Regular Officer Training Plan (ROTP)-RMC 2000 - 2018 [Merged]

[KiIlerPotato]

Don't take me wrong when I said I would be shipped off, I'm already in the reserves and have been for the past year. All I meant by that was it felt like they were just filling in the spots because I know they'll take as many Infantry and Armoured Officers as they can get, thats what they need most right now. And don't worry about the Duty part, I'm more than ready to accept my fair share of duty, afterall I am applying for this aren't I?

But thanks alot, helpful thus far.

 

[SupersonicMax]

1. You get into town very little in the first few months, and by the time you are in fourth year, as much as you want classes and military duties permitting;

In 1st year, after the Orientation Program (1st month), you get 8 days a month you can go out of the RMC peninsula (week ends count as 2 days).  Depending on your staff, they might just not enforce this rule

2. All stats, plus a Xmas break, plus about four weeks before or after you commence your summer classification training.

You also get Spring Brake

3. Room inspections everyday in the beginning as a first year cadet, and declining to you giving the inspections by your third or fourth, the catch being your room has to be better than those of the cadets you are inspecting.

:

4. The workload is heavy at times, but I made it through.

The way I saw things was that if you go in Engineering, you WILL HAVE a huge workload.  If you are an artsmen, you CAN have a big workload if YOU want.

5. Can't answer this one for sure, but I am sure the place is as computer friendly as any university.

When I went in, computers were allowed after the Orientation Program (it was in 2002).  When I left RMC (2006), there was a big issue with the Internet at the College.  In my 1st year, there was RMC internet in our room (we had to pay 25$ for the whole year for "high speed" internet).  After that, we had to get our own (Cogeco wasn't an option so you had to get a phone line + DSL with Bell/Sympatico)

6. Yes, at appropriate times. Limited as a first year.

You can have visitors whenever you like.  No one to sleep.  Again  :

7. It is a military university-I found some things similar to my BOTC I, but the place is another world at other times.

There are morning activities (PT, military stuff, garbages sweeps (ya right) and other stuff).  It depends a lot on the staff of the Squadron you are in.  When I was in 3rd year, our Squadron Commander didn't schedule anything.  He had the philosophy that everybody was mature enough to manage their time, which was wise I think.  I could work on homeworks pretty late and get up a bit later than I would have been able if I had morning activities.  For me, I'd rather work really late (3-4 AM) and wake up a little later (7:30) than working earlier and waking up really early (0550).  Now, I heard things changed this year and they do a whole lot more morning things...

Max

 

[a78jumper]

Somewhere along the line the College got derailed and they appear to be mainly concerned with graduating officers who are not too interested in getting dirty in a nasty old war zone IMHO. Hopefully  not your case. PM FreddaHeadon this board with questions-he is a cadet there now.

 

[a78jumper]

You can have visitors whenever you like.  No one to sleep.  Again  :

quote]

I still remember having to type up a memo for the CWC entitled "Sex on the College Grounds" when women arrived in 1980.LOL Like people read it

 

[FredDaHead]

By Freddahead he meant me, just so you know.

Just to add to what Lt. Flyboy (Max) said, if you're an artsman you have a huge workload during midterms/paper week, when you have all your midterms AND a whole bunch of papers due, all at once. If you're like most of us, you'll have a HUGE workload for a few weeks. The rest is rather relaxed for most people.

Other than that, he's pretty much bang-on. RMC, outside of FYOP, is mostly like any other university, except your room has to be "clean." You can't live like a slob, but you don't have to keep everything up to BOTC/FYOP standard. If your room looks clean, it's fine; the people doing the walkthroughs won't look into your drawers, closets, or barrack boxes.


Yah, no sex on college grounds, and any PDA (Public Displays of Affection) are pretty much verboten on college grounds, especially between cadets during duty hours.

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

What exactly is a "fair share" of duty?  Is there an "unfair share?" 

 

[Journeyman]

Depending on your staff, they might just not enforce this rule

Ahhhh......so cadets learning right from the beginning that regulations/discipline is just another "theory" 

 

[DVessey]

I have read all 26 pages of this post, and not one has answered some of the key ideas of this post. I have applied for RMC last year in ROTP program, first offer I had was for civi U and I declined, second offer that they gave me was for an Armoured officer in RMC, which I am wondering if I should have accepted (yes I declined, thinking that if I were in armour I would just get shipped off the day I graduate).

The main question, or subject of interest that I would like to know about is the social life.
-How often do you get to go to town?
-When can I expect holidays?
-Are there room inspections everyday?
-Is the workload hard?
-Can we bring computers?
-Are we allowed visitors?
-Is it anything like basic but on a daily schedual?

And my other question was: How easy is it to change trade once you've been accepted into RMC? Because I had applied for Pilot, I sucsessfully completed all my testing, but for some reason was not offered that trade. So If I had gone into RMC as an armoured Officer, would it have been easy to request a trade change?

I am re-applying for RMC this year in hopes of acheiving my goal for becoming a PLT, and hopefully I can get some feedback to clear my confusion before re-applying.

A lot of the questions you're asking sound like the things I was worried about when going in. I worried about the little details, like computers, holidays, etc. One of the biggest things I've learned at the college over the past two and a half years is that a lot of it doesn't really matter.
The college is definitely not like the rest of the CF, no matter how much they say we're trying, we aren't. We are a 'university with a difference'. It's bipolar - one minute you're an OCdt cleaning up your room for an inspection the next morning, then the next you're a university student working on assignments, labs and papers. You're told to 'suck it up and carry on', then you're told to critically examine issues. There's a constant battle for your time between the academic side and military side.
Having said all that, it's not impossible. It's only four years, then you get to the real world, where you're going to spend at least five (for ROTP anyway).

As for changing trades once you're in, it usually depends on what you're trying to change to and from, and what's open and what's not. The recruiters will usually tell you it's really easy to switch... not necessarily true. I know a lot of people who have succesfully VORed to different trades, and I know a lot of people who have applied and been denied. Don't know what the stats are, but I know the combat arms guys have a really tough time getting out of it.

kind of went off topic there, but anyhow, that's my 2 cents.

 

[Bobert]

How are specific trades chosen? For example if you are an Artillery Officer, who and how decides that you would be air defence  or field?

 

[DVessey]

How are specific trades chosen? For example if you are an Artillery Officer, who and how decides that you would be air defence  or field?

I don't have any first hand experience with arty, so I can't say for sure. I imagine it depends on what the CF needs, then what you want to do.

I know for CELE, we do our training after graduation. Whoever gets top marks on the course, gets first choice of posting, and so on down the line, The over riding factor is what the CF needs though.

 

[jlynch4]

hello everyone,
Just wanted to hear everyone's thoughts on my situation. I am currently an OCdt in the trade of artillery. I am finding that I am not being challenged enough, however, at the civillian university and am considering applying for transfer to RMC. I am in my first year, and I know alot of the civvy U guys must think I'm crazy, but it's something I've been considering.

If any one has any thoughts to get a discussion going I would be more than happy to hear them.

 

[Wookilar]

Another consideration is the degree requirements.

Depending on what degree you are taking, RMC has different mandatory courses, many of which are not normally part of a civy u degree (1st and 2nd year calculus for Arts students, for example).

http://www.rmc.ca/academic/registrar/programme/p004acadprog_e.html

That will tell you where you would fit in 2nd year in your degree program and what mandatory courses you don't have.

Wook

 

[D3V1L6]

It all depends on what programme you're in and at what University.  RMC definitely isn't the greatest U in the Canada.

 

[niner domestic]

I'm sorry devil, you have me at a disadvantage, I know how my three degree programs at RMC went and actually have a civvy u degree as well to compare them to. You on the other hand, forgot to mention what your degree program at RMC and what your civvy degree were?

 

[D3V1L6]

:blotto: Pulls the daggers out of his back.... Hmmm, I think I might have not worded my previous reply properly.  I'm not bad mouthing RMC, just stating the fact that hypothetically, if I had the choice to do a program at McGill or RMC, I would pick McGill...catch my drift.

As far as my personal qualifications!!! HA ha, you smartypants...  I don't....why? hmm well, I firmly believe 4 years in any university will not make me a better helicopter pilot, so I joined as an NCM for shits and giggles and am working on my licence civy side.

 

[niner domestic]

Ah, I see devil.  So your comment was pulled directly out of your glut maximus and perhaps was marginally based on something you over heard while downing a few ales at the local a few years ago?  If you catch my drift.  Every university is going to have it's faults and RMC is not excluded from having that criteria (the library for one is a bit of the light side for reference material).  However, given class sizes (small), curriculum (broad and includes an MOU with Queen's), degree programs (numerous and if you have a specialty like I did, they will bend over backwards to find you a thesis supervisor and committee) faculty (some of the finest defence scientists, scientists, political scientist and historians teach there) the tuition fees (a civvy when I went only had to pay a 1000 bucks for a year of a PG program) and the notion that any serving CF member can quite happily do their PG degree at a distance or attend classes at every CFB makes it a pretty damned fine university.  RMC worked hard to gain it's accreditation from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and worked even harder to provide a blueprint of distant learning for the USMC to use for their members.  I'd take a few classes there before you discount it. 

Added: Unlike any other civvy university, RMC encourages it's Master's students to publish extensively while they are there and affords them numerous opportunities and venues to do so.  Civvy U tends to ignore a Master's student and has no expectation for that level to be publishing. In academia, it is a matter of publish or perish and RMC gives their students a superlative leg up (including the 2 helo pilots in my class) in that manner.

 

[SupersonicMax]

:blotto: Pulls the daggers out of his back.... Hmmm, I think I might have not worded my previous reply properly.  I'm not bad mouthing RMC, just stating the fact that hypothetically, if I had the choice to do a program at McGill or RMC, I would pick McGill...catch my drift.

As far as my personal qualifications!!! HA ha, you smartypants...  I don't....why? hmm well, I firmly believe 4 years in any university will not make me a better helicopter pilot, so I joined as an NCM for shits and giggles and am working on my licence civy side.

I have news for you, you will need a degree anyways to get into the pilot trade...

Max

 

[observor 69]

Took undergrad courses at RMC and Queen's U and I agree with Niners points. Excellent faculty and small class size versus Queen's. Personaly for my studies Massey Library was great but of course Stouffer is "bigger and better."  Ref McGill , RMC or any civy u each has there individual areas of strength and that is what a decision would have to be based on.

 

[D3V1L6]

Ref McGill , RMC or any civy u each has there individual areas of strength and that is what a decision would have to be based on.

Exactly my point.  However, being an NCM, apparently I spend my time downing ale at the local, and have absolutely no friends or acquaintances that have been to RMC, Civy U or both.

Max: Who said anything about being a military helicopter pilot?  All the action is civy side or with law enforcement.

 

[Journeyman]

Who said anything about being a military helicopter pilot?  All the action is civy side or with law enforcement.

Pardon?! 

I suspect your expertise at judging Civy vs Mil university is exceeded only by your knowledge of current helo ops.
427 SOAR and the SAR Sqns tend to be a wee bit busy 
:


edit: typo