Advice for Boot Camp mental challenges?

[CRuss92]

Hey Marines. I have done a lot of research on these forums reading about other peoples' experiences in boot camp, on other websites reading articles and blogs, and also watching videos and films like "Ears, Click. Eye balls, Open." But I want to get some advice, since I am shipping on the 31st of October (22 days), and I want to be as mentally prepared for my experience at Parris Island as possible.

Does anyone care to share any tips for dealing with the stress that I will inevitably face at recruit training?

What is the best way to cope with all of the mind games as well as the constant harassment?

Also, other than being loud and preforming everything with intensity, are there any other ways to make yourself less of a target for DI's?

Any advice regarding my questions or any other info that could be beneficial for my (and other recruits) performance in boot camp would be highly appreciated.

Thanks a lot.

[Yonkers]

Take everything chow to chow sunday to sunday. That's the best way to look at it. Don't count down, but at the same time remember "hey, In like (this many days) I'll be outta this place.... read the letters people send you... don't take things too seriously and you'll be fine.


The best way to make yourself less of a target is to do everything right and don't put yourself in that position... don't be a buddy f***** but at the same time don't be out for yourself.

Oh, and go to church, even if you aren't religious (i'm atheist).. it gets you away from it all and gets you time to think and time to relax a bit.

[CRuss92]

Take everything chow to chow sunday to sunday. That's the best way to look at it. Don't count down, but at the same time remember "hey, In like (this many days) I'll be outta this place.... read the letters people send you... don't take things too seriously and you'll be fine.


The best way to make yourself less of a target is to do everything right and don't put yourself in that position... don't be a buddy f***** but at the same time don't be out for yourself.

Oh, and go to church, even if you aren't religious (i'm atheist).. it gets you away from it all and gets you time to think and time to relax a bit.

Thanks a lot Yonkers. I appreciate the advice.

[sparkie]

Mental prep? Start cussing at yourself and calling yourself an idiot till you ship.

[Old Marine]

You will be called everything but a human being. Just remember that the Drill Instructor has nothing personal against you and that he is trying to get your mind set ready for after recruit training. He will be trying to get inside your head the whole time you are in recruit training and if you let him suceed you have lost half the battle. You have to absorb everything he teaches you like a sponge. If you do these things you will have no problems.

[CRuss92]

You will be called everything but a human being. Just remember that the Drill Instructor has nothing personal against you and that he is trying to get your mind set ready for after recruit training. He will be trying to get inside your head the whole time you are in recruit training and if you let him suceed you have lost half the battle. You have to absorb everything he teaches you like a sponge. If you do these things you will have no problems.

Alright, I'll be sure to keep that in mind while I'm at PI.
Thanks Old Marine.

[CRuss92]

I mentioned it on another thread just like this one, but it bears repeating.

Two guys on here, after reading advice like this for months, STILL found the regimentation at PI to be surprising, and not only surprising but shocking. Every waking moment dictated to them as to what they would do, how they would do it, every minute of the day.

Why this came as a shock to them I don't know-----they were on here for months prior to shipping. So this is a lesson to all of you--that no matter how much you prepare on the Internet, it is not the same thing as standing on the yellow footprints in reality, away from the keyboard. Apparently, the shock of being told what to do and how to do it, every single waking moment, is still a shock, even after months of mental preparation on this site.

I found that very interesting. Keep it in mind as you get closer to your ship date.

Yes, of course, and I completely understand that, no one can expect to gain any information from this site that would make boot camp easy or even much less difficult. If it was that way, then boot camp wouldn't be very hard so it wouldn't be doing it's job very well at all.

However, I do think that tips and advice from people who already went through boot camp can go a long way since people seem (based off of what I've read about and talked to people about) to have different experiences at boot camp, some making it through easier than others, so obviously there are mindsets and tactics to be used that can help you preform better than others, at least that is how it looks to me having not experienced it yet and trusting the words of Marines on these forums. And that is the main reason I am asking, simply to get some tips/advice, I had no expectations of receiving advice on how to make recruit training "easy" because I think the only answer to that would be to join the Army instead .

Thanks for the response Dave, and I will be sure to keep that in mind still when I get to PI. I've watched the film "Ears, Click. Eye Balls, Open." twice now (I understand it isn't the same experience from behind a t.v. screen, but I've heard it is the best depiction of what boot camp really is like) and simply based off of that I hear you completely when you say that it is going to be shocking.

[MOS4429]

I want to be as mentally prepared for my experience at Parris Island as possible.

I want to be as mentally prepared for my experience at Parris Island as possible.

Does anyone care to share any tips for dealing with the stress that I will inevitably face at recruit training?

Listen, only speak when asked, head and eyes forward, first word out of your mouth is "sir." It is a different type of stress and you will do well to not overthink it. One day at a time.

What is the best way to cope with all of the mind games as well as the constant harassment?

It's not really mind games. They have to break you down, get rid of the civilian in you, make you to expect the unexpected, toughen you up, and it's not harassment; it's training. Accept that you are the lowest life form: a maggot. They have to start with a maggot and make it a Marine.

Also, other than being loud and preforming everything with intensity, are there any other ways to make yourself less of a target for DI's?

Listen and do. We had a guy that was a constant screw up. Tell him to face left and he faces right. He just got in the DI's cross hairs and once there, hard to get out. So don't get there in the first place. Don't drop your weapon, don't fall asleep in class, don't freak out. It's designed to be hard for a purpose. Expect the absolute worse and then when you receive it it will be no surprise.

Any advice regarding my questions or any other info that could be beneficial for my (and other recruits) performance in boot camp would be highly appreciated.

I like what one guy said about attending church on Sundays. I did the same thing because it was one hour a week away from DI's in a quiet place and it was peaceful and I even remember listening and receiving good perspective.

You have to excel, sometimes that even involves being a hard azz yourself. Don't let nonhackers or those who don't put out pull you down.

Pray.

[CRuss92]

I want to be as mentally prepared for my experience at Parris Island as possible.

Does anyone care to share any tips for dealing with the stress that I will inevitably face at recruit training?

Listen, only speak when asked, head and eyes forward, first word out of your mouth is "sir." It is a different type of stress and you will do well to not overthink it. One day at a time.

What is the best way to cope with all of the mind games as well as the constant harassment?

It's not really mind games. They have to break you down, get rid of the civilian in you, make you to expect the unexpected, toughen you up, and it's not harassment; it's training. Accept that you are the lowest life form: a maggot. They have to start with a maggot and make it a Marine.

Also, other than being loud and preforming everything with intensity, are there any other ways to make yourself less of a target for DI's?

Listen and do. We had a guy that was a constant screw up. Tell him to face left and he faces right. He just got in the DI's cross hairs and once there, hard to get out. So don't get there in the first place. Don't drop your weapon, don't fall asleep in class, don't freak out. It's designed to be hard for a purpose. Expect the absolute worse and then when you receive it it will be no surprise.

Any advice regarding my questions or any other info that could be beneficial for my (and other recruits) performance in boot camp would be highly appreciated.

I like what one guy said about attending church on Sundays. I did the same thing because it was one hour a week away from DI's in a quiet place and it was peaceful and I even remember listening and receiving good perspective.

You have to excel, sometimes that even involves being a hard azz yourself. Don't let nonhackers or those who don't put out pull you down.

Pray.

Thank you very much MOS for breaking it down and answering all of my questions. So far I've gotten the advice twice now to attend church so that is something I'll be sure to do while I am at PI. Thanks again.

[stein07]

What's the problem with him asking and others answering a question about boot camp? Sure, you will never be fully prepared. Yeah, they didn't have the internet when you went to boot, and sure, you don't have to know the answers to these questions to succeed (or to fail) at boot, but what is the harm in asking?

Whatever happened to "knowledge is power"?

[Old Marine]

What's the problem with him asking and others answering a question about boot camp? Sure, you will never be fully prepared. Yeah, they didn't have the internet when you went to boot, and sure, you don't have to know the answers to these questions to succeed (or to fail) at boot, but what is the harm in asking?

Whatever happened to "knowledge is power"?

I did not see any thing like this in the thread.

[andrew5760]

Honestly, the more you try to "prepare" yourself the more stress out you'll be. No matter what it will be rough and you will be wrong.

Like previously stated take it one day at a time. Chow by chow. Sunday by Sunday. The best advice I could give you or any other poolee is speed, intensity, and volume. Perform all three and you'll be alright. Oh, and a lot of stuff they do may not make sense at first but eventually will. Throughout boot camp, infantry school, fleet, and combat tour in Afghanistan I've learned it to be true.

Good luck.

[CRuss92]

Honestly, the more you try to "prepare" yourself the more stress out you'll be. No matter what it will be rough and you will be wrong.

Like previously stated take it one day at a time. Chow by chow. Sunday by Sunday. The best advice I could give you or any other poolee is speed, intensity, and volume. Perform all three and you'll be alright. Oh, and a lot of stuff they do may not make sense at first but eventually will. Throughout boot camp, infantry school, fleet, and combat tour in Afghanistan I've learned it to be true.

Good luck.

Haha alright. That first part of what you said makes perfect sense, I guess trying to prep for recruit training may be worse than just waiting till I experience it for myself, but so far I've got some pretty solid advice so I'm satisfied with the response I got. Thanks for the input Andrew, I appreciate it.

[Old Marine]

When I went through Boot Camp a few years ago, I never had a clue of what was awaiting me. I completed Boot Camp along with the rest of our platoon and I doubt that most of us knew anything about what we would have to go through.

The iceing on the cake was that 13 years I went through Drill Instructor's School which was basically close to going through Boot Camp again, except for the TMI classes and liberty on week ends, if you completed the run.

[CRuss92]

When I went through Boot Camp a few years ago, I never had a clue of what was awaiting me. I completed Boot Camp along with the rest of our platoon and I doubt that most of us knew anything about what we would have to go through.

Yeah I guess that is one advantage people nowadays have is a fair warning at least to what it will be like somewhat. From what I understand, boot camp was much more difficult back then as well, which would make it even more rough.

Either way, I'm really looking forward to shipping, I was caught off guard when I DEP'd in and everyone was like "I ship in July" or "Damn I have to wait until August" and I go in and find out that I ship out in a month haha, but the anxiety is killing me I want to go right now and get started.