This whole experience has really been an awesome one aboard the T.S. Golden Bear. I think that everyone got a great deal from the experiences we had. So if you are thinking about boarding the Golden Bear next spring, here are some helpful insights that might help you decide: GO!!!!!!!!!

Now, I know it's a lot more complicated than that, because I went through the same process as you are going through right now. But I guarantee you it will be an experience that is worth everything you put into it. You meet so many awesome people on the ship, its really amazing the amount of really good friends you will meet and bring back to Cal Poly from your journey through the seas. The ports are amazing as well; each day was full of fun, excitement, and exhaustion. And whenever you get a little bored with schoolwork, you can go and look at the sun reflecting off the endless horizon. It is an amazing sight I will not soon forget. All of the positives far outweighed the negatives on this trip and I really suggest you take this opportunity. I had a really awesome time!!

Don't get me wrong though, there are some things that you must deal with to enjoy all those positives. The daily clean sweep down gets rather old, drills seem to be a total waste of your time, and muster is sometimes a joke; but CMA really does a great job on this trip. They have these rules for reasons, so take the bad with the good and take it in stride. The food on the ship is rather good considering the circumstances (Oh My My Are the Deserts Somethin' Special!!), and the CMA cadets usually have a friendly way about them. Housing is not that bad once you get used to the tight spaces. Make sure you bring an egg crate or a soft mattress of some sort; you don't want to be on the hard mattresses all cruise.

When getting ready for the trip, you really don't need all that much stuff. I am an over packer and brought far too much, and now that I have to take it home it is a pain in the rear. As far as classes go, you have to realize that the professors are putting 10 weeks of classes into roughly 2/3 of the number of school days. So it really isn't a small workload (for the students as well as the teachers) I found myself doing a lot of studying on this cruise, but what a great place to study right. AHAHAHAHA!! If you don't like to study, only take 12 units; if you don't mind it then you will be fine with more. I thought getting to know my professors on this trip was a great thing; there aren't too many environments where you can get to know each of your professors as well as you can on the TSGB.

The one thing to remember when going on the cruise is to come with an open mind. Don't let the small stuff (school, quarters, drill, clean sweepdown, etc, etc) bother you or your whole cruise will suck horribly. Take 15 minutes from each day and go look at the ocean, it's a sight you won't forget. Keep yourself in a positive frame of mind and you will do great, its all about your attitude when it comes to enjoying things like this, so bring a good one and the rest of the stuff will fall into place.

P.S. - Be very careful when chasing after roommates - if you slip on the bath mat and dislocate your knee and miss your day at Nuku Hiva, you will be very disappointed.