Top 10 learnings

Top 10 things I have learned during my first week at the Naval Academy:

1. "Hit the head" is not a violent phrase, but one indicating the need for the bathroom.  Head = bathroom.  Deck = floor.... the list goes on.

2. Do not be on campus at 8:00am or 8:00pm.  You will stick out like a sore thumb, look like a dear caught in head lights and draw much attention to yourself wearing heels on cobblestones as the ENTIRE campus freezes, and salutes the flag being raised and 100 bells chime.  Oh, and it's not a campus, it's "the yard."

3. Academics academics academics.  Every midshipman graduates with a B.S. and every one does it in 4 years.  Only MIT can boast this achievement as well.  I was told a tsunami would have to coincide with a hurricane at the same time as a typhoon for classes to be canceled.

4. Students will be students no matter what institution you're at.  Even at the USNA they wait until the last minute to do their paperwork, they complain about the cafeteria food, they gossip about the opposite sex, and they're constantly sneaking out their cell phones.  At least they're polite and respectful though!

5. I will be called ma'am more times this summer than I will my entire life.  

6. Even the seaman giggle at the word seaman.

7. The USNA is regarded with the utmost respect from civilians.  However, the midshipmen are somewhat cynical of the Academy, believing that the ones that graduate go off and give the school a poor reputation with their cockiness and "holier-than-thou" attitude once they are commissioned in the Navy.

8. The beauty of the Academy should never be underestimated, around every corner and in every building is something remarkable.  I feel ignorant because I don't know what 1/3 of the things mean.  My building is next to the chapel (my mom's favorite building on the yard).  Currently we have 2 enormous Naval ships docked on the other side of my building getting ready to take some midshipman around the Atlantic for several weeks.

9. An office environment is not so bad.  Coming from an educational background where the objective was to be constantly active, I was nervous about this.  But when I have co-workers with bright personalities yelling on the phone next to me, "Who can I show my middle finger to?!" and people from IT services coming to talk about Star Trek- things stay interesting.

10.  My day is no longer decidedly gorgeous or gloomy based upon the weather, but more so by whether the midshipmen are wearing their dress uniforms or not... the yard is so much more cheerful populated with white :)