I'm In!

[LHef22]

 

I am so excited, I just wanted to share.  I am officially in the Navy Nuke program as of today!  I am shipping to basic on March 1 and can't wait to get going!  I am looking forward to all of the hard work ahead.

[johnigma]

Awesome!

Keep your head up and remember, boot camp is NOT the Navy.

[cave_dog42]

welcome to the dep program, good luck in nuke school and the fleet

[taterhead]

Good for you.

Nothing we type here will prepare you for what will begin for you in 6 weeks.

Keep your head up, and enjoy the heck out out of your last 6 weeks of civilian life for a while.

[Adidas2806]

i shipped out to boot camp on november 8th and graduated bootcamp on jan 7th, on the 9th i was here at nuke school.the first two weeks are the worst of boot camp, otherwise known as "p" days. you will say to yourself, "what the hell have i gotten myself into..?"  after those first two weeks bootcamp actually gets kind of fun, i enjoyed the last half of it. boot camp is what you make of it, was alot easier than i thought it was going to be.

im actually surprised you just enlisted and your ship date is march. i enlisted in feb and couldnt ship out untill november. you got lucky there that you didnt have to wait so freaking long as i did. take advantage of this site, go through all the threads. when i first depped in i think i asked these people every question i could think of, they were all a big help. alot of your questions can be found somewhere in here, and if not then ask and somebody will know the answer!

Im finally here though, and what a relief it is. very very glad that i have chosen this route! congrats on making this decision and will see ya in a few months in sc!
Sean

[LHef22]

Yeah I got really lucky to get a ship date so soon.  My original ship date was June, and that still was not soon enough for me.  I wouldn't be able to wait as long as you had to.  I bet it sucked being there Nov - Jan. 

I am definately preparing myself for boot camp.  I've heard the P day horror stories.  I can't wait though.

This site has definately answered some questions that I have already.  Every one seems to be very nice and helpful.  I really don't know what to expect though.  The people I talked to about the program made it sound like the NAPT test was hard, the hardest tests they have ever taken.  It was easy for me after I cleared out the cobwebs.  It's been about 6 years since I've taken chemistry, physics and calc. 

[Flooznie]

Grats on getting into the program!  Remember, getting in the program is the easy part.  Staying in and being successful is the hardest part of all this.  Remember to give every aspect of this program 200%.  If your heart isn't into it, it will crush you, trust me.  You are going to have to want it more than anything you've ever wanted in your life.  Above all else, remember your integrity is what makes or breaks you as a nuc.  Your integrity must be impeccable.  The next 6 years ahead will drastically change your life.  By the way, how much are they offering you guys for bonuses nowadays?

ET1 (SS)
NNPS 9802

[LHef22]

 

Thank you!  Right now the enlistment bonus for Nuke is $12,000 and after all schooling is done, I have the option to sign up for an additional 6 years with a re-enlistment bonus of $60,000, or if I wait until my initial 6 years is up, the re-enlistment bonus is $100,000.

[ex-SSN585]

The people I talked to about the program made it sound like the NAPT test was hard, the hardest tests they have ever taken.

Of course, many of the people probably only had the benefit of high school.

If the NAPT is anything in content like the previous version, the NFQT, it was not difficult.  The NFQT was multiple choice and easy to grade for the enlisted classifiers (the "job counselors" at MEPS).

My inclination would be to advise you to forget about your score.  It's one of those things that (almost) everyone remembers and lots of people will want to compare.

Just apply those study habits you developed in college.  I remember the top student in my section 11 NPS class (when the sections were grouped into people with similar aptitudes).  He only put in enough time to complete the homework, never stayed to study (except for the last week when everyone was given mandatory study hours), and always got the top score in the section.  After NPS, the next time I met him was out in the fleet.  He was still a second class (which he might have gotten by reenlisting STAR or may have been demoted to).  I had not gotten second class by automatic or command advancement, but had still been a first class for at least a couple of years.  Perhaps everything came easy to him and he did not apply himself.

Yes, I thought the "nuke test" was easy and NPS was easy.  But part of it is not only learning the material, but learning the Navy way of approaching the material.  That will be more evident in the prototype, hands-on, part of the training, where the the person who is used to relying on a good memory can find him or herself in trouble.  Nuke school is competitive.  I probably logged at least as many voluntary study hours as those in the lowest section and I still could not reach the same level as that top student who did his homework during class and went home to his wife right after school.  That's a bit extreme and most successful people have a more balanced approach to life.  Just maintain good study habits and turn them into good and effective work habits in the fleet.

So, don't form an impression by your experience with the NAPT and what you've heard from others.  There are a lot of smart people in the Navy Nuclear program who have all passed the NAPT, whether or not they thought it was hard.  (Yes, to be accurate, some did not have to take the NAPT.)

Just treat NPS as a new and challenging experience!

[ex-SSN585]

8)I have the option to sign up for an additional 6 years with a re-enlistment bonus of $60,000, or if I wait until my initial 6 years is up, the re-enlistment bonus is $100,000.

If the program works the same way as it used to, you have enlisted for four years with a mandatory two year extension for schooling.  I would guess that the additional six years you mentioned is a reenlistment after your first two years, at which time the Navy agrees to void your initial contract and write a new one for a six year commitment.

Of course, you will have to verify this with your command career counselor, since my information is over ten years old.  You have another option in the case you complete your two years, money is not your primary concern, and you are still unsure whether you enjoy the Nuclear Navy.  If you decide to reenlist around the four year point, the Navy used to agree to throw away your extension and write a new contract (generally four or six years).  One of the factors in determining the size of your bonus is the length of the contract.  Another is a "multiple" which is a reflection of how badly the Navy needs your particular rating and specialty (it could be different for ET, EM, MM, and ELT).

You don't need to be worried about this now, but if you decide to reenlist, make sure you are aware of "Zones".  I believe there are three times you can get a reenlistment bonus, corresponding to Zones A, B, and C.  To get all the benefits of reenlistment, you must be within the proper zone, or interval of years.  Normally, this is something you don't need to worry about, but it can be a killer if for some reason, you don't execute a standard four or six year contract or if you sign some strange extension.)

Not to disagree with anything that has been said, this is just to point out that you might have other options.

[LHef22]

I agree and I will cross that bridge when I get to it.  The recruiters like to throw the money at you, but I didn't sugn up just for the money.  I'm not letting the $$ blind me.

[dav8]

8)I have the option to sign up for an additional 6 years with a re-enlistment bonus of $60,000, or if I wait until my initial 6 years is up, the re-enlistment bonus is $100,000.

Zone A is $45,000, Zone B is $60000, Zone C is $100000.
So you can reenlist for $45K your first reenlistment, $60K your second, and $100K on your third, which would bring you out to around 14-16 years in.  If it were $60 then $100, there would be a bunch of people reenlisting twice then getting out.

[taterhead]

All of that is putting the cart before the horse.

The bonuses are there, and the figures listed are the caps for each zone.

You'll hear enough about that once you're in NPS.

[shayne]

You could also make the best of your time in the Navy and get out after 6 and make $60,000 easy your first year out.

[matthewmiller01]

You could also make the best of your time in the Navy and get out after 6 and make $60,000 easy your first year out.

At a MINIMUM!!!

[ODiesel]

It is true that there is a lot of money to be made once you leave the navy, but dont think that while you are in that you live a life of poverty. Once you qualify at prototype and start getting special duty pay and sub pay on top of BAH and BAS, your paychecks are a lot higher. My third year in the Navy I made over $60,000. Not too bad for a 21 year old with no college education!!

[WXMel]

My boyfriend graduates boot this coming Friday (28th) and will be in South Carolina that Sunday after.  I know the Nuke program is demanding from what I've heard.  I'm a meteorology student at Oklahoma and our program is so demanding that we typcially start out with around 150-175 and only about 30-40 of those make it through the program.  What are the statistics like for the Nuke program?  How many people get accepted versus how many actually make it through?  What makes the Nuke program so hard?  Is it moreso the amount of work, or is it the difficulty of the material?  What are some good tips to help ensure success getting through the program?

[ex-SSN585]

From reading other posts on this forum, it looks like the Navy attempts to graduate as many students as possible and civil/drug involvement is the most likely reason for not completing the training program.  Historically, the Navy nuclear program had a relatively high attrition rate, but recently the attitude toward students has changed.

The Navy nuclear program cannot be exceedingly difficult because it has to be taught at the level that a high school graduate, without college-level or advanced placement classes, can reasonable handle.  Also, while a college might teach at the level of the average student in the class, Navy training is typically geared toward the students with the least aptitude.

The Navy nuclear program is challenging because the amount of material and the pace at which it is taught in a limited amount of time.  Also, thinking out of the box is not encouraged, so even if some of the material is familiar, it must be learned in the way in which the Navy wants to present it.

My primary tip is to maintain good study habits.  It is possible for a student to do all his/her homework in class and go home at the end of the day with no additional study time and finish at the top of his section.  However, in the long run, such a student might not make a good operator, and his/her career will suffer. 

My secondary recommendation probably does not apply as much with nuclear power school than with nuclear training in general.  That is to study the source documents.  Do not rely as much on what you have been told (particularly by other students  ... of course, information from experienced instructors is generally reliable) as what you have read in the governing documents.  And, it is not necessary (and can be bad) to memorize every detail, but to know where to quickly find the information.

[LHef22]

Ok.  That's what I've been looking for!  Thank you ex-SSN585.  So even though I have taken calculus and chemistry in college, they are going to teach it to me like I'm back in high school and I will have to keep my mouth shut with how I now it and learn it the Navy way!

[ex-SSN585]

My secondary recommendation probably does not apply as much with nuclear power school than with nuclear training in general.  That is to study the source documents.  Do not rely as much on what you have been told (particularly by other students  ... of course, information from experienced instructors is generally reliable) as what you have read in the governing documents.  And, it is not necessary (and can be bad) to memorize every detail, but to know where to quickly find the information.

I'm going to change my opinion on this point.  Since I have read that in prototype, much of the checkout is performed using a computer, I would rely heavily on what is taught in classroom, because the instructors probably teach the material so that the students know what to expect.  Also, students who have completed the checkout will know what the computer is looking for. That is, the computer will follow a single, rigid interpretation.  (I wonder how this compares with the way in which MM "A" school was taught 25 years ago, with self paced instruction.  I seem to remember using computers for checkouts back then.)

(However, when a person gets to the fleet, I believe the original post has the best way to learn how the plant works, along with tracing the system to see how the system diagram compares with the actual plant installation ... with the exception of the ET/RO systems.)

[ex-SSN585]

Ok.  That's what I've been looking for!  Thank you ex-SSN585.  So even though I have taken calculus and chemistry in college, they are going to teach it to me like I'm back in high school and I will have to keep my mouth shut with how I now it and learn it the Navy way!

In my opinion, what I have said is true.  But I'm a bit slow and have just thought of some other factors.

Years and years ago, nuclear MMs, EMs, and ETs were taught the same material as conventional MMs, EMs, and ETs.  MMs were particularly short-changed.  Now the schools are longer and the nukes ares separate, so the average aptitude of the students during nuclear rate training is higher.  At that time, everything had to be taught or retaught in the 26 weeks of NPS.

I have no idea what the curricula are now.  I'm speculating that, since there is more time to learn the in-rate material the Nuclear-Navy-way, less has to be crammed into NPS and perhaps there has been some redistribution to concentrate on cross-rate training and nuclear reactor theory/operations (rather than in-rate knowledge).  I seriously doubt that the Navy has found it necessary to increase the level and depth of knowledge required, and the change to teach all nuclear personnel at the same training site would seem to favor the students.  Then again, part of the nuclear training process is to put the students under some stress to ensure they can handle it, so things might not have changed much.

In other words, in my posts I have ASS-U-ME-D quite a bit based on what I have heard and on my own dated experience, and we all know what that might mean.  (But the point about starting at the high school level cannot have changed, based on the minimum academic requirements to enter the nuclear field program.)

[Adidas2806]

I just finished Indoc here at NNPTC, and there are always people that think the attrition rate is somewhere around 30 percent. That is not true, the attrition rate for 2004 was 4.3%(Due to academic failure. This does not include the students kicked out due to drugs/alchohol.) Very few students ever fail because of academic failure.

[Roll Tide]

 (I wonder how this compares with the way in which MM "A" school was taught 25 years ago, with self paced instruction.  I seem to remember using computers for checkouts back then.)

They probably aren't using punch-cards.....
 

[ODiesel]

I am an instructor at NPTU Charleston. It's true, we do use computers for a portion of checkouts. When student's report to prototype they have no idea how to qualify, what to study or what types of questions are asked during a checkout. The computers have lessons that discuss the various plant systems and their operation. Once a student has studied up on a system and feels ready for the checkout they take a CAC(Computer Aided Checkout), if they pass the CAC they print out a report with a barcode and bring it to a staff member to recieve the oral checkout. This is only done on system checkouts and does two things: First, it makes sure a student knows something before taking up an instructors time. Second, it allows us to track the students' weaknesses by showing us which questions are frequently missed so we can train on those topics harder. Its really a valuable tool.

[shayne]

This is how it was at S8G when I was leaving 3 years ago.  They had just started it and was still working out the bugsl.

I am an instructor at NPTU Charleston. It's true, we do use computers for a portion of checkouts. When student's report to prototype they have no idea how to qualify, what to study or what types of questions are asked during a checkout. The computers have lessons that discuss the various plant systems and their operation. Once a student has studied up on a system and feels ready for the checkout they take a CAC(Computer Aided Checkout), if they pass the CAC they print out a report with a barcode and bring it to a staff member to recieve the oral checkout. This is only done on system checkouts and does two things: First, it makes sure a student knows something before taking up an instructors time. Second, it allows us to track the students' weaknesses by showing us which questions are frequently missed so we can train on those topics harder. Its really a valuable tool.