Checking in with Chief for the Last Two Weeks of School

On Monday the 24th, I had to check in with my PLR (transfer people) to set which day I'd leave for San Diego. Based on my new-found quick progress (in a class without mandatory breaks) we set my graduation date for Monday the 7th of February, and transfer for the next day, the 8th. I had a few errands to run though, checking out with the Post Office to make sure I didn't have any PO box keys, and with Medical and Dental to get my records for transfer, and make sure I was healthy enough to go. All I had to do was fill out a form, but even that took more than an hour and had to be picked up on Friday, even though I did it on Wednesday.

Along with all this, I needed the schoolhouse Chief's signature on the contract saying I would graduate by the 7th. I was only a little nervous going there. He was the guy who yelled at folks who got out of line... and while I waited outside the office at attention on the little green line to the left of the double doors, ...with a painting of this on one of them:


...he was reaming a kid for lying to him about Mandatory Study times missed. Chief came out and told me to come back later... he didn't want to make me wait. :)

When I did, the kid was still there... but they were almost done; he had me come in and sit down until they were. There's a mat in the middle of the room with one set of footprints facing Chief's desk. When you go in (after knocking twice and waiting to be called in) you march right to those feet, come to attention and report. So he was treating me really nice.

Once I actually got to talk to him, I got on those feet and we talked about my status. He was impressed with my Open Learning hours when he found out I've never been on Mando. And I had just aced a BT test (something I've done only 3 times out of 24 possible tests), so it looked extra good. He said I needed to do more open learning though, because this expected graduation meant I didn't have any wiggle room. Between all this we chatted about regular stuff too. He wanted to know where I was from and what I had done before... and was excited when I told him I was a history major. Chatted about how everyone has a slant on it... mentioning how the Japanese teach their children today about WWII, and what the British say about the American Revolution. He had a lot of fun, and said if we were in the fleet he wouldn't mind having a beer with me and talking history. :) But that's a huge no-no here, since I'm a student. The other PLR guy was in the office at the end while we were talking, and back in the PLR office when I picked up my stuff (classrooms were closed because the school day was over), he told me the Chief doesn't get impressed with too many people... so I should be very flattered.

Well, so that went way better than expected! I was super motivated to get ahead (like Chief wanted), so I did Open Learning every minute of afternoon liberty I could... all week. :) He requires all his near-grad students to check in with him every day. I asked if I could do that before school, and he said it was fine (usually, it would have to interrupt the school day). So I've been leaving right after muster at 6 to go get breakfast and then check in early... and I like it better than just resting in my room and waiting to go at the last minute.

The next couple mornings he introduced me to the other chiefs in the office, and told them about how I like history. :) I love it when my bosses think I'm awesome! :)

And then that Thursday, our instructors were taken away from us to do other things. And they were replaced with two petty officers... one a red rope (an RDC waiting to push more boots at RTC) and the other a Gunner's Mate 2nd class. Breaks are now mandatory again, so that means a little less time for school. And today the GM2 was replaced by a more rigid GM1... I've learned to have peace about all this craziness though. The Lord is in control, and I will be fine in his hands. I've spent lots of time in open learning today too, and I think I might be able to finish this Friday, Lord willing.

A Good Day

So I've moved classrooms yet again. That happened on Friday, but this time they split up my class and sent handfuls of us to fill holes in other self-paced classrooms. So I've got brand new instructors... Mr. Victory and FC1 Smith. The class runs really well... breaks are optional and I'm able to do much more during the day. It's on the third deck in the center of the building (no views) and there are twice as many people (around 40) in it.

But today was so good because we started it off with a uniform inspection nearly on the scale of one from boot. Mine was described as "good" and I was awarded by being given a class leadership position, even though it was only my second day there. I'm now the Master-at-Arms for this week... I keep people quiet and say when to go on the optional breaks and assign people the cleaning! And that means I get to stand in front of the class when it gets in ranks outside the room along with the class leaders.

And then I finished the Module on Transistors and got a 96% on it... so today's been pretty cool.

School Days

I thought it'd be useful to write down what it's like at Apprentice Technical Training School. It'd quickly describe the last month or so... and the few weeks to follow.

My first reaction about my schedule is that it makes no sense... at my barracks or at school.

I wake up between 0500 and 0530, dress in my working (digital camo) uniform, muster in the lounge at 0600... leave for school at 0645, arrive before 0700. Right there I've been up for more than an hour to do what takes less than 15 minutes. :)

We wait for our instructor, Mr. Shockley, outside our room. He has a meeting before class every morning, and has to check out the Oscilloscope test probes from the equipment room downstairs. Our class leader tells us to fall in, and we find our station (desk), hang our parkas on the backs of our chairs, and log in as we take off watches, rings & ID tags and then roll up sleeves or take the blouse off altogether. We're called to attention to say the Sailor's Creed before getting to work.

So at 0710 the lesson is ready to begin.

Most people out of the 20+ students in my class are either Electronics Techs, Fire Controlmen, Interior Communications Techs, Gunner's Mates or Minemen. The only other Sonar Tech completed her course yesterday. And we're all at different places in our lessons, having started at different times. My course has all four sections of modules: (math review didn't count) Direct Current, Alternating Current, Analog Circuits, Digital Circuits and then finally Advanced Electronics. The number of mods in each section is much less for me though, than say an ET. So I will complete my course sooner than they will complete theirs. They say my course should take 37 days... but that's rather optimistic!

They have a schedule for each module that is supposed to be kept up with... but it's nearly impossible! We have mandatory 15-20 minute breaks at 0800 and 0945 and a super long lunch from 1115 to 1230. Before we moved from upstairs (first room 321, then room 325... third deck, where I had a window seat looking over Lake Michigan) we had even another break: 0810, 1010, and after lunch (1145-1300). What's terrible is that school is over at 1430 M, W & Th, meaning by 2:30 in the afternoon our day is over. Friday is a bit better because we can keep working until 1500, and Tuesday is best where we stay until 1600.

My course (and my entire class) is self-paced. We work at computers arranged in a ring around the room and click through lessons, take 10-question quizzes after each lesson, and a 25-question block test (BT) after each group of lessons. There's even a post test (PT) with 85 questions for a section after all the groups are completed. Up until today we've been able to use the notes we write out during quizzes, but now we can't use them for anything but studying. :)

Along with these multiple choice tests, there are also Performance Tests, where to practice taking readings on circuit cards (attached to a trainer that controls signals) using test equipment (from a multimeter or oscilloscope) and typing in what is measured on the computer. Answers have to be exact in order to pass... and these are pass/fail.

The chiefs and petty officers that run the school are a little crazy sometimes. For a while they wouldn't let us leave until all the oscilloscope probes had been accounted for... And before that we used to be able to leave whenever our instructors let us out, but after a few weeks of that they'd send us back to standing in front of our class until all classes were done... and then there'd be a traffic jam getting down the ladderwells and out the door. Oh, well... I guess. :)

And then the rooms have to be cleaned every day... so two lucky Sailors in each class get to sweep and swab each day. That's been really frustrating for me, being a couple days behind in the first place. But ever since getting back from Christmas stand-down I've been decidedly less worried about being behind. The Lord will work it out and I will do my best. And putting it in the Lord's hands helped quite a bit.

I'm sitting at a 93% average... and hopefully I will keep that up or do better.

Jp