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Home / Cadet Life / A Day in the Life
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A Day in the Life

Exceeding all your typical colleges means eclipsing expectations each and every day. Learn what a (not so typical) day is like as an Academy cadet and decide if this one-of-a-kind experience filled with rigorous challenges and character-building discipline is the right fit for you.

Plan of the Day

From Reveille to Taps

6:00 AM – Reveille

The day begins early at the Coast Guard Academy. Reveille marks the start of the day and is a reminder that with a new day comes responsibility, honor, respect and devotion to duty.

6:20 AM – Morning Formation/Breakfast

Formations take place every morning and afternoon – in the quad when it’s fair weather, or inside during foul weather. Formations are a time to meet with your Company to share information and inspect uniforms.

7:00 AM – Military Training

At certain times of the week, in the morning or evening, you’ll engage in military training. These trainings are designed to further enhance your professional development and prepare you as a leader.

8:00 AM – Morning Classes

Classes at the Academy are small and led by professors who know of what they teach. Academy faculty are highly experienced, and their knowledge and insights greatly enhance their teaching.

12:00 PM – Lunch

After noon formation, you’ll head to the mess hall for lunch. Command views lunch as another training period – you’ll learn to socialize at a table, to eat with good manners and be prepared when a superior asks you questions.

1:00 PM – Afternoon Classes

These are not ordinary college classes. When your teacher arrives, someone will yell, “Attention on deck!” You’ll then stand with your fellow cadets until the teacher tells you to “carry on.” It’s very orderly.

4:00 PM – Athletics

Each afternoon, academics are put aside and cadets report for daily athletic practice. Here, every cadet is an athlete – whether competing on an intercollegiate team, in a club sport, or as part of the Academy’s inter-company intramurals program.

6:00 PM – Dinner

After practice, you’ll head to dinner, which is a time to decompress. Dinner is buffet-style and takes place in a more relaxed setting. It’s a time to gather with friends, joke and laugh, and enjoy some good chow.

7:00 PM – Evening Study Period

Corps-wide events and club meetings take place at 7:00; otherwise cadets go straight to studying. Cadets will often meet up with classmates to study, or they may choose the library and its comfortable chairs and free coffee and tea!

10:00 PM – Taps

Every night at 2200, taps is played on a bugle. Performed at funerals, memorial services and at the end of the day, the purpose of taps is to signify the close of the day and to remember the sacrifices others have made before you.

 
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A Day in the Life - Gallery

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Sydney Johnson
“The class is critiquing in-class presentations for our Ships and Maritime Systems course. Sometimes the instructors mix it up so that you and your classmates will be the ones giving the lesson – the change of perspective is always nice!”
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Sydney Johnson
“Steering course 258. Engine ahead 1/3rd. These are some of the basic commands you’ll learn when studying Nautical Science at the Academy. I prefer courses like this one because it is a glimpse into our future careers as Coast Guard officers.”
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Sydney Johnson
“I find that after a morning full of classes, family style lunch with your division is a good way to decompress, relax, and get ready for afternoon classes.”
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Sydney Johnson
“Three of my classmates and I are presenting our end-of-the-year Physics II project on lasers. Oral presentations in all classes are important, because the ability to communicate clearly is a vital skill for any Coast Guard officer.”
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Sydney Johnson
“I am prepping tomorrow’s uniform with a little wax shine. You’ve got to take pride in your uniform and personal appearance because when you wear this uniform, you are not only representing your family name, but also the United States Coast Guard.”
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Sydney Johnson
“I am showing the ropes of morning meal security to 4/c Dunton. As a 3/c cadet you’ll have collateral duties such as this. Your role as a 3/c is to guide the 4/c throughout the school year academically and militarily; essentially, you’re a mentor and are responsible for the development of the 4/c.”
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Sydney Johnson
“My friends and I sometimes get together in the library to study together in the evenings.”
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Sydney Johnson
“This is a post-practice lift session with the track team. With anything you do, always set goals and grind to achieve them because…”
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Sydney Johnson
“…success is sweet.”
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Elaine Weaver
“In this Chemistry lab, my lab partner and I experimented with the voltages of cathodes and anodes. After having a little trouble with the voltmeter, my partner and I received a few pointers from LT Schendorf; the teaching staff is always happy to help whenever you need it!”
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Elaine Weaver
“Afternoon formation is when everyone forms up in their respective company and division; accountability is taken and important information is passed down before lunch. I am part of Bravo Company and my division is Military Testing, which is responsible for creating the military training exams that each cadet must take.”
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Elaine Weaver
“Lunch during the weekdays is family style – you sit with your division most of the time, but this day was Morale Tables for Bravo Company, and we were able to sit with people outside our division. Chef Mike and the serving staff work hard every day to feed over a thousand cadets!”
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Elaine Weaver
“My favorite class is Calculus! Calculus can be confusing sometimes, as the courses at the USCGA are rigorous, but Mr. Fill is always there to save the day!”
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Elaine Weaver
“I received counseling on my military performance this semester from a 3/c in my division. Third class cadets, having completed one year at the Coast Guard Academy, are mentors and role models to the 4/c and advise them throughout the school year.”
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Elaine Weaver
“Cadets are required to either join a varsity, club or intercompany sport to fulfill their sports credit. The USCGA is located right on the Thames River, which the crew teams use for practices. Being on a team is great, and going out on the water helps me relieve stress after a long day of classes. Rowing is a sport where no prior experience is needed; it’s easy to learn, and fun!”
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Elaine Weaver
“Here we are at Dry Dock—every cadet’s favorite place to eat. If you ever get the chance to stop by, I recommend getting the Eye Opener!”
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Sponsor Family Application

Thank you for submitting your application to be part of the Sponsor Family Program. Your application will be processed in the upcoming week. Coast Guard Academy’s policy on background screening now requires all adults (everyone 18 and older living in the home) who volunteer to mentor, teach, coach or sponsor cadets, whether on or off Coast Guard Academy grounds, to be screened every 5 years. They are required to provide personal information (name, birth date and social security number) for the purpose of conducting a criminal background check.

The Security Officer at the Coast Guard Academy, CWO2 Gina Polkowski, is overseeing this process. Her email is: Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.

Sponsor Family designations fall into several different categories. Below are the guidelines to help you determine how best to meet the background screening requirement:

  1. If you are Coast Guard active duty you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
  2. If you are a Civilian working for the Coast Guard you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
  3. If you are non-Coast Guard Active Duty, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at  Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
  4. If you are non-Coast Guard civilian who has a current security clearance or National Agency check, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at  Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
  5. All civilians in the families who are 18 years or older and do not have a security clearance or a National Agency Check are required to be vetted through Mind Your Business, the third party vendor hired by the Coast Guard Academy for the vetting process.

After you complete your application, please e-mail the Sponsor Family Program Coordinator at CadetFamilySponsorProgram@uscga.edu. In your e-mail, you must include the e-mail address and phone number of every adult living in the home. The Sponsor Family Coordinator will then initiate the background check process and you will receive an email with further instructions.

Important things to note:

There is a Sponsor Family Training that is a one-hour training which we ask sponsors to attend once every four years. This training is designed to give you an overview of the program, what is expected of you as a sponsor, and what you can expect from your cadets. This training will also help familiarize you with the cadet regulations onboard CGA. You will be notified via e-mail once the training is scheduled.

The matching process of swabs to families will occur during July and August. Please bear with us and remain flexible through this process. There will be a meet and greet scheduled on Campus, typically in late August. This will give families an opportunity to formally meet their cadet if they have not already done so. Details on this will also be via email.

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