If your recruiter told you would be on shore duty your 6 years, that person is a liar. Period.
Boot camp is simple enough if you can comprehend and follow simple instructions, i.e. "do what you're told" (remember that phrase).
"A" School consists of rate specific classes to teach you how, in the simplest and most rudimentary sense, how to be an MM, EM or ET. Roughly 8-10 hour days, plus homework. Through in PT and mix it all up with the attitude of "do what you're told", when you're told, the way you're told.
Power School, is the basics of nuclear power technology, stuffed into rudimentary classes and crammed into 6 months. For those that have attended a 2 year community college course like the one at Midlands Tech in Columbia, SC, all those classes are stuffed into 6 months. Again, roughly 8-10 hour classroom time, plus 2-6 hours for homework (YMMV). Once again, PT and mix it all up with the attitude of "do what you're told", when you're told, the way you're told.
Prototype is the first opportunity you have to leave Charleston, SC, for a part of the training pipeline. This will also be your first opportunity, if single, to live out in town. Couple of weeks in a classroom for some basic familiarization classes for the plant you are assigned to, then rotating shift work on one of 5 crews learning how to qualify and how to stand watch, in the most basic sense, again. Not sure how they handle routine PT (pretty sure it is on your own time, cause it's been over 20 years since I went to prototype as student, and almost 14 since I left NPTU Charleston as an instructor). That sage advice of "do what you're told, when you're told, the way you're told." will come into play, but you are also responsible for balancing your obligations outside of the Navy, like paying rent and utilities, while being if not a productive member of the community, at least one that doesn't end up getting the cops called to your apartment every 3rd day.
Then you show up to your ship. Where the nuke stuff gets to compete directly with the military stuff for priority in your everyday life. And you'll be underway...... a lot. Unless you go to a ship in the yards, in which case you'll probably be in 4 section (or worse) duty (meaning you stay over night on the ship and man the propulsion plant watches, then work a full workday the next day, WOOT!!!!). THEN, you'll be underway, a lot.
This isn't meant to dissuade you in any way shape or form. You are
volunteering to
serve in the US Navy. Navy ships go to sea. They deploy, for upwards of 8 -10 months at a time to support the United States military and it's allies, around the world. It will be challenging at times, and it will be mind-numbing boring at times, just like real life. Only in real life you don't live in close proximity to 3000 of your work colleagues for 8 -10 months at a time
Your success, for the most part, will be directly in your control. What you put into it, you will most likely get out of it. Pay attention, don't try and make the instructors see that the way you were taught in college would be much easier for everyone in your Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow class to learn the theories; buck the system and make waves as a student and find yourself in your Chief's $hithouse. Save telling others they are wrong for when you get into the fleet and are qualified with some time underway and on watch to back it up. Study hard, don't let things outside of your control distract you and getting through the pipeline and your initial 6 years is a breeze.
Best of luck, and Thank You for volunteering to serve
