Brother Visiting VT

The upcoming days will be different since my parents and brother will be making a trip to Virginia Tech for two days. My brother, Andrew, is a senior in high school and this is his spring break week. The main reason my parents wanted to come down and had already scheduled a trip is because my birthday is April 5 and my mom wanted to take me out for an early birthday dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Blacksburg that she’s noticed on trips down to pick me up (Chinese food is one of my favorites) and she said it would be sad for her not to see me close to my birthday. The second reason is that my brother will be graduating this June and my parents felt that it would be good for him to sit in on some classes with me. This is especially important now as Andrew found out on Friday that he did not get into his number one school, UVA Engineering, but was waitlisted. Since few people get in from a waitlist, Andrew now needs to decide on another school. Right now he isn't sure which one he wants to go to. He has been accepted to VT Engineering, JMU Physics, and GMU Engineering.

Andrew is very smart and math courses come easy to him. He has always taken a challenging course load with advanced classes but still has over a 4.0 GPA, and has a lot of leadership experience, Boys’ State, Governor’s School – Math, Science, & Technology, five honor societies, and many other things so it is surprising that he did not get into UVA. I'm very shocked that he did not get in. He knows many other students with less credentials who got in, so that adds to his disappointment and frustration.

My family is supposed to arrive mid-morning on Thursday. They will leave home very early since it’s a 4 ½ hour drive and my parents want to stop in Christiansburg on their way in to get a hotel room and then on to campus to drop off Andrew’s things in my dorm room and out for an early lunch before my afternoon Physics class. Physics would be a good class for Andrew to see since it’s an example of a large lecture class and the professor doesn’t speak English. It will give him a chance to see one of the worse case engineering classes here at Tech. Depending on my work-load, I would like to take Andrew around campus Thursday afternoon to show him various places and then to D2 for dinner.

Friday morning, we’ll eat breakfast at D2 again and then Andrew will attend English and Calculus with me. It’ll be good for Andrew to visit a non-engineering class and see how that is, and then a typical math course. I’m not sure that we’ll get a chance to go to the Math Emporium, but the three classes he visits will give him a good feel for Tech. I do feel disappointed for my brother because I know how much he’s wanted UVA. He was also excited about VT Engineering when he applied to colleges last fall, but after hearing from me, some of his friends, and comments on the Web about the cons of VT Engineering, like the many bad professors, he’s concerned now about what to do. He has a big decision to make by May 1.

West Point Reception

This past weekend was pretty eventful. My mom drove down to Blacksburg on Friday and did shopping until I was done with my Physics test that evening, then we drove home, arriving just after midnight. My brother got in a little while later, and we stayed up pretty late talking. The next morning, my brother had to leave at 7:00 for the high school mulch sale delivery and I got up about the time he was heading out the door. After breakfast, my parents and I left for the Ft. Belvoir so I could try on boots and dress shoes. Both getting to and leaving from the post was interesting. MapQuest took us on a route that went out of the way, and a different route than what we are normally used to taking. It eventually took us along a scenic back road behind Lorton Prison. When we tried leaving Ft. Belvoir, we had to drive around for a while trying to find a gate that had not been blocked for security reasons. All of the exist from the post that were not main gates were blocked off. Our map showed all gates and did not specify which ones were open.

I was successful at finding a pair of Tan Hot Weather Desert ACU boots that fit, after a lot of waiting and trying on many different pair. There were four approved manufacturers for this boot that I am allowed to wear at West Point, and I went with Belleville because Matt Barnette recommended them. What was interesting in finding these boots is that I went there expecting that I would need a size 11 ½ EEE boot, and walked out with a size 11 D (Regular) boot. I was surprised that my very wide feet fit into a regular sized boot and that that size was smaller than running shoes. (I took thick hiking socks to try them on with, too, and I still needed a smaller sized boot.) I had also hoped to try on dress shoes for sizing even though Ft. Belvoir doesn’t carry the specific Black Leather Oxford Low Quarter shoe that I am authorized to purchase, but they didn’t even have my size in any dress shoe. The saleswoman suggested that we call Andrew’s Air Force Base in Maryland, which we did, and Andrew’s had one pair of the shoes I needed in a size 11 ½ Regular, which they held for me (the next smallest shoe they had in stock was an 8 ½! I was shocked at how limited military posts and bases are in keeping uniform items in stock). It took awhile to make our way off post, and we were also in heavy traffic approaching the Beltway and crossing the Woodrow Wilson Bridge into Maryland. It was about lunch time at this point. Once at Andrew’s, we found the store pretty easily, but the pair of shoes that they were holding for me was too big.

The Washington DC metropolitan area is known for its heavy traffic, and the time I spent in the car on Saturday was typical for our area. We arrived home to a very late lunch prepared by my grandmother, made a quick trip to the VA Running Store where I purchased running shoes and orthodics during Spring Break (the orthodics hurt the arch of my feet), and then back home to change for the USMA Reception at the McLean Hilton in Tyson’s Corner. Due to traffic, we had to leave around 4:00pm to ensure we’d be there ten minutes before the 5:00pm reception.

The USMA Reception was the highlight of my weekend and the real reason I came home. I got to see MAJ Tolman, the West Point Southeast Regional Commander, talk with several cadets who came down for a Crew meet and some who were there to attend the Founder’s Day Dinner later that evening, and also met a few other Cadet Candidates from the area. Even the Commandant of Cadets was there. The hour and a half Reception flew by very quickly, but it really made things feel “real” and official. I cannot wait until June!

I headed back to Blacksburg on Sunday morning and arrived around 1:15pm.It was a busy weekend, but it was great.

Spring break went pretty well for me. I didn't do much of anything over break, which was nice. I did have to get several vaccinations and blood tests done early in the week for West Point, which was a lot of fun. Being able to hang out with my family was nice. I got to see my cousins the last weekend before returning to VT. One of my cousins, David, will be working most of the summer at a job in Texas. His job starts in May, and it will be hard to be able to see him once finals end and before he has to leave, so it was nice being able to see him.

Yesterday, I received another packet from West Point with even more things that I have to get done. The main thing that I have to get done is purchasing 2 pairs of Hot Weather Tan ACU Boots, and 1 pair of low quarter shoes. I will be going home again this weekend for a West Point Reception on Saturday night, and I will be picking up the boots and shoes Saturday morning.

Classes and Spring Break

These past few weeks have been going pretty well with classes. The one thing that I have been wondering about is, why do professors think that math and science tests are best done with multiple choice? I was always taught that the most important thing in math was understanding the process, and even if you didn't get the correct answer, as long as you approached the problem correctly, then that was better than just getting an answer. Both my Calculus II class and my Physics class have only multiple choice tests, which is very frustrating for me. I am not very strong with math, and have been having problems getting good grades on the tests because I am not always able to get the correct answer. I am understanding the current material just as well as the material presented in Calculus I, but my test average has dropped from a 90% down to a 70%.

It really is a problem with the idea of the math emporium. I know so many people who hate the math emporium and how math classes require students to take tests and quizzes on the computer. For some people, especially those who are very smart with math, don't have any problems getting A's on all of the tests and quizzes, but those of us who can't do that usually struggle with those assignments. Some people who I have talked with have suggested that the math emporium was the only practical way for a professor to get test results quickly from hundreds of students, especially in classes that are lower level. I found this funny because my Calculus I professor had graders, and was able to return tests within a week. She seemed to take much more of an interest in the success of her students than my current Calculus professor. I believe that the way that a professor conducts grading for major assignments reflects on the quality of the professor.

I am sure that everyone is excited for spring break. I can't wait to get home and not have to worry about having to go to classes. Unfortunately, I will still have to study for several tests that are soon after the end of spring break. I don't really have anything planned for spring break, so I will just enjoy being able to relax.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been filling out a lot of paperwork for West Point. There is much more stuff to do after being accepted than that of the entire application process. I will have to finish most of the current paperwork over spring break. They mail out two major packets of paperwork that must be completed and mailed back to them prior to R-Day (June 28th) when I report to West Point. They have given me the first packet of forms, and I am expecting the second sometime in mid-March. Unfortunately it will be shortly after spring break, and I won't be able to do it at home when I have a lot of free time.

This week I began preparing physically for West Point. Shortly after I arrive, I will have to take the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), and I have set a goal to try and max all of the areas on the test, which include pushups, situps, and a two mile run. I have started to run every day for at least an hour, followed by another hour of lifting and other various exercises.

I have also began to research some clubs and sports that I would like to do at West Point. Every cadet must participate in an intercollegiate sport or an intermural sport. I have known for a while that I want to be on the jump team, which I must try out for this October. I also would like to try the Combat Weapons Team.

4 more days 'till spring break!