View Full Version : Typical Day at the Academy
Hello all,
I don't believe this has been discussed yet, but what is a typical day at the academy like? Reading the brochures, it seems that the day starts at 8:00am and ends at around 5pm. However, I remember reading on these boards that the day actually starts around 4:30am with PT. I also presume that 5pm is the end of "class," but not the end of the day per say. Is there more PT at the end of the day, or is that time strictly reserved for dinner and working on class assignments?
Happy Holidays!
:cool:
SB 405
12-23-2005, 02:35 PM
You need to wait read what our friends Nellie and ResQ have to tell us on weekends. ResQ is pretty good about sizing up what they go through week by week.
Darth Choke
12-23-2005, 02:40 PM
Some days you have to be up at 8am. Other days, not until around 9:30 am or so, depending if you want to finish watching Price is Right on TV in your room.
You can go to breakfast between 8 and 10 am. If you want you can also put your own food in the room refigerator and make your own breakfast.
PT starts around 10 am or pretty much whenever you freakin' feel like it.
The "classes" are over for the day at about 3pm which gives you enough time to see a movie or go out for dinner...whatever you want.
Studying is only truly needed on 2-3 test throughout your stay.
They have an olympic size swimming pool and full size basketball court. Weight room behind the stage of gym. You can also watch the K9s train when you get bored.
All in all....a fully expensed paid 27 week vacation from real life.
Some days you have to be up at 8am. Other days, not until around 9:30 am or so, depending if you want to finish watching Price is Right on TV in your room.
You can go to breakfast between 8 and 10 am. If you want you can also put your own food in the room refigerator and make your own breakfast.
PT starts around 10 am or pretty much whenever you freakin' feel like it.
The "classes" are over for the day at about 3pm which gives you enough time to see a movie or go out for dinner...whatever you want.
Studying is only truly needed on 2-3 test throughout your stay.
They have an olympic size swimming pool and full size basketball court. Weight room behind the stage of gym. You can also watch the K9s train when you get bored.
All in all....a fully expensed paid 27 week vacation from real life.
hahaha...thanks for the chuckles.
DESERT RAT
12-23-2005, 03:21 PM
DONT FORGET ABOUT THE BIG SCREEN T.V'S AND THE POOL TABLES, whoops im shouting, anyway the lounge/reading area in front of the PX, and internet time from 6-8pm. Oh and the ala-carte cafeteria. I almost forgot, if you dont have a vehicle, dont worry they will let you use a run-out to go to town.:lol:
FuelInjection09
12-23-2005, 04:56 PM
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
23112
12-24-2005, 08:55 AM
If "I am so fortunate," I'll be graduating from the Academy in nine weeks, and what the other posters have stated is all true. The typical Academy day includes hours of ping-pong, eating a lot of candy, and getting plenty of sleep. :rolleyes: Thanks for the laughs! On a serious note, the CHP Academy is hard work, and it only gets harder the longer you're there--the good news is that you get better.
pupdog
12-26-2005, 11:20 AM
I can't wait. I've been working out at 5:30 AM for years. Officers love to tell academy stories, and as bad as they say it is, every one of them looks back and laughs (perhaps they're laughing at me for wanting in so bad!). I hear about things like PT sandwiches (someone in the class screws up and everyone does PT instead of eating lunch), writing memos (here EVERY character must be block, identical, and framed perfectly on blank paper), and ing off a high tower into the pool. As of yet, I haven't heard any officer complain about the academics, they just gut it out & study. It's all the PT & training table stuff I hear about.
Your Mentor
12-26-2005, 01:10 PM
You know, it was demanding and stressful but I really enjoyed my Academy training. I remember being stressed about tests only. That and EVOC. Otherwise, the PT, marching, polishing, tight schedule, and paramilitary aspect of the facility was lost on me. I was in great physical shape, literally walked off a Coast Guard base one day and reported into the Academy the next, I'd been a small arms instructor and boarding officer for quite a while, and just didn't let any of the yelling get to me. I was restricted only one Wednesday my entire time, though I deserved it. I knew going in I was going to focus on Academics. I did and graduated in the top ten of my class. Driving worried me because I'd never been a maniac in a car and had been driving boats more than cars for 10 years prior. Not to mention a huge percentage of cadets failed out on driving back then (we lost seven out of my company alone). I had to remediate high speed once but otherwise made it through without a hitch. The bottom line is how tight you get as a company. Having taught now, I've seen each company take on its own personality. Some can't stand one another and are a mess. Ours was very tight and we had a great time together. Some have great senses of humor and others are overly serious. There's always one knucklehead in the company but they usually don't make it. Sadly, there were friends of mine who either didn't make it off break in, quit, or later resigned to go to work for another agency. The die-hards, like myself, found that this job was their calling. Today, I can't imagine doing anything else for a living.
As hard as the Academy is, the most stress you will experience is the stress you heap on yourself. Keep that in mind. Everything is a matter of perspective. The glass is half empty or half full.
You know, it was demanding and stressful but I really enjoyed my Academy training.
Ditto. I really didn't sweat the academics much, but that's only because academics have always come easy to me. The PT was a lot more stressful to me, because I didn't report to the Academy in as good a physical shape as I should have....and I PAID for it, believe me!!! :shock: Once the PT staff whipped me into shape, I even enjoyed PT, though.
You don't hear a lot of talk about the academics because the PT staff is so much more fun to talk about. :biggrin: Even so, academics are a daily grind, and you definitely have a lot to learn....and if you're not lucky enough to be one of those to whom it comes easily, you'll burn a lot of midnight oil studying and stressing about tests. The PT staff will provide you with the most memorable moments from the Academy.....the "Pork Run" (if they still do that), PT sandwiches, and a general 'in-your-face' jump-start to every morning.....much more exciting to talk about than sitting in a classroom trying to stay awake while attempting to make your notes legible and thinking about the next test after the one you're about to take and the one you just took. It's kinda like telling war stories once you're out on the street - you don't talk about the 4 hours you spent writing reports, you talk about the pursuit that ended in a foot pursuit over fences and down alleys, or the drunk who got stupid and decided to fight, or whatever.
I can't really address the way the Academy is currently run, because I went through before the FLSA rules went into effect - there was no such thing as 8-hour days! Our day started at 0430 and went 'till 2200, every day. PT was mandatory every morning whether you had a night shoot or "night problems" or whatever, and there was study hall every night from 1800-2100, with writing assignments every night and spelling tests every Thursday night. You didn't "schedule adjust" when there were evening activities - you did them after your full day and sucked it up, then went back to your room and did your best to polish your boots and brass and get your studying done before lights out. Weekend activities (such as 'tear gas day') were in addition to the other days, not in lieu of. I'm not trying to tell the "4 miles to school in the snow, uphill both ways" stories - just saying that even in those conditions, the Academy was still a lot of fun. I agree with what YM said about the most stress coming from yourself - it's all what you make it. It can either be a lot of fun despite the hard work, or one long nightmare.....you choose.
Your Mentor
12-26-2005, 01:53 PM
Mac,
The Pork Run is still an Academy tradition as are PT sandwiches.
Mac,
The Pork Run is stull an Academy tradition as are PT sandwiches.
Good to hear! :badgrin: There are some things that are legend, and should NEVER go away!
pupdog
12-26-2005, 10:07 PM
I take it 'pork run' has something to do with chasing training table-ees with a cattle prod around the track?
Your Mentor
12-27-2005, 06:38 AM
No. That's something you'll have to experience. We can't tell you everything.
Right...gotta leave a LITTLE of the mystery in place! :biggrin: Otherwise it's kinda like reading a book after somebody has already told you how it ends.
SB 405
12-27-2005, 09:36 AM
Guess this means the story I heard about them rolling out a portable bar during the graduation ceremony isn't true?:shock:
Guess this means the story I heard about them rolling out a portable bar during the graduation ceremony isn't true?:shock:
Like I said - gotta leave a LITTLE of the mystery in place!
CaliforniaHighwayPatrol
12-27-2005, 01:44 PM
I am personally not worried about the academics part. I am college educated and maintain about a 3.8 in school. They only thing I have to worry about are 4 mile runs. :biggrin:shock:ubt:
Capsicum
12-27-2005, 02:13 PM
I am personally not worried about the academics part. I am college educated and maintain about a 3.8 in school. They only thing I have to worry about are 4 mile runs. :biggrin:shock:ubt:
There have been many a college graduate fail out for academics. It all builds up and its the stress that usually gets people. If you don't mind the stress, you will do fine.
Cap
CaliforniaHighwayPatrol
12-27-2005, 03:04 PM
At least for me, I work better under stress.
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