Megan Doubrava: Pre-AIM Interview
What are your expectations going into AIM? New challenges to overcome. Since AIM will be a challenging week, it will help me grow and decide if I am ready to be a cadet at the Coast Guard Academy. How have you prepared? Running and strength training. I combine this training with my daily swimming practices. […]
Staying Organized
Hello, hello! I’m 4/c Gigi Edmondson, from Marlborough, Massachusetts. When I got into USCGA, I used to scour these blog posts and read every single one hoping for some advice or insight about what to do with myself once I got here. I got a lot of really great tips from these posts, so today […]
From Saipan to the Coast Guard Academy
I was born and raised on a 12-mile-long island about 120 miles North of Guam called Saipan. The island is as different from the academy as it is far. In Saipan, everything is no more than 20 minutes away, nothing is taxed, everyone has an abundance of hospitality, it’s a consistent 84 degrees Fahrenheit, and […]
Lily Rivera: Post-AIM Interview
What were your first impressions? When I arrived in Connecticut, I was picked up from the airport alongside other AIMsters and taken to the Coast Guard Academy. From there, we grabbed our bags and organized them against the sidewalk. We all got registered and met with others in our platoon. After orientation, the intensity began. […]
Lily Rivera: Pre-AIM Interview
What are your expectations going into AIM? A realistic program where I am fully immersed in life as a cadet. AIM has the reputation of either “blowing you into the Coast Guard life” or “blowing you out.” I expect to be pushed to my limit with new challenges. While at AIM, I hope to confirm […]
Commonly Asked Questions (Part 1)
How is the food? We have cadets from other Academies that stay at the Coast Guard Academy for a semester. We called them exchangers. I have heard from multiple exchangers that the Coast Guard’s food is the best! I personally really like dinner. There are a lot of choices. Lunch, however, is more limited than […]
What Happens After 1600
For most people, classes run from 0800 to around 1600, or 4:00 pm. After that, the rest of the day is yours. The sports period is from 1600 – 1800 (4:00 pm — 6:00 pm), and you’d see all the varsity athletes and other various athletic clubs practicing, as well as the band, orchestra, or […]
Finding My Balance
One thing I really enjoy when I am at the Academy is finding my balance to the daily academic and military obligations. During the work week I find myself hanging out with friends late at night, eating with them in the Wardroom, or going to sporting events. The sports here are so fun to watch […]
Why I Love Marine and Environmental Sciences
I am so happy to be a Marine and Environmental Sciences major at the Academy. The major is actually split into 3 different options (Environmental Science, Marine Science, and Environmental Monitoring) and I chose the Marine Science option. As someone interested in CG missions like Search and Rescue (SAR), Living Marine Resources, Marine Environmental Protection, […]
Sponsor Family Program
I am from Alaska so while deciding to come to the academy I was worried (and so was my mom) about moving so far away from home. The time difference makes traveling home challenging and I didn’t know anyone near New London that I could go to on weekends unlike the cadets that live only […]
