4/6/2011 12:00:00 AM | General
USA Today
April 6, 2010
AFA One of 100 Best Value Colleges
At the United States Air Force Academy, cadets endure painfully hard academics, military instruction, and an overall strictly regimented existence. The workload is monstrous—more than the average human being could possibly complete, really.
If you can make it through this four-year gauntlet, though, an Air Force diploma is an awesome credential. You will almost certainly leave here with a knack for leadership and a skill set that will impress your friends. In addition to pilot training, there’s military free-fall parachute training, combat survival, skydiving, and internships at national labs. Academically, classes are tiny, and, by all accounts, the professors here are very good and committed to students. Extra help is copious. However, the faculty is also incredibly demanding. The extensive core curriculum is grueling and heavy on science and engineering, and you’ll be taking several difficult courses in a typical semester.
Nothing about this place is easy. Rules are strict, and you get in trouble for the littlest infractions. Stress is a daily thing. You can leave the confines of the campus only rarely. The first year is especially miserable. In addition to tons of homework, all cadets are subjected to military inspections, mandatory athletics, and endless military training. Everyone is extremely competitive. That’s the nature of the place. At the same time, the intense academic and extracurricular pressures force cadets to work together. You either learn time management or you leave. Social bonds also form quickly, and they are tight.
