How is Prototype structured?

[Xhelix]

I mean, is it like highschool where you go from class to class and have x amount of work to do each night for y classes?  Or is it one subject at a time until you know it, then the next one?

I'm assuming it is the first varient as the second would kill people.  I know I could *not* sit in the same room for z hours learning the same topic until my mind was fried.

Anyways, I'm just curious as to the layout... maybe I dont even mean prototype, I mean the phase where we (hah...we, I'm in DEP status...) do all the learning.  (I realize I"m not being very specific but my mind isn't giving me the kind of information I'd need to form a better question so just run with it.)

Thanks in advance guys! 

[shayne]

It has been awhile since I was in the training pipeline (1992-93), however I guess by your post that you are interested in how the training program is.  'A' school and power school you sit in a classroom and the instructors come into the classroom.  You spend most of the day taking notes and going over the material.  Usually two or three subjects at a time.  Once or twice a week you are tested on that material.  'A' school for EMs did have some lab time where we covered motor controllers, electronics, breakers, switchgear, motors, generators, etc.

Prototype is different.  Thnkgs were changing as I was departing the Navy as a Staff Instructor in NY, so It may be different now.  You will have some classroom time for the first few weeks for systems and radcon.  Then off to work shift work.  There you will have a qualification book that contains all the lessons, seminars, systems, procedures, casualties, tests, and watches that you will to complete before you go to a final oral board.  This is mostly self paced, however the staff will set your goals for you.  You will be required to finish x % per day or week.  You will have to stand watch and learn to operate the steam plant (MM), reactor plant (ET), or electrical plant (EM) depending on your rate.  You will also learn about the other areas not in your rate because you are there to work as a team to help each other and the best way to is know about his/her job also.  The staff will be there to assist you in learning how it all works as well as there to quiz you to make sure you are learning what you need to.  For all tasks that are required in your qualifcation book that you complete, the staff will sign your book.  When all signatures are complete you will go to a final board where you will be asked to explain inrate, cross rate, intergrated plant, casualties, chemisty, and radcon principles to the board members (2 staff instructors, EOOW and Inrate Qualified).  Considering you can answer the questions, you pass.  On average most finish qualifing in about 18-20 weeks of a 26 week program.  I believe that prototype has gone to 24 weeks total now, so the average may be different (changing as I was departing the Navy). 

I hope this helps.

[CharlieRock]

Nuclear Field A school is like the latter.  You will take one course a day for about 6-7 hours (including labs) plus one study hall.  The only exception is about the first 6 weeks where you will have Math 2 hours a day, then your 'in-rate' course.  At power school you will generally have 2 courses at a time, 3 for brief periods.  The time is usually slanted more towards one course than another.  The official word on study is that you should have 1 hour of homework for evey 2 hours of class.  This homework time includes studying.  As a result, the average student should have between 17 and 20 hours of homework a week.  As the above poster indicated, prototype is a whole different deal.  With the exception of the short, initial school house phase it is a practical school.

[dav8]

Prototype, except for the first 7 weeks, is rotating shiftwork.  Students are on mandatory 12 hour days the entire 6 months, so it is a lot of study time.  The actual amount of time spent on studying and on homework in A school and Power school mostly depends on your abilities.  At A and Power school, once you have taken a couple tests and proven yourself, your mandatory hours will decrease.  On the other hand, if the first tests prove you are weak, you will be required to put in more hours.  Nobody will put in less than 8 hours a day, is you perform poorly your extra hours will be in addition to the 8 hours, sometimes reaching a required 5 extra hours per night.  At prototype there is no less than 12 hours, unless you get a certain amount ahead in your studies, and then it's only a few hours per week off of the 84 hours (12 per day, 7 days a week).  Don't get confused though, when I say 7 days a week it doesn't mean you're working every day.  At different parts of the shiftwork you have a 1 day off, a regular weekend off, a 3 day off, and a 4 day off.  Confused?  Probably so.

[s_Phoenix]

Prototype works like this first 7 weeks are m-f 12 hrs a day.  Then its 16 weeks of shiftwork,  starts with day shift saturday -friday 12 hr/day 8am -8pm,  2 days off, then staff week, monday - thursday 12 hr/d 7-7, 4 days off then swing's, 7d 12hr/day noon to midnight,  2 day's off. then mid's 7 day/ 12hrs/day 8pm to 8 am.  3 day's off and then it start again.

As a student you have 4 hours study time with out your crew there. then 8 hours with your crew, this is when you stand watch and get other lessons.

A and Power school are like all said  above.

[shayne]

The sooner you finish your qualifications, it is staff hours.  8 Hour days vice the 12. 

At S8G, I remember the students did get 8 hour days on day 6 and 7 if they were >10% of the curve and passed all tests (1998-2001).  This may have changed with the 24 week program though.  This started when Idaho was still open for students and they rode the buses.  The buses ran every 4 hours on weekdays and every 8 hours on weekends.  So students there did 8 hours on weekends and it was only fair to compensate the students at the other prototypes by allowing them 8 hours off every week.  It later became compensation for keeping ahead of the curve.

Is the prototype still allowing flexible hours?  If the students proved they could stay ahead of the curve and passed all exams, they were allowed to do thier plus time (4 hours without your crew) at the time of their choice.  i.e. Students on swing shift could do thier plus time after midnight, allowing them the afternoon to do as they please.

[Fermi2]

When did students in Idaho do 8 hours on weekends? In the 80s they certainly didn't.

Mike

[shayne]

I went through in 1993 and the weekends were 8 hours.  It was only because of the bus schedule, I'm sure the Navy wanted us there for the full 12.

[Fermi2]

Cool, when I left there in 1988 the students still worked 12s on the weekends.

Mike

[shayne]

I'm not sure when INEL changed the bus schedules on weekends.