Well, this journey is definitely a test of my patience. I was supposed to take the AFAST tomorrow, talked to my recruiter earlier today and everything to finalize stuff...only to get a call about 10 minutes ago saying that he forgot to do the projection paperwork. No AFAST tomorrow, in other words. Rescheduled for January 6th.

Trying to look at this as a blessing in disguise. At least now I'll have more time to study, although I really just wanted to get it over with and done.

Welcome to the Army, folks!

LASIK

Just got home from a LASIK consultation in Portland - my surgery date is set for January 21st!! I'm stoked - ready to not be blind as a bat.

Oh, and my eyesight is within the Army's pre-op requirements! This means I won't end up needing an Exception to Policy (ETP), which is a major relief.

ASVAB

Erm...all I know is that as I sat in the waiting room after I'd received the envelope with my scores (not allowed to open it at that point), I was thinking about retaking it. The electronics and mechanical sections really screwed with my nerves, even though I knew they didn't count for the AFQT or GT Scores.

Anyway:

99 AFQT
139 GT

I still can't believe it.

AFAST on Wednesday the 16th...going to study my butt off for that one, definitely.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon. I was supposed to have it on Monday, but due to a paperwork mix-up, was turned away. Will update afterwards.

Pressure

Holy mother of God, it's December. When did that happen? All of a sudden everything becomes way more pressing and urgent; deadlines are fast approaching, and the amount of studying I have to do the first half of this month isn't even funny.

I've got a little whiteboard in my room that has calendar markings. I wiped November clean and filled in everything that's going on for December...

A brief summary:

The rest of this week (Dec. 2 - Dec. 5) 
Class all day Thursday, with three papers due (and this is without procrastinating...)
Two Letter of Recommendation interviews

Next week (Dec. 6 - Dec. 12)
ASVAB on Monday - need to study like hell for that
Class all day Tuesday
Class all day Thursday + 2 finals
Drive down to Portland on Friday to get another LASIK consultation
Volunteer at the USO on Saturday

Week of Dec. 13-19
USO on Monday
Final on Tuesday + Research Paper & Extra Credit due
AFAST on Wednesday - also need to study VERY hard for this test
Final on Thursday
Friday - ideally, I'll get LASIK on this day, but this is dependent on a number of factors.

Not to mention the studying I've been doing for Helicopter ground school. I'm aiming to complete at least the PPL and Commercial written tests before I apply for the May/June WOFT boards. Why not?

Also working on the previously mentioned AOPA ASF Courses and FEMA Courses. I need to figure out a way to scrounge up some money so I can convert the FEMA courses to college credit; around $300 for four courses.

I also have a goal of completing my "Why I want to be an Army Aviator" Essay and Resume by Christmas. My present to myself = less stress. :)

The good news is that by the end of December I'll have completed a lot of things on my WOFT To-Do List. After that it's just waiting for the LoRs to roll in, wait the 3 months after LASIK for my MEPS physical and Flight Physical, take the APFT (need to get in better shape...), and (*gulp*) go before the Battalion Board.

Sorry for the rambling!

Online Courses!

I love online courses, especially free ones. I was informed about the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's (AOPA) Air Safety Foundation (ASF) Program, which is a series of online, interactive modules on the AOPA's website that focus on pilot safety, weather, GPS technology, runway safety, etc. After the completion of a module, it shows up on your ASF Course Transcript, and you can print off a certificate if you have a current pilot's license.

Unfortunately, I haven't yet obtained my Student Pilot's License, which I don't need until I solo, but I think I'll go grab it anyway. At least then I can start accumulating these certificates, which can then be used for the FAA's WINGS program, and is another WOFT resume-builder, hopefully. At any rate, these courses are extremely interesting and I've learned a lot so far.

Completed:
1) Runway Safety
2) Do the Right Thing: Decision-Making for Pilots

Next step: take my 3rd Class Medical exam so I can get my Student Pilot certificate!

Been teaching myself "The Flight Environment" out of the Schweizer Pilot Manual. For the most part, extremely interesting. Even airport lighting was interesting once I re-evaluated it after a good night's sleep. :D

Working on Airspace (Class A, B, C, D, E, G) now...some of it is interesting but at the moment it is just confusing. Not as straightforward as I was hoping...