starts, you fold into the regiment as whatever rank your classmates are in the license program so you do what they have to — which is bearable.
Don’t be a dick and try to pull rank or stand out during the year and you’ll have an easier existence than anybody.
(Back when I was there, older students who had careers or work experience before and were coming in for a bachelors degree were given the opportunity to apply for day student — that’s what I’m basing this on…)
If you have to go in as a regular cadet you might be somewhat annoyed by the relative immaturity of some of your peers compared to you when it comes to work/watch related matters. Being on time or dealing with stress and personal accountability may come easier to you than them and you might find yourself having to be a mentor for them whether you realize that or not. As you progress through the ranks, officers and other upper class cadets may put you in charge of work sections because they see you as someone who can move things along and see tasks to completion — a blessing and a curse. You won’t be the only older cadet though, I guarantee you there will be grad students and veterans there in your age range or even older. Usually you find each other pretty quickly and form your own little group, though I did bond pretty tight with my underclass peers as well. Life ashore and especially aboard ship for three cruises will do that.
You can private message me any questions if you want. Good luck!
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Quality input as usual on a thread you have no experience with!
G and H isn’t it?
I don’t know, is it officially a new battalion with companies now? It was just “new dorms” when I was there. That’d be news to me.
I don’t know. It opened when I was there but it was only non reg and 1/C - that was a while ago lol
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I was under the impression only veterans or grad students could be day students? Ill have to email and ask more about it i guess. I’ll certainly do that if its offered. Either way I’m committed to going. The regular regimented life im sure will be more annoying but if im stuck with that maybe ill at least lose some of the extra weight ive put on sitting in a truck 12 hours a day lol.
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There definitely were just some random older dudes who were granted that status at the time. They weren’t about to stick an 18 year old in a room with a near-40 year old and hope for the best. If you had some semblance of life experience and maturity they said “fuck it, here…” and allowed it — at least after indoc unless they really tightened down on who gets that status.
Feh. The new dorms were, and will always be the 7 story “Baylis Hall” built in 1972. That building between the mess hall abpnd the bridge are the newer dorms.
Now get off of my lawn…
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I went to school as an older student and lived in a dorm full of kids for one semester (more than enough dorm life for me) when I was about his age, so I’ve got more experience with it than you do, beer boy.
Was it SUNY Maritime? No? Thought so!
Ask about restrictions on how you must live and who can visit your dorm room at SUNY.
It’s been quite awhile since I’ve sailed with a SUNY grad, but I recall it being described as a very restrictive environment with no social life.
I am sure you will not be oldest guy in your class. People in late 30s and early 40s is not something uncommon there.
I wonder if he wore an onion on his belt?
Yanno… it was the style at the time.