PLEASE HELP...COT specific questions

rghbsn, BSN, RN · Jan 16, 2011

hello all,
i have found great information about cot through these threads and on websites (air force and maxwell afb) but i have a few pretty specific questions.
i spoke with an air force health recruiter and was told that there is an hpsp scholarship i can apply for (i want to complete my nurse practitioner) and that the max age is 48 years old. i'll be 41 if all goes well when i complete the program.
on the websites, the daily schedules differ a bit. one states fitness begins at 05:00-06:00 and the other states 05:15-06:00; i'm wondering wondering which is correct and what exactly do you do. i've read up on the passing requirements so i am assuming that running, sit ups, and push ups are part of it. also, what time can you actually go to bed? one site has it at 9:00pm and the other state 11:00pm. i'm just thinking that if you can't go to bed until 11 and have to be out at the field by 5 am over a couple of weeks it may really take its toll.
well, 15 min doesn't really make a difference, but 0500 is when we started. there is running, sprints, push ups, sit ups, leg lifts, planks, jumping jacks, all the standard stuff. as far as when you can go to bed...depends. do you need to read in depth to study? can you just skim the material and get what you need? i wouldn't plan on earlier than 2100. ever, lol. it does take a toll...and you just push through. no big deal. if you end up as part of the leadership, you may not get more than 3-4 hrs of sleep per night.
what ages of people were in cot? are the push ups modified for females? i can barely do ten, but i am working on it with my current exercise program.
there are people of all ages. folks straight from college, folks who have been in practice for 10-15 years. no, they do not modify pushups for women. as far as push ups go, check out welcome to onehundredpushups.com - search results for "onehundredpushups.com"
please, any specifics will help. do you have time on the weekends to go to the bx if you need to pick things up? do you wear your uniform? how difficult is the curriculum?
you kind of earn privileges to go shopping...you will wear some form of uniform at all times with few exceptions...either pt gear, abu's or blues.
i appreciate your help. any and all specific information is greatly appreciated.

i hope some of that helps!

luvbug080688 · Jan 16, 2011

the echo what was already said to some of the questions....- My roommate and I woke up before we were supposed to be allowed every morning. You will learn that to be on time is frowned upon and you need to be early...for everything practically. - PT in the morning was stretching, abs, Insanity/P90X moves, running, etc, etc. - The earliest I ever went to bed at COT was 2200 I believe and that was a night I should have stayed up much later but threw in the towel because I was too tired to stay up. 5 Hour Energy will become your friend. I had one on me at all times. - Ages were all different. I was the youngest in my flight (22) and my roommate was old enough to be my mother. - No mods for females. Just a lower minimum. Start working on them now. Do 5 a day for a week, then 7, etc, etc. The program mentioned is awesome.- Don't expect to be able to the OTS complex for a couple of weeks and then you probably won't leave Maxwell at all until the last weekend you are there- Uniforms are a must. No ifs, ands, or buts about it- Curriculm is intense. Study when you can. It's a lot of information in a small amount of time.

midinphx, BSN · Jan 17, 2011

The official bed time for COT is lights out by 2330. We snuck to stay up until midnight. Official wake up is no earlier than 0430. We cheated an had the alarm go off at 0400.

There are no modified pushups in the military. After age 40 though, you only need to do 11 to pass... every 6 months. so don't Ever let up on fitness.

Age? There was a 19yo HSPS kid there with me. I was 42. There was a 54 yo doctor. The age spectrum is wide and varied. I don't think we had any age related problems.

COT is only 5 weeks of your life. Don't sweat the small stuff. COT is nothing but the beginning of a lifetime. :)

cacentralvalley · Jan 17, 2011

Thank you Midinphx....you sound so encouraging.

Yammar · Jan 22, 2011

I am at COT now (11-02) and we wake up about 0415 the day starts and we form up outside arounf 0445 to march to class. The days are long and do not end until arounf 1900, but then there are meetings for all the different flight and group positions. You have heaps of stuff to read (i have not yet had the chance to read any of it). the tests are unique and you do not have PT but a few times here and there.

It can be stressful, but in a way it has been VERY fun. We are all in the same boat and they want to see how you perform under stress and how you learn from mistakes. Whatever you do, do not be afraid of making mistakes. I have been yelled at and corrected more times than i can count and at first it rattled me. Now, I let it roll of my back.

cacentralvalley · Jan 28, 2011

Thank you so much Yammer. Do you get any down time on the weekends to catch up on laundry and studying?

Yammar · Jan 29, 2011

Thank you so much Yammer. Do you get any down time on the weekends to catch up on laundry and studying?

Down time is very little. We get back to the dorms around 1900. Additional group duties/meetings can take away personal time. I am usually in my room around 2000. Each evening we have reading assignments, computer tests and additional project. The laundry facilities on each floor is free and it is not an issue.

This week we have had three days in a row of PT (strength, 5k, and endurance) and many of us have not had the chance to wash our PT gear - we stank mighty bad!!

COT is not hard! They pile tons of stuff on you and you really have to priortize what you can and cannot do. It is a test to see how you can deal with stress and work as a team. There are many leadership breakdowns at every level and it can frustrate the hell out of you, but you shut up an color!

The biggest issue I have is the amount of money we are required to spend. Every few days we go back to afes/shoppette and put down another $50 to $100 and it never ends. As officers we pay for our uniforms and the group leadership comes out with new requirements on a daily basis and changes all the time!!

You have one thing you can control when you step onto maxwell, your attitude. Show up with a positive attitude and understand you will mess up and you will get yelled at (corrected). It is not personal and it is for your own good. This experience can be as good or bad as you decide. We came here of our own free will and many of us fought to get here,so embraceit and learn from it. I myself an grateful to be here and would do it all over again ifgiven the chance.

Good luck!!

w2cross2blue · Jan 29, 2011

Thanks, Yammar, for taking the time to share with those of us waiting to go what it is like! Good luck with your studies, you are more than halfway finished now!

Travelcrazy · Feb 2, 2011

For those of you who have already gone or are at cot now, should I have my rank sewn on all my abu's or just on one pair?

jentrump29 · Feb 2, 2011

It's nice to have rank sewn on, but it's not a big deal to have pin-on. If you have the option to do so prior to COT, then go for it, especially on the hat. I had pin-on for my hat and it dug into my forehead, which is totally uncomfortable! The other plus to having it sewn on is you know it's in the right place, and you don't have to remove it for laundry.

Travelcrazy · Feb 2, 2011

Thank you!