I got accepted to the California Maritime Academy for the Facility Engineering Technology.
Can I get some academy survival tips? Advice?
What were your experience at your CMA? How did you overcome your challenges?
Tell me about Golden Bear.
Thanks.
In my mind I have divided up the campus into four distinct components:
1.) the education component
2.) the ship component
3.) the corps/regiment component
4.) the admin component
Now, the education component is like any other university; there are lots of great instructors and a few bad ones here and there. What sets CMA apart from some other schools is that there are lots of hands-on training opportunities, which I think is pretty awesome. The ship component won’t apply to you so much, although I believe you will have to do one training cruise even if you’re not license-track. The crew (licensed officers, etc.) on the ship are just like in any other work environment…lots of great helpful people, and a few rotten eggs. The corps/regiment component is a complete joke. There are two really cool commandants, but there are another two (including the new main one) that are so-so. We tend to cycle through commandants like they were paper towels or something. One here today gone the next. Overall, just go to formation and don’t look like a complete shit bag. The admin at this school has, in my opinion, been more on the not so great side of things. Some of the staff have been great at their jobs, but many seem to collect a check and give you a pissy attitude when they are finally put in a situation where they need to work/do their job. Just go to class, go to formation, study, and keep on top of your paperwork. PS: perhaps the health center should be added as component 5. They are actually a really great team of people. I have stopped seeing my primary physician and pretty much just see the doctor at CMA these days; he is extremely professional and good at his job.
yeah so the corps isn’t casual anymore the new commandant is on his way out possibly by a coup. I’m just happy I’m graduating i wouldn’t go here anymore
It’s not that bad you will be just fine, ship isn’t as spacious as she used to be but you will not be spending that much time on her. The campus has grown a lot since I left a decade ago
Come in with the mentality that it’s just 4 years. In your 1st year, you will have to go to formation every M,W,F(where the entire school gets together in the quad to listen to the National Anthem, hear campus news, etc). The engine company commandant is cool. The head commandant (some new ex-Navy guy) is trying to turn the academy into his own little “yes sir no sir” regiment. There has to be structure and discipline, but this is not the military. Just play the game. In the end, they win. Work hard in academics. If FETs do have to live on the Bear for a semester, its like living in a dorm…except it floats. Its only used for housing during the AY. No galley services. If you go one cruise (not sure if FETs do a Bear Cruise), its like living on a floating high school.
Cheers.
With the new commander of the regiment, would you say Cal maritime is still the most lax of maritime colleges with the exception of Great Lakes?
So FET do one cruise following their freshmen year and then do 2 internships the rest of the time. The new commandant is on his way out the teachers agree with us on that. But the above is true play the game and get out. Were definitely more casual than most and we are all fighting to keep it that way except a very small group who love the corps. There is no need to treat us like were in boot camp especially seniors
When I was going to CMA we would throw our belt buckles and shoes to each other and sometimes across the quad to other divisions so we could pass the inspections. People would be at formo with electric razors…lol. Good times and very casual. Just get up in morning, put on a unwrinkled uniform, black socks and shave. Do those 3 things and you will do just fine. I was 25 when I started CMA so I had no issues as I could buy beer. 3E baby. Chug champs at Foley park!
[QUOTE=brjones;179940]When I was going to CMA we would throw our belt buckles and shoes to each other and sometimes across the quad to other divisions so we could pass the inspections. People would be at formo with electric razors…lol. Good times and very casual. Just get up in morning, put on a unwrinkled uniform, black socks and shave. Do those 3 things and you will do just fine. I was 25 when I started CMA so I had no issues as I could buy beer. 3E baby. Chug champs at Foley park![/QUOTE]
I was born and raised in CA… . when I went to KP at 18, could buy all the beer I wanted to as the drinking age in NY was 18 at the time. . . not that I got out much that first year to do it. . . . but any time I DID get out. . . .
[QUOTE=brjones;179940]When I was going to CMA we would throw our belt buckles and shoes to each other and sometimes across the quad to other divisions so we could pass the inspections. People would be at formo with electric razors…lol. Good times and very casual. Just get up in morning, put on a unwrinkled uniform, black socks and shave. Do those 3 things and you will do just fine. I was 25 when I started CMA so I had no issues as I could buy beer. 3E baby. Chug champs at Foley park![/QUOTE]
Throwing shoes? Might be a bit conspicuous. Just stand at the end of the downstream end of the second row, and when they finish inspecting the first row and before they start down the second, step up into the already inspected first row.
lol did that too
Haha done that before. At NY you have to keep a low profile and be inconspicuous. The white socks thing always annoyed me though because 90% of the socks most of us owned were black, and at the very least you could grab a pair from yesterday just for formation.
The best advice I can give you is do whatever it takes to graduate in 4 years, it’s not the kind of place you want to hang out at for 5, 6, 7, or more years (yes I saw the perpetual students). The saying we had when I was their was CMA is a great place to be from, not a great place to be at. It will suck a little while you are there, but it’s worth it in the end with the education, knowledge, and job you can get. In regards to the Corps. some people hate it with a passion, some people are all gung-ho, but the majority don’t care. Following the bare minimum requirements isn’t hard and will keep you under the radar 99.9% of the time. If possible use the Corps. to your advantage. When I was a senior I took a position because I wanted certain things/privileges but just remember not to go all crazy with “power”. Get what you want/need while not shitting on your fellow students/cadets. Remember it’s a small industry and you never know who you’ll run into down the road. That being said there are a lot of opportunities to do interesting things, trips, projects, etc… so make sure to take advantage of them. Lastly, there are different certification and license that are offered during your time as a student (Universal HVAC, Engineer In Training, etc…) make sure to take advantage of that and get whatever you can, you never know when it will come in handy and it’s easier to get it while being a student/cadet.
2E
I would line up math and science classes at another school. Some teachers at CMA hand out tons of easy F’s, while some are reasonable graders. You need to weed out the teachers that weed out students. Same is true with all schools, not just CMA.
Focus on studying. Don’t overload yourself. Avoid extracurricular activities, like ROTC, sports and dating until you’ve passed the weed out classes. Remember, there is no such grade as a W at CMA. You can’t drop a class after the first 3 weeks and this results in a lot of F grades. Drop deadlines at Community Colleges let you drop later with a W, plus they have lengthier drop deadlines. At a JC, you have time to see if you are in a bad classroom situation. Not so at CMA, you could easily be stuck in a bad situation before you realize it. This might be true for other CSU campuses that are trying to cut down on drops.
Many quit CMA because of grades. If you don’t plan carefully, if you don’t manage your time, if you don’t focus 100%, you wont last long. If something is a distracting, even if its just video gaming, get rid of it. Working out helps. Eating right and not getting fat helps you cope. Drinking makes matters worse. Your goal is graduation, not screwing up.
Try to stay under everyone’s radar. Especially women. Gossip spreads fast on a small campus, so protect your reputation. Your campus indiscretions could easily follow you around for a long time after you leave CMA. So, bear down and work your ass off. That’s what your here for.
[QUOTE=blackbear;182369]Drinking makes matters worse. Your goal is graduation, not screwing up.[/QUOTE]
If you want a normal college experience of fraternities and parties then go to a normal college. If you go to a Maritime Academy be ready to sacrifice a bit of fun now for fun later when you’re making three times the starting salary of other college kids and have lots more free time to enjoy yourself.
You can’t really drunk as much as Chico state but you can still let loose once in awhile. Wouldn’t be human if you can’t. Hard not to when hitting Costa Rica and some of the exotic ports
[QUOTE=Capt. Phoenix;182381]If you want a normal college experience of fraternities and parties then go to a normal college. If you go to a Maritime Academy be ready to sacrifice a bit of fun now for fun later when you’re making three times the starting salary of other college kids and have lots more free time to enjoy yourself.[/QUOTE]
True of ANY of the academies. . . although I did really cut loose my last year. . .and still got through it. . .
[QUOTE=Capt. Phoenix;182381]If you want a normal college experience of fraternities and parties then go to a normal college. If you go to a Maritime Academy be ready to sacrifice a bit of fun now for fun later when you’re making three times the starting salary of other college kids and have lots more free time to enjoy yourself.[/QUOTE]
I went to a school with a corps of cadets mixed with the civilian population. ROTC guys had to do the corps, but some weirdos not on a scholarship chose to do the corps too. It must’ve really sucked for them seeing all the kids hammered on wed/thur/fri nights (biz majors, usually).
Your point is very valid, and I never considered a Maritime Academy when I was looking at schools at age 17. But I had a blast in college, made tons of friends, and stumbled into a good industry (at the time). Engineering offers a few different paths to get to the deep sea, and attending an academy isn’t really a requirement.
For deck, going to an academy really seems to be the only practical way (for the otherwise college-bound kid). What would be the other way, ROTC or OCS to the Navy? LOL
[QUOTE=johnny.dollar;182408]Engineering offers a few different paths to get to the deep sea, and attending an academy isn’t really a requirement.[/QUOTE]
Thanks to STCW it’s as much a “requirement” for engineers as for deck, as you’re finding it first hand. The loop hole is still in the CFR for a domestic license but that doesn’t do much good without the STCW OICEW.
Well, for 3rd A/E there are 7 ways to be eligible to sit for the exam. Whoever wrote the regs many years ago deemed each of those 7 ways an equal path and codified it. Whether one agrees or disagrees, this is the law and there is no loop-hole. As for STCW, the law is written for that as well, but obviously there is some interpretation on the implementation. Who knows how that will work out.