Cadet Perspectives so far this Semester

March 6, 2019

Entering Clemson as a freshman, there were a lot of changes thrust my way. With challenging classes accompanied by the stress of settling into a completely foreign environment, I was sure frightened by the transition. Additionally, I brought my two horses with me from home, New Jersey. Every day I make the twenty minute drive to the farm to feed them, and on top of that, I had to get a job as a waitress so that I could pay for them to live there. With school, taking care of my horses, and my job, I thought that joining ROTC would cause too much added stress, but I decided to take the chance anyway. After being in the program for just one semester, I can honestly say that taking that chance was one of the most important decisions of my life.

– CDT Bernik

Time management has never been my strong suit, and so I was terrified by the daunting challenge of balancing everything that was on my plate. Had I not joined ROTC, I don’t think that I would have been able to keep up with all of my obligations. The program gave me a kind of structure that I had never been introduced to. Waking up early for physical training allowed me to get a head start on my day, which was essential in order for me to stay on top of all my responsibilities. I even began eating breakfast for a change! In Military Leadership class, we learned the basics of leading others, but most importantly, we learned that to be a leader, one must first be able to lead themselves. This was a lesson that I was never taught in High School, or by anyone else for that matter, yet it was the tool that helped me transform my time management and organization. Although I thought joining ROTC would mean that I had less time for socializing, it was actually the complete opposite. I met some of my best friends through the program, so activities like physical training became social events and learning experiences all at once. Plus, these friendships allowed for more opportunities to stay social outside of ROTC. Despite having more on my plate than ever before, the time management skills that I learned from ROTC allowed me to have more free time than I ever had, along with a newfound sense of organization in all aspects of my life.

– CDT Good