A Week With Alli DeYoung
Monday
My week starts bright and early, and I’m at formation at 0710 – it’s how every morning from Monday through Thursday starts. I have classes all day, starting with two license prep classes, one that’s mathematics based and the other is operations based. Then I go to Brokerage and Chartering, a class that gives marine transportation students a good business foundation (and is part of my maritime business administration minor), and last is Maritime Medical Care, which covers everything from immediate trauma response to first aid. The Maritime Medical Care labs are hands-on – we get to practice pressure dressings and splinting each other, we learn CPR and spinal immobilization on a backboard. I like to joke with my classmates that it feels like Grey’s Anatomy.
Tuesday
On Tuesdays, I have Admiralty Law class and then work in the Counseling and Career Services Office the rest of the day. I also have ZOPT 100, which is designated for license prep now that I’m a senior. In order to graduate, I have to pass my Coast Guard license exam, which will credential me as a third mate. In ZOPT we typically go through test questions and take practice tests, although sometimes we do career development with different companies or organizations.
Tuesday evenings, I go to Women on the Water meetings. Women on the Water is a national organization with chapters at each of the maritime academies across the country with a mission to support anyone – but especially women – who want to work in the offshore industry. It’s cool because it’s like a sisterhood. We’re a tight knit group of girls. We rotate each week between professional development and fun meetings (like board games and baking). You get the best of both worlds.
Wednesday
After formation, we have physical training, or PT, on Wednesdays. We usually play football or ultimate frisbee between the companies, although we fit marching practice and other activities in there too. I have the same classes as Monday, with maintenance on the ship in addition. It’s lots of chipping and painting, and sometimes we do safety or equipment inspections. Honestly, it’s a little therapeutic for me, especially after a rough day. I think it’s fun and it gives me a chance to kind of clear my mind and focus on just getting the job done.
Wednesday evenings, I have our weekly practice for the Hearn Honor Guard and also go to Student Government Association where I’m one of two corps representatives. I love serving in our student government – it challenges me to do things that I never thought I was going to do, and I get to work with people that I wouldn’t normally get to cross paths otherwise.
Thursday
On Thursdays, I go to Admiralty Law again and then back to the counseling and career services office for my job. I really like being able to help other students with career prep and their personal situations. It feels so good to get to see people getting excited about making their personal and professional goals happen. I also enjoy all of the extra career prep that I get from working in the office.
After work, I head to the gym, and then it’s time to get ready for Midnight Yell. There’s a saying at the Galveston Campus that the Sea Aggies are twice as redass because we do Midnight Yell twice. I think it’s true. For every Midnight Yell, each company in the corps dresses up in a different theme and competes for a spirit award. I was previously in Delta 2, but now that I’m in corps leadership I dress up with them. It’s one of the highlights of my week – it’s basically a big party with all your friends.
Friday
I spend most of my Fridays studying for license.
It’s a seven part exam:
- One chart plot, which is basically planning your route on a big map. It’s like a little adventure on paper,
- Two navigational math sections which include terrestrial and celestial navigation, and
- Four general knowledge sections.
You have to get a certain score on each section to pass. I’m planning to take it this winter, and like everyone else, I hope to only take it once. [Editor’s Note: DeYoung passed her license exam on the first try!] I’ve already had my first interview for a job as a third mate, but I have to pass license before I can move forward in the application process. I did my commercial sea term with Norwegian Cruise Lines on the Pride of America and absolutely loved it, so I’m hoping to work on cruise ships.
Saturday
Saturdays in the fall are reserved for Aggie Football. The games are so hype! When “Power” starts playing and everyone starts spinning their towels, the energy just goes crazy. I get the chills just thinking about it. It’s an experience that cannot be replicated anywhere else.
As a Galveston student, we take our classes about 150 miles down the road from the College Station campus, and the football games make me feel so much more part of the university.
The culture at Texas A&M was a big reason why I wanted to go to school here. I had always wanted to go to a maritime academy but I wanted to have a real college experience. Being part of A&M as a whole is so cool for me. I also hate the cold, so it really worked out well.
Sunday
I try to leave Sundays open for rest and homework. After a corps leadership meeting in the evening, it’s time to get ready to do it all over again in the week ahead.
Media Contact
Taylor Bounds
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409-740-4929