Collegiate Times

Freshman year is particularly harrowing for new cadets, as the year begins with “New Cadet Week,” a weeklong process designed to immerse the students in their new life.

“New cadet week is really where we lay down the rules for the first year of the corps,” said Kaila taylor, public affairs officer for the Corps of Cadets.  “You’re taught how to succeed, both academically and physically.”

Cadets are run through constant drills and marches, as well as participating in obstacle courses and classes to prepare them for the year to come.

“It was definitely the hardest week of my life,” Taylor said. “It’s really when you realize that you’re quitting or that you’re going to stick with it.”

While the physical side of the week may be the most exhausting, the corps also stresses preparing the new cadets academically.

“We do a lot of prep work to make sure that they’re ready to start the academic year because we have an extensive academic success program within the corps,” said, General Randy Fullhart, Corps commandant.

In fact, new cadet week may be more focused on schoolwork than the drills that cadets dread.

“We do diagnostics to understand what their strengths and weaknesses are, we build those so that they can get off to a very strong start academically while they’re here,” Fullhart said.

Overall, the experience proves to be a valuable one in helping them adjust to life at Tech.

“Most cadets love it,” Taylor said. “It gives them a chance to know their environment before really entering it.”

A version of this article appeared in the Aug 13 issue of the Collegiate Times.