Here we go...first post! Been lurking in here a while and saw this post and decided to clear up some misinformation!
Im currently in Powerschool right now. As for time off goes:
1. Generally speaking...if it is a holiday we have it off. During my time in Powerschool I am going to have off Thanksgiving (about 4 days I believe), Christmas stand down (Dec 22-Jan 4th i believe) and I believe 2 three day weekends. Christmas is the only period that will go against your leave days but they dont have a problem with you going in the hole on leave, being that we are attached to this training command for so long. For example I had 15 days leave after A school, im getting the 10 days or so of leave for Xmas, and after I graduate powerschool I get about 17 days leave in order to allow me to move into an apt. or up to NY for protoype. I will be going pretty deep in the hole on leave.
2. During A school you will be in the E3 rooms. You will be two people in a room with a common head connecting to another room. Your own eparated racks, closet, desk, and dresser. Once you make E4 after A school you get your own room with a desk, entertainment stand, dresser, walk in closet, and a head connecting to another room. I have to admit the rooms are pretty nice, all things considered. You have the option of purchasing high speed internet and or cable for your room as well.
3. As for weekend liberty. I strongly advise against going home for any regular weekend. Even if you live within a few hours of here. I have friends whom live within 2 hours of here that go home every weekend. IT DEFINATELY had a negative effect on their schooling. They were too worried about what was going on back home too focus on the material at hand. Grades dropped dramatically. You really cant live two lives here. Hell its hard enough just living the one. HOWEVER for the occasional 3 day weekend...it could be just what he needed to come home for a day or two. It really does have a refreshing effect. Anyways as you have probably heard...time is limited. The only people with time to themselves during the week are those whom dont have to study and get 3.8s none the less. Everyone else is usually in the building studying until 8, 9, or in my case 10-11 oclock at night. Stuff you would think you could take care of on weekdays (Laundry, uniform maintenance, heavy cleaning, personal matters such phone calls to loved ones, ect) really have to wait until the weekend.
4. As for Officer programs. Everything I have read or heard says that the Nuke program has the highest acceptance rate from any other special program in the Navy. I myself am putting together a packet for the Academy. He definately has a higher likelyhood of getting picked up than the average enlisted, AS long as his grades stay up and he stays out of trouble. A lot of people get in trouble at this command and ruin things for themselves (We have weekly occurances of 1 or 2 people going to mast and getting knocked down in rank and all sorts of bad things for stuff like underage drinking, supplying to a minor, ect. Tell him to be smart. What you may have done as a civilian that was illegal doesnt fly in the Navy, even if everyone else is doing it. The law is the law and the Navy upholds it (along with their own standards!)
5 Lastly, this program isnt easy. Its not designed to be. Youve got to try to maintain a positive attitude about your decision in life. There are a lot of people here that are very bitter about their decision to join the Navy and the feeling can be contagious. Truth is...everyone gets like that at one point during their stay here. Just remember, you came in openly accepting a challenge, and well, here it is. Make the most of it and do your best, and dont let others bring you down.
If you have any other questions feel free to email me and I will do my best to give you an unbiased, up to date, view or answer from a current powerschool student.
Oh yeah and one more thing. NO ONE at RTC knows ANYTHING about this program. They will say all sorts of stuff not knowing, generally because they dont like the fact that in 4-6 months you will be a 3rd class. There is a lot of rate bashing back and forth between nukes and non nukes. Rest assured the people there do not know what they are talking about.