I got "the call"

[explorerdude]

Well guys, I received a phone call yesterday giving me my academy start date! Looking at June 17, wooo! Well I have orientation next week and then academy starts right away. Yes, I am nervous, excited and a whole lot of emotions. But mostly excited

I realize it is only the first step of a long string of steps before I can really celebrate. Any advice you guys can give me for the start of the academy would be hugely appreciated.

And I just want to thank everyone for their advice and helpful information, it was very beneficial.

Chris

[jonc]

CONGRATZ!!

GL!

[explorerdude]

CONGRATZ!!

GL!

Thank you

[Spanky8601]

Congratulations.

For the next 6 months put your other life on hold. Explain to your loved ones that this will be your main focus.

[RickD427]

Well guys, I received a phone call yesterday giving me my academy start date! Looking at June 17, wooo! Well I have orientation next week and then academy starts right away. Yes, I am nervous, excited and a whole lot of emotions. But mostly excited

I realize it is only the first step of a long string of steps before I can really celebrate. Any advice you guys can give me for the start of the academy would be hugely appreciated.

And I just want to thank everyone for their advice and helpful information, it was very beneficial.

Chris

Here's the best advice from someone who graduated the academy ages ago:

1) Be sponge, you're there to learn and information gets thrown at you kinda quick. There's more than one way to do something. Never point out that "at ____ they do it this way."

2) The academy is an "artificial" environment. They're going to simulate things to replicate what happens in the field. Don't get offended or bothered. Understand the program and help it work. Lesson learned the hard way - Never let yourself chuckle when being chewed out by the DI.

3) Be physically fit before you get there. They'll build up the PT program as you move along, but if you're ahead of the game, you'll stay there. The rest of the program is easier if you don't fall behind in PT.

4) This a teamwork business. Make sure that you "bond" with your classmates and that you give them reason to place their trust in you. The smartest guy on the planet cannot succeed in this business alone. Example - The last Sheriff of Orange County prided himself, and mentioned ad nauseum, that he was a member of the 'Mensa" society of folks with really big IQs. He's now a federal prison inmate.

5) Put the rest of your life "on hold" until you graduate. You'll have enough distractions in your life with the academy. It's for a finite period of time. It's worth it.

6) Start working on your decision making (and explaining the decisions that you make) process. LE is all about making decisions, that can have very great impact, and you usually have to make them without having enough information. It's a difficult skill. The faster you master it, the better.

Good luck. It will be a great experience.

[dmendoza1779]

Congrats! Just curious, how long did the whole process take from application to this point?

[CasperSYTFU]

Congrats! Wish you nothing but the best of luck!

[explorerdude]

Thanks everyone!! I started the process for this dept in September 2012. So it was about 9 months .

[explorerdude]

Here's the best advice from someone who graduated the academy ages ago:

1) Be sponge, you're there to learn and information gets thrown at you kinda quick. There's more than one way to do something. Never point out that "at ____ they do it this way."

2) The academy is an "artificial" environment. They're going to simulate things to replicate what happens in the field. Don't get offended or bothered. Understand the program and help it work. Lesson learned the hard way - Never let yourself chuckle when being chewed out by the DI.

3) Be physically fit before you get there. They'll build up the PT program as you move along, but if you're ahead of the game, you'll stay there. The rest of the program is easier if you don't fall behind in PT.

4) This a teamwork business. Make sure that you "bond" with your classmates and that you give them reason to place their trust in you. The smartest guy on the planet cannot succeed in this business alone. Example - The last Sheriff of Orange County prided himself, and mentioned ad nauseum, that he was a member of the 'Mensa" society of folks with really big IQs. He's now a federal prison inmate.

5) Put the rest of your life "on hold" until you graduate. You'll have enough distractions in your life with the academy. It's for a finite period of time. It's worth it.

6) Start working on your decision making (and explaining the decisions that you make) process. LE is all about making decisions, that can have very great impact, and you usually have to make them without having enough information. It's a difficult skill. The faster you master it, the better.

Good luck. It will be a great experience.

Thanks for the advice, greatly appreciated. Will be very useful.

[PsychGuy274]

Well guys, I received a phone call yesterday giving me my academy start date! Looking at June 17, wooo! Well I have orientation next week and then academy starts right away. Yes, I am nervous, excited and a whole lot of emotions. But mostly excited

I realize it is only the first step of a long string of steps before I can really celebrate. Any advice you guys can give me for the start of the academy would be hugely appreciated.

And I just want to thank everyone for their advice and helpful information, it was very beneficial.

Chris

AWESOME! CONGRATZ!

I got my conditional and I'm just finishing out the last few steps now. If all goes according to plan I'll start the academy on July 8th so I'll be suffering along with you in spirit.

From what some of my law enforcement friends have told me:

1) Shut up and listen.
2) Get in shape BEFORE the academy.
3) Your "days off" aren't really days off; they're study days.

Good luck and have fun.

[Just-in]

Nice! Congrats!
Good to hear some sucess stories, keep your head down and work hard I'm happy for you to hear your persistence this far is paying off.

[Caddis]

I've seen two academy cadets I was FTO'ing lose it all by doing this: DON"T engage in any sports or activities outside the academy where you can hurt yourself. You break something and cannot complete the required PT hours and you're fired! You're a conditional employee.

When doing PT, don't be first, don't be last, don't showboat, and don't break anything. No need to pump iron, it's all about push ups and running. Better to spend the little free time you have studying your LD's because you have only one chance to remediate a failed LD.

Oh, one last thing. Don't wear any colors outside the academy and stay home. No bars, drinking, gun play, or engage in any activity where you can get into trouble. Save this for after you graduate, pass FTO, pass probation, and have your Basic Post Certificate, then you can get in a little trouble

Good luck

[StraightShot04]

Congrats and good luck. If you don't mind me asking, are you going as an affiliate or non-affiliate?

[explorerdude]

Again, I want to thank everyone for their advice, I can take as much as possible.

And I am affiliate, sponsored.

[OldShooter32]

Originally Posted by RickD427
Here's the best advice from someone who graduated the academy ages ago:

1) Be sponge, you're there to learn and information gets thrown at you kinda quick. There's more than one way to do something. Never point out that "at ____ they do it this way."

2) The academy is an "artificial" environment. They're going to simulate things to replicate what happens in the field. Don't get offended or bothered. Understand the program and help it work. Lesson learned the hard way - Never let yourself chuckle when being chewed out by the DI.

3) Be physically fit before you get there. They'll build up the PT program as you move along, but if you're ahead of the game, you'll stay there. The rest of the program is easier if you don't fall behind in PT.

4) This a teamwork business. Make sure that you "bond" with your classmates and that you give them reason to place their trust in you. The smartest guy on the planet cannot succeed in this business alone. Example - The last Sheriff of Orange County prided himself, and mentioned ad nauseum, that he was a member of the 'Mensa" society of folks with really big IQs. He's now a federal prison inmate.

5) Put the rest of your life "on hold" until you graduate. You'll have enough distractions in your life with the academy. It's for a finite period of time. It's worth it.

6) Start working on your decision making (and explaining the decisions that you make) process. LE is all about making decisions, that can have very great impact, and you usually have to make them without having enough information. It's a difficult skill. The faster you master it, the better.

Good luck. It will be a great experience.

^^ this is the best advice. Seconded by a guy who entered the academy in 1972, after working the street for six months! It was an amazing time. Keep a journal and always do the right thing. It all goes by so quickly. Good luck.