I'm still extremely new here to NNPTC but here's my two cents.
You don't want to stand out. I know you want to make a good impression, but honestly the way this system is set up the only people you will actually form a professional bond with are your instructors, because honestly you won't spend any other time with your SLPO, and definitely not any of the officers. The only time you see the senior people are at graduations and indoctrination briefings, or if you put in an officer package and are getting interviewed for it. Any other contact than that is because of disciplinary actions. Course failures don't even see officers to my knowledge, just the CM of your department.
I've seen the spectrum of both things here in NFAS (A-school). I've seen the "S**tbags" here, we had a roll-in who is already out of our class into MilDiv for getting masted under General S**tbaggery (Shorting study hours, falling asleep during class time, failing inspection, course failure, etc.). I've also seen our "Squared Away" sailor, who is just an extreme brown-noser. Our SLPO liked him at first, but it's starting to go the complete opposite direction I believe because he is the first person to snitch at little things and waste our Chief's time over petty issues that should be handled at the lowest level. Nobody likes a brown noser, and nobody likes a snitch. I'm not telling you to lie about anything or hide things, I'm just saying be careful with what you pass on. Despite what this guy thinks, 99% of the class doesn't like him because he constantly sucks up because he's trying to get into an officer program.
The best thing you can do is become completely unnoticed. Other than a couple very minor incidents in the very beginning of classing up, I haven't been talked to by my Chief other than routine interviews -at all-. You do your work, you do your study hours that are mandated to you, and you look your best. The biggest thing here is your haircut. Uniforms are easy to keep in regulations with NWU's here, so that's not much to worry about. Shine your boots every week or two, get a haircut every week, and for formal inspections take some time on your neckerchief and making sure if you're in your whites that it's as clean as possible and ironed. For inspections here it's a lot easier than in boot camp, the biggest thing they stress is haircuts, so I suggest just getting a haircut the day before inspection. You'll know when you have formal ones plenty of time before it actually occurs.
You'll do whatever you want, and that's cool. People are a lot cockier before they get to boot camp generally. Just remember what all the people on these forums are telling you. People very senior and then people like me, a NUB in NFAS still, just do your job and be professional. You won't be noticed quickly at all, but as they say it will pay off and I can tell it will. When you get to the fleet, suck it up and qualify ASAP. That and keeping a positive attitude will take you far.
Best of luck, and if you hit NNPTC before next August feel free to PM me and I'll show you around the place and get you squared away for classing up.
Class 0947-A, graduate NFAS November 13th
