Things are looking good

[airbornflght]

Well, today I got off of work and came home, there were two messages on the machine, and one is from my yearbook adviser, and the other from the Liaison officer for the Air Force Academy.

Well, I talk to Ginny, our adviser, and she says to call the lady that owns a print shop, because they have macs, and are having trouble using the software, and that I would pretty much have a job if I wanted it. So I call her, and I am going in on Wednesday to talk to her, and I will pretty much be doing their editing work in photoshop/pagemaker/in design, that good stuff. I guess they have a kid right now, but he isn't dependable/doesn't know what he is doing. So that is good news, because she says that it will be after school pretty much every day, but only for a couple of hours, because they close at 6pm, so that is really nice for me.

Then I call the Liaison Officer back, and he talks to me about the Air Force Academy because I filled out an application, but I'm not sure if the military is my cup of tea. I talked to him about computer science, and he said that it was pretty big over there, but still, not sure if I'd like the military life/them owning me. Not to mention, I don't think that I would make that much money working for the government, and I sure as hell don't want to be shipped off into no where land.:skeptic: I'm at sort of a crossroads right now, because if I want to get in, then I have to start now, because there are about a million forms that have to be filled out, then I have to write letters to my congressman and representative, to get a nomination...then I actually have to go there and pass the physical, which I don't think I would, because if you have seen my pictures, I am not the most buff guy in the world.:sad2:

But anyway, the new job is the best part, because I have been dreading the last day of working at the school, because I wasn't sure where I could work, and this worked out really nicely.

[MrBill]

ABF: Congrats on the "possible" new job!

If you don't think you want to go to a military academy, don't pursue it. It is not a "walk in the park". My son did not apply anywhere but West Point and through a lot of hard work and determination on his part, he was accepted. He was absolutely positive it's what he wanted to do, but he really didn't like it a whole lot. He did, however, stick it out and graduate. He has a 5 year active duty and 2 year reserve committment to the Army that he has to serve. BUT...being able to put that he graduated from West Point on his resume will go a loooong way!

I'm not trying to discourage you, just letting you know it's not easy to get in, stay in and graduate.

Air Force Academy - Class of 2009 Profile:

Applicants –9601
Candidate Pool – 6809
Qualified Candidates – 1928
Offers of Admission – 1746
Total Admitted – 1390
Women 18%
Minorities 21%
Athletes 15.5%
Potential Pilot Qualified – 47%
Average SAT Verbal – 637
Average SAT Math – 658
Average ACT English – 28.6
Average ACT Math – 29.6
Average ACT Reading – 29.6
Average ACT Science Reasoning – 29.0


West Point Academy - Class of 2005 Profile (my son's class):

Class Profile
At time of admission

Volume of Applicants
...........................................Men Women
Applicant Files Started....... 7,716 2,176
Nominated..................... 3,149 612
Qualified..................... 1,783 333
(academically, and in physical aptitude)
Admitted...................... 997 192
Rank in High School Class
First Fifth...... 71%
Second Fifth..... 22%
Third Fifth...... 6%
Fourth Fifth..... 1%
Bottom Fifth..... 0%
American College Testing (ACT) Assessment Program Scores*
Range Eng Math Sci Reas Read
31-36 15% 23% 21% 42%
26-30 55% 58% 47% 38%
21-25 29% 18% 31% 19%
16-20 1% 1% 1% 1%
11-15 0% 0% 0% 0%
Mean 27 28 28 29
College Board Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) Scores*
Range Verbal Math
700-800 18% 22%
600-699 47% 54%
500-599 33% 23%
400-499 2% 1%
300-399 0% 0%
Mean 623 642
*Includes only scores used as a basis for admission.
Academic Honors
Class Valedictorians.............................. 69
Class Salutatorians............................... 32
National Merit Scholarship Recognition............ 199
National Honor Society............................ 707
Activities
Boys/Girls State Delegate....................... 220
Class President or Student Body President....... 211
School Publication Staff
School Paper Editor, Co-Editor of Staff....... 179
Yearbook Editor or Co-Editor.................. 121
Debating........................................ 196
Dramatics....................................... 290
Scouting Participants........................... 505
Eagle Scout (men) or Gold Award (women)....... 158
Varsity Athletics
Letter Winner................................. 1,084
Team Captain.................................. 689

http://www.usma.edu/Class/2005/profile.asp

[airbornflght]

I know it is not a walk in the park, and that it wouldnt be easy, I have spend two years in AFJROTC, and that itself was pretty strict. It gave me enough of a taste, that I am probably just gonna be a civilian. I dont think I am cut out for the military life.

On another note, the new job, I will be doing a lot of InDesign work, and while I consider myself pretty proficient in photoshop and some of the others, Ive used pagemaker about 4 times, and InDesign replaced it, and tonight is the first time I have opened indesign:eek: so I have some homework to do before I get their, I am familiar with the adobe interface, so it should be ok. I have a set of training DVD's on the way, so I have 3 days to cram;D, I know this isnt the best way to learn, but it is what I got, and I have hope in my self that I can get all of the basics down and quite a bit more in 3 days.

[Leonardo]

Great - the afternoon job! You'll do well, I'm sure.

Military academies - I understand what you are feeling. My daughter has finished three years of her four years at the US Coast Guard Academy. It's very similar to West Point and the USAF Academy. It's very tough, but the education (in all the service academies) is the best that can be found anywhere. The academies consistently rank in the top 10 nationwide for many areas, especially the sciences. But apart from that, the cadets and midshipmen learn leadership and responsibility that puts most of them YEARS ahead of their civilian peers. (It's also a $400K education for free.) With a military academy degree and four or five years of service as an officer that that cadets commit to, they are usually heads and shoulders above their peers when they re-enter the civilian job world, especially at the management and leadership levels.

Pursuing academy acceptance takes focus, dedication, and much perseverance. And of course, the four or five years following graduation and commissioning is a challenge not suited for everyone.

[airbornflght]

Great - the afternoon job! You'll do well, I'm sure.

I hope I can learn enough in three days to convince her that I am proficient and know what I'm doing, although, I may have an advantage, because she said on the phone that she didnt know how to use the software, so at least as long as I get the basics down and a dozen or so advanced tasks, that should hold me over in the beginning. ;)

But anyway, I have 6 gigs of video tutorials on the way, and if that doesnt teach me, nothing will.:thumbup

[Hawk]

Good for you ABF! That's great news.
I'm sure you'll do fine.
Just stick with the tutorials, apply yourself, and show em what you got.

[profdlp]

The job sounds like a fine opportunity. :thumbsup:

Don't do the military thing unless you are 100% dedicated to the idea. While it can be a tremendously rewarding experience (and I don't mean money-wise), it's not the place for a half-hearted attempt.

[Gargoyle]

I don't know what your chances would be for getting deployed if your field is computer science, but my guess is that it'd be kind of low. Compared to other fields, at least. At any rate, Buddy J and I know someone working in computer science at Tinker that we could ask about that.

Still, if your initial reaction is that you don't want to do the military, you might regret talking yourself into it. I spent 3 1/2 years in Army JROTC and decided not to join the military. I ended up working for the government anyway, but it wasn't the "government" aspect of the military that bothered me. Government jobs tend to pay a little less than equivalents in private industry, but you usually get better benefits, more job security, and often your work contributes to the welfare of the nation. It's a fulfilling thing.

[drasnor]

Get your Eagle. It's worth it.

-drasnor :fold:

[Nightwolf]

Get your Eagle. It's worth it.

-drasnor :fold:
If hes not already a scout, which I havn't seen him post about yet than thats impossible.

[MrBill]

I know it is not a walk in the park, and that it wouldnt be easy, I have spend two years in AFJROTC, and that itself was pretty strict. It gave me enough of a taste, that I am probably just gonna be a civilian. I dont think I am cut out for the military life.

I was going to say you can't compare JROTC to a military academy, then I remembered you posted something before about how you "partied your ass off" in your JROTC class. I think it's safe to say the Air Force Academy and/or military is not for you. ;)

Hope you get the new job though. Good luck! :thumbsup:

[airbornflght]

you posted something before about how you "partied your ass off" in your JROTC class.;)

That we did, but there were serious times, and the partying was more after comps and the such, but yeh, for my time in JROTC, I really figured out it wasnt my cup of tea.

[airbornflght]

If hes not already a scout, which I havn't seen him post about yet than thats impossible.

I am a life scout only lacking a project/board of review; actually, once I get my eagle, I will automatically get one of my palms, and almost another.:vimp:

[Nomad]

If you aren't sure if you want to do military or not, it isn't for you.

[Annes]

Those military academies can be a little nuts. I had a friend who went to the naval academy for a year. During the last week of school her second semester some of the network people at the school found a video that she had taken with a webcam and shared on the network. The video was of her, fully covered in a bathrobe and sitting at her computer, giving a monologue from a play she was studying.

She was expelled.

[airbornflght]

yeh, probably not going to, I really have no desire too.

I am about 1/4 of the way through the training right now, talk about a crash course, but im soaking it all up, the interface is all the same, and I am learning some new stuff that I didnt know adobe put in CS2.