Incoming Freshmen Information

Incoming Freshmen (Class of 2012)

To start off we are looking forward to meeting you. As you wind down your senior year know that many challenges await you at the Naval ROTC and also the University of Oklahoma. You are getting ready to embark on a journey to earn an undergraduate degree from one of the finest schools in the Big Twelve Conference and also a commission in either the Navy or Marine Corps.

Your first experience at NROTC will be Orientation Week. Orientation Week this year will begin at 7 o’clock am Monday August 18 and will last until the afternoon of Friday 22 August. The purpose of Orientation Week is to give you an introduction to some military skills such as marksmanship, physical fitness, water survival, and closer order drill. Additionally, we will bring in campus experts to discuss succeeding in an academic environment that is very different and much more challenging than high school. Time will also be allotted for you to purchase books, find your classes, and in general get familiar with your new home. Click here for the New Student Orientation Schedule.

As you prepare for the upcoming fall semester here is one thing to keep in mind. Experience has shown that roommate selection is critical to your college success. We encourage you to contact other students coming to the OU NROTC program. While there is no stereotypical mold for a NROTC student they do have several things in common. First, mornings are generally very early with physical fitness conditioning beginning at 6 o’clock. Having a roommate that shares the same early wake up can help reduce the stress we often see in Midshipmen who need to go to bed before midnight yet has a roommate that wants to play music until 3am. Second, you have all decided that you want to serve your country in either the Navy or Marine Corps. The core values of both the Navy and Marine Corps are honor, courage, and commitment. Striving to live up to these values can be more challenging based upon your selection of roommate. To request a phone roster of incoming students please contact the Marine Officer Instructor. (Please note he will only release phone numbers to students who have confirmed attendance at OU).

We hope at this point you are asking what you can do to prepare for the upcoming Fall semester. Okay, were glad you asked. Success in the NROTC program is evaluated in three categories.

-Academics- You academic success is the most crucial to your success in the program. Simply put, if you don’t graduate you don’t commission. Know coming in that college is going to be challenging regardless of your past success in high school. There is a list of smart high school kids (many who were nationally competitive and received scholarships) who have attended our program only to fail out of college. The vast majority of the time they fail as a result of an initial mindset. They thought they were smart enough not to have to study outside of class. Nearly all of these students had high school GPA’s of 3.5 and did very well on either the SAT or ACT. Don’t make the same mistake. Arrive to OU knowing that you will be challenged intellectually.

-Physical fitness- All Naval officers should be in good shape. As a result, you will be expected to be in good shape. We would encourage you to run and get in good cardiovascular shape this summer. Not doing so will only add to the challenges of your freshmen year. During Orientation Week you will routinely run three miles so prepare yourselves accordingly. Familiarize yourselves with the physical fitness test of your respective service. If you are a Marine Option know that your physical fitness training is incredibly demanding and varied. We run, swim, go on forced marches, and do many functional fitness workouts that will prepare you for the rigors of Officer Candidate School and The Basic School.

Leadership- As a Naval officer you will have the distinct honor of leading sailors or Marines. Here at the NROTC there will be many opportunities to lead. As a 1 st semester freshmen however we are mainly concerned with your abilities to follow. You can’t lead if you can’t follow. Historically speaking some freshmen distinguish themselves from their peers and find themselves leading in some capacity. We challenge you to be one of these freshmen standouts.

We look forward to meeting you and hope you enjoy your summer. Show up in August motivated and ready to go. Be prepared to study, get in great shape, and have fun.