Class Update

[Sportbiker]

It's the first weekend. Any good news from the friends and relatives of the cadets in there now?

[snowdog]

Just a quick update on CTC III 06: As of this morning, 170 remin of the original 180 scheduled. 1 no-show and 9 have left due to personal reasons. Hopefully we won't have a repeat of CTC II 06. No need to trash talk those 10, just keep in mind that they likely all went in with the attitude that they would not quit under any circumstances. But, I have noticed a pretty consistent pattern in the last several classes. Those leaving in the first two weeks are all males, no females. Maybe there is something to be said about the ability to withstand childbirth:shock:ops: That should open the door for some pretty interesting discussion.

[dlg2k6]

Snowdog, how many of the 170 that are left are females?

[unixadm]

I talked to my best friend who is attending the September 18th Academy last night for about 10 minutes. I won't go into specifics, but all I can say is just listening to her talk was a very eye opening experience for me. It wasn't about the Academy, but more about how she felt. She should be able to come home tonight, but I don't plan on hearing from her until tomorrow if that's the case. She passed her test(s) this week which was a good thing. I was very pleased to have heard from her. I'm VERY proud of her for sticking it out!

[dlg2k6]

I talked to my best friend who is attending the September 18th Academy last night for about 10 minutes. I won't go into specifics, but all I can say is just listening to her talk was a very eye opening experience for me. It wasn't about the Academy, but more about how she felt. She should be able to come home tonight, but I don't plan on hearing from her until tomorrow if that's the case. She passed her test(s) this week which was a good thing. I was very pleased to have heard from her. I'm VERY proud of her for sticking it out!

Oh? She called you during her first week? Hmmm... Never mind, I won't go there. :smile: I'm glad she called you and you were able to speak to her. I have spoken to my fiance a few times this week, and from what I can tell it's quite stressful for them and doing the simplest things like tying your shoes even becomes fumbled. He said that the food is much better than he anticipated but that no one dares to touch the desserts! LOL. They had their first day of PT today and he said it pushed him way past his limit. Much harder than he expected. He is on his way home right now, so I'm pretty excited to see him and hear more about his first week. I'm happy your friend is still hanging in there. Make sure she knows how proud you are of her and continue to encourage her.

unixadm - are you shooting for the Dec class? Maybe you will both be at the academy at the same time?

[unixadm]

I knew about the junk food - but I also heard the food isn't that bad. My friends brother in law is a CHP Officer, so she did have some inside knowledge going in. I can't wait to talk with her this weekend. I am Mr. Encouragement with her and have been for the last couple of months. :smile:

If I did make it through the process, I probably would be about a year out from now - maybe longer. I'm older and have a potentially longer background process if I make it that far. I would love to be in the December Academy, but that just is not in the cards. I take the written on the 30th of this month and providing I pass, the PAT on the 21st of October. I'm only beginning the process.

[dw]

I'm VERY proud of her for sticking it out!

As you should be. I'm sure she appreciates your support.

Regarding the "taboo" phone calls home. No one is there, we don't know what privileges have or have not been given. I don't know the case with the current classes, but we were allowed to wait in line and use the pay phone from day 1.

[Tom]

Pay phone?!?!?!? How old are you?

[zen_out]

Oh? She called you during her first week? Hmmm... Never mind, I won't go there. :smile:

That was lame ... :rolleyes:

[WannaBeaChippie]

We don't want the thread to get locked, let's not bring up things from the past that create animosity.


I wonder how their first day of PT was...I'm really interested in hearing about it.:smile:

[dlg2k6]

I knew about the junk food - but I also heard the food isn't that bad. My friends brother in law is a CHP Officer, so she did have some inside knowledge going in. I can't wait to talk with her this weekend. I am Mr. Encouragement with her and have been for the last couple of months. :smile:

If I did make it through the process, I probably would be about a year out from now - maybe longer. I'm older and have a potentially longer background process if I make it that far. I would love to be in the December Academy, but that just is not in the cards. I take the written on the 30th of this month and providing I pass, the PAT on the 21st of October. I'm only beginning the process.

Oh it's too bad you won't be in there at the same time. At least you will have some knowledge of how things work in there from the perspective of someone who is currently going through it. Good luck to you through out the process. It only took 6 months for my fiance to go through it from start to finish, but he has led a pretty stable life - no prior tickets, few jobs and residences, so he flew through backgrounds.

[makakona]

Regarding the "taboo" phone calls home. No one is there, we don't know what privileges have or have not been given. I don't know the case with the current classes, but we were allowed to wait in line and use the pay phone from day 1.
the last two classes weren't allowed any phone calls at all the first week, including wednesday night (which they didn't get off). shoots, was it the last three classes? yeah, the last three classes, i think. maybe this is their way of "lightening the load," if they're allowing calls home from day one? i'm not sure i agree with that, but then again, who am i to comment, ha!

[Panda]

I think its a good thing that Cadets don't get to make a lot of calls that first week. I understand a quick hello, I'm okay but nothing more than that. Your family is your support and they do or at least should understand. Trust me, my wife only saw me for 2 weeks out of a year once while I was on Active Duty (okay I'm off of my soap box now). Most Cadets who weren't in the military are in for a huge culture shock once they get there. I don't care how many stories or videos you see, it is something else to experience in person. I think what the Academy Staff is doing is trying to get the mindset of a Job First mentality into these Cadets. I may have not be happy with my wife and we may both argue or something else may not be going right in my life, but once I put on that uniform it's all business from there on out. Thinking any other way in my opinion could get yourself or someone else hurt. It only gets harder from here on out, trust me if they are ever so fortunate to graduate and become a CHP Officer; FTO training will be 10 x harder. That's where the real fun begins! If people walk out and resign now I can't really say I feel sorry for them.

[snowdog]

I started this thread only to emphasize the importance of preperation and support from family and friends and it's turned into "I talked to so and so who is a cadet in this class and they said".
Regarding phone calls, if you look at unixadmin's post, it was posted after 7 pm, his friend had very likely already been released for the weekend vs dlg2k6 who has been sharing that her fiancee was making calls home during the week. Once the cadets are released for the weekend they can make all the telephone calls they like. The decision for those they called to share what was said, especially here, is very poor and can result in serious consequences for the cadet. Besides, it's all second hand information and may not be totally acurate. Common sense! Just because it's not a requirement to get a California drivers license doesn't mean you don't have to use it in other areas of your life.

[Your Mentor]

Good post Panda. You said one thing I used to reiterate in my cadet classes. Field training is so much more stressful than the Academy. The Academy is nothing more than an INTRODUCTION to the CHP. If you leave the Academy before graduating, you'll never fully understand what this department or job is all about.

[unixadm]

Snowdog,

My post was aimed more towards what you were saying about the female Cadets sticking it out and since my best friend is a female that's why I said what I did. I apologize for going off topic.

[Wood19]

Snowdog:

what happened to ctc II-06? you said something about a repeat?

[G-Man]

Just a quick update on CTC III 06: As of this morning, 170 remin of the original 180 scheduled. 1 no-show and 9 have left due to personal reasons. Hopefully we won't have a repeat of CTC II 06. No need to trash talk those 10, just keep in mind that they likely all went in with the attitude that they would not quit under any circumstances. But, I have noticed a pretty consistent pattern in the last several classes. Those leaving in the first two weeks are all males, no females. Maybe there is something to be said about the ability to withstand childbirth:shock:ops: That should open the door for some pretty interesting discussion.

we had a few females leave the first week from IV-05.

[dw]

CTC III-06 has nine resignations as of Friday, all male.

[G-Man]

only 9 quit after the first weekend? with 180 starting i thought more would, well i guess the weekend isn't over yet...

[WannaBeaChippie]

only 9 quit after the first weekend? with 180 starting i thought more would, well i guess the weekend isn't over yet...What is the best advice any officer can give to any of us who are lucky enough to attend an academy class?

[HippieChip]

only 9 quit after the first weekend? with 180 starting i thought more would, well i guess the weekend isn't over yet...What is the best advice any officer can give to any of us who are lucky enough to attend an academy class?

No matter what happens......Live day to day, stay tough, stay focused, don't quit!!!!!!!!!

[makakona]

Regarding phone calls, if you look at unixadmin's post, it was posted after 7 pm, his friend had very likely already been released for the weekend vs dlg2k6 who has been sharing that her fiancee was making calls home during the week. Once the cadets are released for the weekend they can make all the telephone calls they like. The decision for those they called to share what was said, especially here, is very poor and can result in serious consequences for the cadet. Besides, it's all second hand information and may not be totally acurate. Common sense! Just because it's not a requirement to get a California drivers license doesn't mean you don't have to use it in other areas of your life.
i think some of the confusion has come from people saying firsthand that they were getting phone calls as soon as tuesday... can't remember (and too lazy to look back, ha!) to see if it was said here, but it's been said on other boards where many chpf posters read.

[MasTiempo]

So far, PT has been the worst.

[G-Man]

only 9 quit after the first weekend? with 180 starting i thought more would, well i guess the weekend isn't over yet...What is the best advice any officer can give to any of us who are lucky enough to attend an academy class?

No matter what happens......Live day to day, stay tough, stay focused, don't quit!!!!!!!!!

ditto... everybody feels like they are going to quit at some point, you just have to keep reminding yourself why you are there and what your goal is.

[WannaBeaChippie]

So far, PT has been the worst.Well, don't quit..Good Luck to you, it's only uphill here from West Sacramento, I know you might not get this post until next weekend. But when or if you do, we're all here rooting for you guys. You're the future of the CHP....:biggrin:

[makakona]

only 9 quit after the first weekend? with 180 starting i thought more would, well i guess the weekend isn't over yet...What is the best advice any officer can give to any of us who are lucky enough to attend an academy class?

No matter what happens......Live day to day, stay tough, stay focused, don't quit!!!!!!!!!
my husband always said that was key for him. everything was "twelve weeks down, one week to go." he said he always tried to forget anything negative from that day or the day before and just focused on trudging ahead. even though he had rough times, he still maintains the academy was worse than break-in.

i think it helped that he knew he'd have to look for a new wife if he thought he was coming home so much as a day before graduation day... ;)

[23109]

only 9 quit after the first weekend? with 180 starting i thought more would, well i guess the weekend isn't over yet...What is the best advice any officer can give to any of us who are lucky enough to attend an academy class?

No matter what happens......Live day to day, stay tough, stay focused, don't quit!!!!!!!!!

Definately good advice. Everybody that goes through the Academy will consider quiting sometime while you're there. I did. Having pneumonia in week 18 or so did it for me. I remember having a high fever that Sunday, debating wether I should get off of the couch and make the 6 hour drive back up to the Academy. 6 hours later I was in my dorm room in utter misery but gutted it out. 18000 others managed to get through it, you can too.

So far, PT has been the worst.

Try your best and look at it as you're getting paid to work out with professionals. It worked for me, although I wasn't near the calibur of 23112.

[23112]

only 9 quit after the first weekend? with 180 starting i thought more would, well i guess the weekend isn't over yet...What is the best advice any officer can give to any of us who are lucky enough to attend an academy class?

No matter what happens......Live day to day, stay tough, stay focused, don't quit!!!!!!!!!

Definately good advice. Everybody that goes through the Academy will consider quiting sometime while you're there. I did. Having pneumonia in week 18 or so did it for me. I remember having a high fever that Sunday, debating wether I should get off of the couch and make the 6 hour drive back up to the Academy. 6 hours later I was in my dorm room in utter misery but gutted it out. 18000 others managed to get through it, you can too.

So far, PT has been the worst.

Try your best and look at it as you're getting paid to work out with professionals. It worked for me, although I wasn't near the calibur of 23112.

C'mon 23109, you were consistently in the very front at the end every run. Plus, your joints stay where they're supposed to. :-)

Hang in there, MasTiemp. 23109 makes a valid point--you'll be getting paid to get into the best shape of your life. It's definitely one day at a time. My roomies and I set certain goals while we were there: Make it to 10 weeks, then 15, then 20...27 weeks is a really long time up there. When you first get there or shortly thereafter you'll definitely wonder, "How in the heck am I going to last 27 weeks? I hate this place already!" But the routine sets in, you have moments of fun and hilarity, instances of being fed up and wanting to quit, and brief respites where you actually think, "Hey, I'm catching on, and I think I can do this!" Your biggest temptations to quit will probably be Sunday evenings before coming back when you envision the same crud you've endured the previous week.

[MasTiempo]

Thanks for the encouragement, all!

[HD1]

How many left? Keep with it......like my quote says..."IT ONLY HURTS UNTIL THE PAIN GOES AWAY:shock: "

[RJSMITH]

Do they still give you a weekly schedule? Like for your classes broken down by hour and such?? I used a highlighter and after each hour, I would highlight the time gone by. The start of the week sucks since your page is blank, but then it starts to be colorful and the time melts away. I never paid much attention to 20 weeks to go or anything like that. It was better in my mind not to know. Hour by hour helped me get through it.

[gbcracing4]

Just thought everyone would like an update on CTC III-06. The class has 164 cadets as of Friday 09-29-06. Not bad out of 179 that started.

[Your Mentor]

Sounds like you're a cadet in the class. Thanks for bravely posting info here.

[TahoeTex]

Just thought everyone would like an update on CTC III-06. We are at 164 cadets as of Friday 09-29-06. Not bad out of 179 that started. We'll see if we lose anyone over the weekend.

GBC, I agree with YM - those of us hoping to get in the Dec academy thank you for your updates. Sad to hear that almost 10% have left so far. Good luck the rest of the way and hope to see more posts from you soon.

[Mac]

...Sad to hear that almost 10% have left so far....
Not really. That's called "weeding out the non-hackers". Wouldn't want them as beat partners or backup anyway.

Note: I'm not bagging on anybody - just saying that despite the exhaustive hiring process and everything else, there are some people who simply are not cut out to be law enforcement officers. I'd rather see them weeded out in the Academy than to see them come to the field and get themselves or somebody else hurt......or do something that causes embarrassment to the Department and our profession.

[TahoeTex]

Note: I'm not bagging on anybody - just saying that despite the exhaustive hiring process and everything else, there are some people who simply are not cut out to be law enforcement officers. I'd rather see them weeded out in the Academy than to see them come to the field and get themselves or somebody else hurt......or do something that causes embarrassment to the Department and our profession.

Roger that Mac - good point. I wish my AFSC in the military had weeded out people as well as the CHP does...

[JMuZz87]

Do they still give you a weekly schedule? Like for your classes broken down by hour and such?? I used a highlighter and after each hour, I would highlight the time gone by. The start of the week sucks since your page is blank, but then it starts to be colorful and the time melts away. I never paid much attention to 20 weeks to go or anything like that. It was better in my mind not to know. Hour by hour helped me get through it.

I remember what helped me get through boot camp...There's an expression at MCRD...Chow by Chow. You litereally live chow by chow, and it helps it go faster. You figure, right when you wake up within, at the very most an hour, you're going to go to the chowhall and eat breakfast...then you just tell yourself...just waiting for noon-chow...and you count down until noon chow, then noon chow happens...the by then most of the day is over anyways, and just hold through until evening chow, and that's the signal at the end of the day...so you know at evening chow is the end of the day...you wake up and start all over...It helped...

[WannaBeaChippie]

Note: I'm not bagging on anybody - just saying that despite the exhaustive hiring process and everything else, there are some people who simply are not cut out to be law enforcement officers. I'd rather see them weeded out in the Academy than to see them come to the field and get themselves or somebody else hurt......or do something that causes embarrassment to the Department and our profession.

Roger that Mac - good point. I wish my AFSC in the military had weeded out people as well as the CHP does...AFSC? What was your AFSC...I was 3P0X3

[G-Man]

Do they still give you a weekly schedule? Like for your classes broken down by hour and such?? I used a highlighter and after each hour, I would highlight the time gone by. The start of the week sucks since your page is blank, but then it starts to be colorful and the time melts away. I never paid much attention to 20 weeks to go or anything like that. It was better in my mind not to know. Hour by hour helped me get through it.

I remember what helped me get through boot camp...There's an expression at MCRD...Chow by Chow. You litereally live chow by chow, and it helps it go faster. You figure, right when you wake up within, at the very most an hour, you're going to go to the chowhall and eat breakfast...then you just tell yourself...just waiting for noon-chow...and you count down until noon chow, then noon chow happens...the by then most of the day is over anyways, and just hold through until evening chow, and that's the signal at the end of the day...so you know at evening chow is the end of the day...you wake up and start all over...It helped...

I did what RJSMITH did with the highlighters. I also counted down weekends (ie. only 13 more times I have to say goodbye to my family for a whole week). yours works too except when you have night classes after evening chow...

[JMuZz87]

I did what RJSMITH did with the highlighters. I also counted down weekends (ie. only 13 more times I have to say goodbye to my family for a whole week). yours works too except when you have night classes after evening chow...

Yeah...the weeks then eh? That seems more fool proof with the academy...

[WantToBeCHP]

"If the light at the end of the tunnel is not bright, then you don't really want it."

[23112]

My roomies and I counted down weeks to go and celebrated major hurdles (10 weeks, EVOC, PPT, Range, First Aid, scenarios, etc.). Another way to track my time there was to scribble out each class on that two-page LD list when we took the test for that particular LD. It was discouraging at first, but it later became exciting when I realized there were only a few more classes left to get through.

I recently visited the Academy (dropped off a runout and got a new P/V to take back to the office) and still felt uptight when I first drove onto its grounds. I also felt relieved that I wasn't wearing a blue shirt and living there, anymore! There were a lot more cadets there now than when I came through (just a few short months ago).

[pupdog]

OK, whatever you guys want to call me?quitter, non-hacker, whatever, fine. My leaving actually had NOTHING to do with the rigors of the academy. 100% outside pressures. As the saying goes, life is what happens when you?re making other plans. I waited a very long time for my initial background interview (and I?m certainly not trying to blame any one/thing; that?s just life!) and by the time it finally rolled around, I was unsure if I even wanted to continue in the hiring process, as life was happening! I stayed in because, well, I?d been trying for so long!
I also wonder if I never should have passed psych. I?m WAY harder on myself than the staff officers were, and all that together had me on the road to breakdown (and I don?t mean the sort the academy needs cadets to experience). For example, I was getting 100% on academics except for one test. I still passed with flying colors, but while I was saying ?I passed, cool? to others, I was BEATING MYSELF UP inside over not scoring 100%! There was also the FULL OUT panic attack I had last week when they did the hep b shots. I don?t like needles, but something inside me just snapped that day! I really appreciated the EMT Sgt.?s kind words & honesty when he told me that he wouldn?t want me as a beat partner after witnessing that!
I?d already decided by 9/23 that I was leaving, but I was always too busy to quit! The thing that kept me there a few more days was the promise to my BI that I?d call him first to give him the chance to talk me out of it. During Wednesday liberty, I couldn?t find his phone number, so back I went. On Thursday during drill, I was being made an example of (again?I was the lightning rod cadet?warning, DO NOT walk in the circle on pickup day!), and I just thought, what am I doing here? I?ve already decided to quit! So I quit right in the middle of drill, right in front of everyone! Not 2 seconds had passed before the Staff Sgt. was trying to recruit me for dispatch! While I packed, he got me the info for the local dispatch center, so I?ll probably be doing that soon. I LOVE the CHP, but I guess that doesn?t mean I?d make a good officer!

NO regrets. I drove home in shock, but over the last few days, learned a hard reality: only ONE person among those close to me was NOT jumping for joy that I quit! Seems everyone was so busy being ?supportive? that they didn?t want to tell me how the really felt about me doing such a dangerous job, or that they really couldn?t see me as an officer (or tell my BI that, I guess).

By the way, there was a little tiff going on here about the use of the words ?snuck out.? Those are the perfect words! Couldn?t even bother to go tell the staff office! GLAD they quit! One was next to alphabetically (not undertow, the other way) and had an amazing chip on his shoulder, so I was pretty glad to see him go. But sneaking out? That?s low.

The academy was?an experience. The instructors are awesome. The staff officers are?well, no words can describe. Sometimes I was glad they were yelling at me; at least I?d find out what on earth I was supposed to be doing! As further proof that I wasn?t psychologically sound for it, I LOVED PT! It was tough & painful, it was, ahem, loud, but I?m one of those workout psychos. I know many officers don?t want to give away all the secrets to applicants; don?t worry, they?re safe with me.

TheForceCHP and undertow999 were my biggest cheerleaders. The department is very fortunate to have someone like Force. Undertow was next to me alphabetically, so he was the first to know my every woe. Unfortuantly DipMo was in a different company than us, because he too is an amazing, wonderfully supportive guy. They tried their best as far as keeping me in, but they too knew when it was time for me to let go.

ON a funny note: I?ve got a story to share that, had I made this mistake, certainly would have made me a PT legend. As every officer knows, it can be rather hard to hear instructions. I thought I heard that we were to neatly stencil the word MARSHMALLOW on plain white tshirts. I was all prepared to, but was running over the weekend ?to do? list with TheForceCHP and undertow999 before leaving for the 1st weekend. They informed me that we were to put on names because we were marshmallows, not marshmallow itself! Hooboy, imagine if I?d shown up at PT Monday in a shirt that said marshmallow!
:shock:ops: :shock:ops:

[zen_out]

There was also the FULL OUT panic attack I had last week when they did the hep b shots.

You get shots while in the academy?!?! You have got to be joking! YIKES!!!!!

Sorry to hear that it didn't work out for you. Good luck with dispatch ...

[Observer]

Zen_Out - Interesting reading...

[retchp]

It is a wise man or woman who knows their limitations...Nice try Pup. You made the correct decision. My best to you in life.

[zen_out]

While we are on the subject of DOR, is it common for cadets to DOR if they get stationed somewhere they don't want to be?

[redhead]

Pup.

I am sad to read your of your update, as you know my situation to a point and we have shared many stories back and forth. I am proud of you for going, even knowing a few weeks before you were still uncertain. You were unlike the others that quit without trying, but like you said, you knew your limit.

I hope you the best in life and you know where to reach me.

Best

Red~

[cal911gal]

Pup,

My hat's off to you, both for your tremendous effort in getting in to the Academy and your efforts there, and for your courageous post. It's a rare person that has not only the bravery to attempt something like that, but who also has the discernment to see it's not the best choice for them, and to act on it. I do hope you will consider that dispatch position - you clearly have a love and respect both for the Department and for who we serve, and I know you'd give it 110%.

I wish you all the best, in whatever you choose to do. If I can be of any help, please feel free to contact me at any time.

[K-Lo]

Hey Pup,

Really sorry to hear about what happened. :sad: I have been rooting for you guys that just left for the Academy. Hats off for posting. That took some hutzpah. Best of luck to you in dispatch or in whatever you chose to do. Hopefully you will still post here on the forum so you can keep us posted on the dispatch thing.

[pupdog]

Just for the record regarding other 'quitters:' Wow, that hardly seems the correct term anymore. While I truly DID quit, others didn't have much choice: there was a guy who had 2 seizures during class & left for health reasons, another was hurt during PT and will re-tread at a later date (I was really suprised at the number of re-treads, and yes, many did quit previously), and another left because of complications with his child's birth the 1st weekend. I don't know what became of the other guy who was hurt during PT.
Wow, so many family & friends coming out of the woodwork wanting to celebrate my quitting! Sure would've appreciated a little honesty on their part during the hiring process! Was this website my only support? Scary!

Hey, didn't ANYONE think the marshmallow story was good?? :lol: :lol: :lol:

[CHPGuy]

Hey, didn't ANYONE think the marshmallow story was good?? :lol: :lol: :lol:

It would have been better if you would have actually done it! Sad to hear about that. Good luck, you can always try for LASO.

[Chp4me]

Just for the record regarding other 'quitters:' Wow, that hardly seems the correct term anymore. While I truly DID quit, others didn't have much choice: there was a guy who had 2 seizures during class & left for health reasons, another was hurt during PT and will re-tread at a later date (I was really suprised at the number of re-treads, and yes, many did quit previously), and another left because of complications with his child's birth the 1st weekend. I don't know what became of the other guy who was hurt during PT.
Wow, so many family & friends coming out of the woodwork wanting to celebrate my quitting! Sure would've appreciated a little honesty on their part during the hiring process! Was this website my only support? Scary!

Hey, didn't ANYONE think the marshmallow story was good?? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Pupdog, I believe the people that care about you and your endeavors will back you all the way! I think if you did complete the process they would have been behind you just as the board has, and now that you are changing your path they are behind you and encouraging your decision, again as we are! All that matters is how you feel, and how you will take on your future! I for one can only speak to you from not yet being in your shoes, and you should be happy with how far you did go not looking at the past, but what you did acomplish! Keep your head up and be the best for you! :smile:

[cal911gal]

...., but over the last few days, learned a hard reality: only ONE person among those close to me was NOT jumping for joy that I quit! Seems everyone was so busy being ?supportive? that they didn?t want to tell me how the really felt about me doing such a dangerous job, or that they really couldn?t see me as an officer

That reality may seem harsh now, or did a few days ago...without knowing you or your family/circle of friends personally, I can only speculate here. If I may play devil's advocate for a bit, here's my take: those in your life didn't want to be naysayers about you going in, purely because they love you and want whats best for you. They can be scared for you, worried about you, etc. yet still put forth a smile and a "go for it" type attitude.

Now that you decided this isn't the time and place for you to pursue this, their "real" feelings may come out - not in the form of support you may have expected, but rather in the form of joy that their beloved person isn't going to be risking their life on a highway.

Sometimes it's really hard to be totally open with those we love the most. They didn't want to squash your dreams, or perhaps felt that by telling you how they really felt, you'd then feel unloved or rejected by them.

It's a hard position for you, and them, to be in, either way. You seem like a person with a generally upbeat and positive outlook. Cherish them for supporting you, and caring enough not to say something that would have hurt you or killed your dreams. You are blessed to have people who care so much about you.

Just my two cents.

Peace out.

[redhead]

whole post.
Peace out.
I agree 100%. Great Post!!

[unixadm]

Speaking of the current class, my best friend is hanging in there. She's super busy, but she's still there and doing very good. Based on what we were told tonight during our Applicant Seminar, the class was still down 16. If that's true, then no one quit this weekend which is a good thing.

[bluiis911]

I, too, admire your respect and dedication to the Department. Please seriously consider becoming a Public Safety Dispatcher-we need good people like you. You would be a welcome addition to our Communications Center.

[ProudDad]

Just a quick update on CTC III 06: As of this morning, 170 remin of the original 180 scheduled. 1 no-show and 9 have left due to personal reasons. Hopefully we won't have a repeat of CTC II 06. No need to trash talk those 10, just keep in mind that they likely all went in with the attitude that they would not quit under any circumstances. But, I have noticed a pretty consistent pattern in the last several classes. Those leaving in the first two weeks are all males, no females. Maybe there is something to be said about the ability to withstand childbirth:shock:ops: That should open the door for some pretty interesting discussion.

Spoke to my son tonight, CTC III 06 has 162 cadets remaining.

[dw]

Spoke to my son tonight, CTC III 06 has 162 cadets remaining.

Welcome to the forum, ProudDad. I'm sure your son appreciates your support -- as you've probably read in this thread already, many Cadets are not so fortunate. You've probably heard the spiel, but family support is absolutely critical to surviving Camp CHP. Support is also necessary for the families themselves and hopefully we can help out with some of that.

[pupdog]

unixadm wrote:
my best friend is hanging in there.

Your best friend is AWESOME! I swear, she must be hiding a hairdresser in her room , because she always looked perfect, and I have no idea how she finds the time to do it herself! And that woman is a PT STUD! We did debate over which of us the staff office lit up more, but all the women think it's them. You are so fortunate to have a friend like her!

[unixadm]

unixadm wrote:
my best friend is hanging in there.

Your best friend is AWESOME! I swear, she must be hiding a hairdresser in her room , because she always looked perfect, and I have no idea how she finds the time to do it herself! And that woman is a PT STUD! We did debate over which of us the staff office lit up more, but all the women think it's them. You are so fortunate to have a friend like her!

Pupdog,

She really is awesome if we're talking about the same person. As for a hair dresser, she changed her appearance a great deal right before reporting to the Academy. She's glad she did because it saves just a little bit more time to do other important tasks. So much of the motivation and drive I have to join the CHP comes from her and honestly it would be a real treat if I could work side by side with her someday. She's smart, focused and hard working and I like to think I am as well. I admire her courage and strength. I don't get to talk to her or see her much anymore, but I'm just glad she's doing well. She truly wants to be a CHP Officer and most of her family and friends back her 100%. I pray for her everyday that she makes it through the Academy, because it's always such an awesome feeling to achieve such a big goal in life. I have never seen a person put others before themself more than she did before going to the Academy. She certainly is what I like to call, good people. :smile:

I'm sure she will appreciate the kind words. I certainly do. I'm also glad that you came back to the forum and are persuing other avenues within the CHP. I wish you the best.

[ProudDad]

Spoke to my son tonight, CTC III 06 has 162 cadets remaining.

Welcome to the forum, ProudDad. I'm sure your son appreciates your support -- as you've probably read in this thread already, many Cadets are not so fortunate. You've probably heard the spiel, but family support is absolutely critical to surviving Camp CHP. Support is also necessary for the families themselves and hopefully we can help out with some of that.

Thank you dw! He's a re-tread and I see a lot more confidence in him this time around. Appreciate your support as well!!!

[SB 405]

How cool is this...we now have current officers,retired officers,non-officers,pre-cadets,spouses of cadets and now the parent of a cadet as part of the forum family. This place has it all....take a bow dw.:cool:

[Mac]

How cool is this...we now have current officers,retired officers,non-officers,pre-cadets,spouses of cadets and now the parent of a cadet as part of the forum family. This place has it all....take a bow dw.:cool:
Don't forget current cadets....although you don't see them around much. :smile:

[SB 405]

How cool is this...we now have current officers,retired officers,non-officers,pre-cadets,spouses of cadets and now the parent of a cadet as part of the forum family. This place has it all....take a bow dw.:cool:
Don't forget current cadets....although you don't see them around much. :smile:

Funny you mention current cadets Mac. I thought about listing them but didn't want to put a noose around anyones neck. But you're right,we don't see them very much.

[JLP1972]

OK, whatever you guys want to call me?quitter, non-hacker, whatever, fine. My leaving actually had NOTHING to do with the rigors of the academy. 100% outside pressures. As the saying goes, life is what happens when you?re making other plans. I waited a very long time for my initial background interview (and I?m certainly not trying to blame any one/thing; that?s just life!) and by the time it finally rolled around, I was unsure if I even wanted to continue in the hiring process, as life was happening! I stayed in because, well, I?d been trying for so long!
I also wonder if I never should have passed psych. I?m WAY harder on myself than the staff officers were, and all that together had me on the road to breakdown (and I don?t mean the sort the academy needs cadets to experience). For example, I was getting 100% on academics except for one test. I still passed with flying colors, but while I was saying ?I passed, cool? to others, I was BEATING MYSELF UP inside over not scoring 100%! There was also the FULL OUT panic attack I had last week when they did the hep b shots. I don?t like needles, but something inside me just snapped that day! I really appreciated the EMT Sgt.?s kind words & honesty when he told me that he wouldn?t want me as a beat partner after witnessing that!
I?d already decided by 9/23 that I was leaving, but I was always too busy to quit! The thing that kept me there a few more days was the promise to my BI that I?d call him first to give him the chance to talk me out of it. During Wednesday liberty, I couldn?t find his phone number, so back I went. On Thursday during drill, I was being made an example of (again?I was the lightning rod cadet?warning, DO NOT walk in the circle on pickup day!), and I just thought, what am I doing here? I?ve already decided to quit! So I quit right in the middle of drill, right in front of everyone! Not 2 seconds had passed before the Staff Sgt. was trying to recruit me for dispatch! While I packed, he got me the info for the local dispatch center, so I?ll probably be doing that soon. I LOVE the CHP, but I guess that doesn?t mean I?d make a good officer!

NO regrets. I drove home in shock, but over the last few days, learned a hard reality: only ONE person among those close to me was NOT jumping for joy that I quit! Seems everyone was so busy being ?supportive? that they didn?t want to tell me how the really felt about me doing such a dangerous job, or that they really couldn?t see me as an officer (or tell my BI that, I guess).

By the way, there was a little tiff going on here about the use of the words ?snuck out.? Those are the perfect words! Couldn?t even bother to go tell the staff office! GLAD they quit! One was next to alphabetically (not undertow, the other way) and had an amazing chip on his shoulder, so I was pretty glad to see him go. But sneaking out? That?s low.

The academy was?an experience. The instructors are awesome. The staff officers are?well, no words can describe. Sometimes I was glad they were yelling at me; at least I?d find out what on earth I was supposed to be doing! As further proof that I wasn?t psychologically sound for it, I LOVED PT! It was tough & painful, it was, ahem, loud, but I?m one of those workout psychos. I know many officers don?t want to give away all the secrets to applicants; don?t worry, they?re safe with me.

TheForceCHP and undertow999 were my biggest cheerleaders. The department is very fortunate to have someone like Force. Undertow was next to me alphabetically, so he was the first to know my every woe. Unfortuantly DipMo was in a different company than us, because he too is an amazing, wonderfully supportive guy. They tried their best as far as keeping me in, but they too knew when it was time for me to let go.

ON a funny note: I?ve got a story to share that, had I made this mistake, certainly would have made me a PT legend. As every officer knows, it can be rather hard to hear instructions. I thought I heard that we were to neatly stencil the word MARSHMALLOW on plain white tshirts. I was all prepared to, but was running over the weekend ?to do? list with TheForceCHP and undertow999 before leaving for the 1st weekend. They informed me that we were to put on names because we were marshmallows, not marshmallow itself! Hooboy, imagine if I?d shown up at PT Monday in a shirt that said marshmallow!
:shock:ops: :shock:ops:

[JLP1972]

Pupdog, sorry to hear that the becoming an officer was not for you. It takes alot of courage to admit to yourself that this is not for you. Others that may feel the same way as you, or not sure if this is in fact what they want as a career, don't quit because of outside pressures or concerned that they are going to be looked at as losers, quiters or whatever from family members, friends and simply proceed with the academy and somehow make it to graduation. But these are perhaps the same people that you may not want as partners.

You made it to the academy and realized that this wasn't for you because of (life was happening). I too, applied several years ago, and recently (about 3 months ago) received the letter to continue with the hiring process. Since the time I took the written until now, I have had a baby boy, been laid off, and managed to get hired at a great company with a much better position and much better paying job. Going to the academy means having a pay cut. But this is something I wanted to do for a very long time. The decision now becomes a bit harder. But I have decided, that if I'm selected to go I will. The sacrafice I will make now will, eventually, benefit me in the future.

I would appreciate it if you can provide us will more insight as to what to expect once we get in.

Taking my medical today, and psych interview soon. Hopefully I will be in Dec 06 or class after that.

[zkriddle]

Does anyone have any updates on the number of dropouts from the Sept academy?

[Zepellin]

ZK, currently ctc III-06...hoorah, has 162 cadets.

[marshallortiz]

Keep up the good work Cadets:biggrin:

[SB 405]

162 seems like a respectable number

[WannaBeaChippie]

My friend told me they started EVOC last week, it sounds really fun and really really cool. She told me the class is holding together very tight, and they just started weights during PT along with swimming.:biggrin:

[9217]

Hello all, my 1st post.

I'm going through the process now. But i have to be honest and say the most concern i have is the PT!

I'm a prior LEO and went through a 8 month academy. My graduating class was 1500 cadets so i guess you can say i was able to hide a bit during some work outs. I know that won't be the case with the CHP. It was fine but i'm on the "bigger" side as far as my build and running long distance has always been my weakness! grrrrr...... I played division I football as a running back so my strength is sprinting and weightlifting but as we all know that doesn't mean anything when in an academy. Plus i'm old at 31 :smile:

Is it 50/50 on running long distance and calisthenics? I can handle the calisthenics but again my weakness is running long distance.

Been out of the field for 5 years and looking forward to returning to it!

[goldenboyoscar2003]

Hello all, my 1st post.

I'm going through the process now. But i have to be honest and say the most concern i have is the PT!

I'm a prior LEO and went through a 8 month academy. My graduating class was 1500 cadets so i guess you can say i was able to hide a bit during some work outs. I know that won't be the case with the CHP. It was fine but i'm on the "bigger" side as far as my build and running long distance has always been my weakness! grrrrr...... I played division I football as a running back so my strength is sprinting and weightlifting but as we all know that doesn't mean anything when in an academy. Plus i'm old at 31 :smile:

Is it 50/50 on running long distance and calisthenics? I can handle the calisthenics but again my weakness is running long distance.

Been out of the field for 5 years and looking forward to returning to it!

I am currently in CTC III-06 (just finished week number 6) and i can tell you that when i arrived on the 18th of Sep.,i was not in the best of shape.I will also tell you this,as long as you have heart and give it 110 %, you will do just fine.Never go to your knees during the floor workouts and always keep pushing yourself! Currently the floor workouts are about 30 minutes of non-stop pushups,situps nose in the rings,leg lifts etc.After that, you will go on a run.They wil start you off at about 1 1/2 miles at a slow pace then they will slowly build you up to faster and longer runs. Good luck and i hope you make it to the academy! It is extremely intense,so be ready.I was prior military,iraq veteran and everything,and i can tell you one thing,i have never been or seen anything like the CHP academy.They are the most proffessional and most organized department i have ever seen.So once again,good luck!

[HippieChip]

Hello all, my 1st post.

I'm going through the process now. But i have to be honest and say the most concern i have is the PT!

I'm a prior LEO and went through a 8 month academy. My graduating class was 1500 cadets so i guess you can say i was able to hide a bit during some work outs. I know that won't be the case with the CHP. It was fine but i'm on the "bigger" side as far as my build and running long distance has always been my weakness! grrrrr...... I played division I football as a running back so my strength is sprinting and weightlifting but as we all know that doesn't mean anything when in an academy. Plus i'm old at 31 :smile:

Is it 50/50 on running long distance and calisthenics? I can handle the calisthenics but again my weakness is running long distance.

Been out of the field for 5 years and looking forward to returning to it!

Hello 9217, You are not the only one with concerns about the running! There are several other posts regarding the running, try using the search feature to find all the past discussions. The biggest factor is your mindset and staying in the game no matter what. By the way, do mind if I ask you what academy did you attend that had 1500 cadets? :shock:

[marshallortiz]

WHATS THE HEAD COUNT FOR THIS WEEK? JUST CURIOUS!:biggrin:

[WantToBeCHP]

Any updates on current class?

[snowdog]

160 still at it.

[goldenboyoscar2003]

[quote=snowdog]160 still at it.[/quote

we lost four this week.

[Lovetoscratch]

Due to what reasons?

[WantToBeCHP]

Any news on current class? How many still left?

[dlg2k6]

Lost a couple more today (both were females, I think) due to failing skidpan. I'm not sure on exact number left still. I will ask my bf this weekend. Maybe one of the current cadets will post it this weekend.

[WantToBeCHP]

Lost a couple more today (both were females, I think) due to failing skidpan. I'm not sure on exact number left still. I will ask my bf this weekend. Maybe one of the current cadets will post it this weekend.



Thanks for the info dlg2k6.

[goldenboyoscar2003]

Correct. We lost 2 females on Thursday due to failing skidpan on the fourth attempt. We also lost another male cadet from B company because he got an amazing job offer.

[HD1]

Correct. We lost 2 females on Thursday due to failing skidpan on the fourth attempt. We also lost another male cadet from B company because he got an amazing job offer.


He already had an amazing job offer:biggrin: How does that saying go, a bird in the hand is worth more.......

Hang in there class....we need you out here!

[marshallortiz]

Federal offer?

[9217]

What seems to get people fired mostly? EVOC, academics, fireamrs, PT, etc? I'd imagine after a certain time they wouldn't want to dismiss anybody since it's quite expensive to put cadets through.

[Squishy]

How are our cadets doing? I'm curious to know how many are left...

[snowdog]

As of 11/13/06:
Number of cadets remaining: 152 (143 males/ 9 females)

[TheForceCHP]

As of yesterday: 151

[WantToBeCHP]

Any new news?

[dlg2k6]

They lost 2 more to skid pan this week....and one of the seniors was lost this week also - due to failing an AI test. I feel bad for him. It would suck to have made it through the entire 27 weeks and then fail out on the last week.

[octbb]

I thought seniors were "safe" for the last two weeks? Wow!:sad:

[paulmc71]

Just what is an AI test? (If you are allowed to say)

[pm]

what does AI stand for?

[TahoeTex]

what does AI stand for?

Accident Investigation

Also, just because you are close to graduation or are in your first year, it doesn't mean you are safe. My BI told me at my orientation the other night that one of his applicants just got fired during break-in and that he would never allow the kid to make it back through the process as long as he was a BI.

[23109]

I thought seniors were "safe" for the last two weeks? Wow!:sad:

You're not safe until a year after you graduate, heh. You can be terminated from the Academy at anytime, and during your break-in and probationary period.

We lost a classmate in week 25.

[Boomer]

I thought seniors were "safe" for the last two weeks? Wow!:sad:

You're not safe until a year after you graduate, heh. You can be terminated from the Academy at anytime, and during your break-in and probationary period.

We lost a classmate in week 25.

What is break-in?

[countersteer]

What is break-in?

"Break in" is your training period after you graduate the Academy. After you graduate, you usually have one whole week off and then start at your office on a Monday. Usually the first week is all paperwork, additional training, area orientation, etc. Depending on your office, you will start training with your Field Training Officer (FTO) on that Saturday, or maybe earlier or maybe a little later. The break in period is now broken up into 4 phases. Your first 3 phases last 15 days. For these first 3 phases you will have 3 different FTOs. The last phase, 4th phase, is 5 days long. You are supposed to go back to your first phase FTO for the last phase--so he/she can see how much you have progressed. If they feel you are ready for the road, they'll give you the blessing and out you go. Sometimes a new officer needs a little more training, and they may be extended. This could be an additional phase or two. This isn't a bad thing. You may need just a little more training.

Hope you're not too confused, yet!:biggrin:

[Boomer]

Thanks for the explanation countersteer! I understood that loud and clear. What do new officers do in order to be dismissed during break-in or their probation period. Is it something to where that person can't handle the job for what ever reason, they might have made too many mistakes, or maybe their FTO doesn't think they would cut it as a CHP officer? I have read a recent thread that mentioned that a new oficer was let go. That's why I asked.

[Yzeman]

I thought seniors were "safe" for the last two weeks? Wow!:sad:

SAFE?! Please make no mistake...you are NEVER SAFE. :badgrin:

You will be expected to perform Throughout your time at the Academy, Break-in, Probation, and throughout your career. A feeling of 'safety' can only lead to complacency, and complacency has no place in Law Enforcement.

Please repeat...."Never Safe...Never Safe...", get a label maker and make a label that says it...post that label on the inside of your closet door when/if you get to the Academy. Honestly, the second you forget that (Especially at the Academy), you are in trouble.

OK...OK, I'm done, I'll get off my soap box and let someone else talk....;)

[octbb]

Thanks, Yzeman...
I was only pertaining to the last two weeks of the acad., and even then I was wrong...thanks for the info though...(got my label maker right here)!:smile:

[pal]

Any updates on our CTC III 06 Cadets this week since CTC II 06's graduation?:confused::

[goldenboyoscar2003]

Lost one to high performance driving this week.