I think it's time that your are considering coming on the TS Golden Bear. I have had an amazing time that I will remember for the rest of my life. I would highly recommend this to my friends; however, there are certain types of people who would benefit more than others from this trip and there are some things you need to watch out for when you do come aboard.

There are certain qualities you should have if you are planning on joining up with CMA. For instance, you absolutely need to be ready for adventure. This is the one time in your life when you can just drop everything for two months and see the world, so take advantage of it. There are a lot of CMA cadets who look forward to ports just for the bars, but they are missing out. You have to have the guts to get out there and be an extreme tourist.

Another quality you must have is that you have to be ready to meet new people. Everyone here is looking forward to meeting you even if they don't seem like it at first. The only way they they won't like you is if you stay in a little Cal Poly clique. Try to meet everyone on the ship because the more people you know, the more fun you will have on the ship and in port.

You definitely cannot be a pushover. If you come on this trip and are easily pushed around or taken advantage of, you'll be doing a lot of someone else's work. Although it is looked down upon not to obey authority here, you should not obey everyone . Just remember that you're the one that is paying for most of the trip so you deserve at least some respect.

Finally, you have to be a hard worker. The work around here is really menial so don't complain about having to sweep down while the CMA cadets are cleaning up and down the ship every day. The work can also be a lot of fun because you get to meet new people and get to know them better. My really good friends turned out to be the cadets I met while working on CC (kitchen duty).

Now, I love this trip a lot and I would not give up this experience for the world (hey, I might even go again), but there are some things to watch out for on here that I would have liked to know about before I came aboard. First and foremost, pack as much as you want. I was scared to bring too much stuff and have to walk it all up in front of a bunch of sailors, but they brought just as much if not more than the rest of us. Don't bring too many civilian clothes (enough to wear in port) because you're going to love living in a uniform. The most important things to bring are comfort items like blankets, pictures of friends, music, and teddy bears (don't worry, even the guys have them). After two months, it's nice to have some things around from the real world. Also, don't forget to bring fun things like surfboards, guitars, or snorkel gear. Even if you don't know how to use it, there are always opportunities to learn.

Everyone in the past has said to watch out for the CMA guys, which can be somewhat true. You just have to have your street smarts up at all times around them, but they really are great people. The majority of the people I hung out with were from CMA, and I guarantee you that you will end up hanging out with them too because it is a small ship. The boys can get a little desperate after two months at sea so girls need to be careful, but if you find the good ones (and they are around) they're as completely harmless as any guy at Cal Poly. Also, the CMA girls tend to be shyer around Cal Poly people so don't hesitate to talk to them because they are really awesome once you get to know them. Oh, and never get into any relationships with the guys on the ship; just trust me on that one.

Another important factor on the ship is what you actually do when you're at sea for two weeks straight. You don't always want to be doing class work so you're going to find some times when things get a little boring. To have fun, most people around here watch movies all the time. There is always a movie playing somewhere on the ship, so get ready to catch up on all the movies you have missed over the years. Everyone will love you if you bring your own movie collection because sometimes Pirate's Cove is lacking in that department. There are always people around who are ready to play cribbage, poker, board games, or do puzzles. I know that a lot of people regret not bringing water guns because being bored on an enclosed ship with the same people for two months can make people go a little crazy. We enjoyed playing with the hardhats (head jousting), line dancing in the halls, and just plain running around like idiots, but I'm sure you'll think of something more creative.

One of the biggest decisions for me before coming and after everything was paid was which type of room to get. Fortunately for us, we had a small group so we all had to have staterooms. It would have been nice to get the two hundred dollars back by living in lower berthing, but I'm really glad I was in the nicer rooms. First off, the staterooms are on the same level with the seniors (CMA) so the maturity level is slightly higher than the freshmen on the deck below. Also, we got to take a look at lower berthing and I'm a tough girl, but I could not see myself living there for two months. A good hint is that if it's possible, you might want to get to the move-in day at least forty five minutes early because I did and I got a state room with only one other roommate (there are supposed to be three to a room). Choose however you want, but I definitely recommend the staterooms.

Last but not least, the biggest thing about this trip that would make me not want to go again are the classes. I'm a business major so I took all GE courses, but the teachers treat you like you should know everything just like the biology and physics majors that come on board. Also, I have not done so much busy work since high school. It's a great break from all of my hard major classes, but it gets annoying when you know you should be doing something more productive than getting points for looking at a star for an oceanography class. The teachers can be fun, but they expect you to put everything down just for their class. Even though it is two whole months that you are spending with them, you hardly see them, so they may think you are their friend but you may think something completely different. I would just recommend getting all your work done and staying out of their way no matter how much they try to talk your ear off in your free time.

I hope I haven't scared you off, because I really loved this trip. It would be stupid for you not to take this amazing opportunity. With this letter I just want to make sure that you know exactly what to expect because all I heard was, "It was great". So, have a great time, bring a lot of film or a digital camera and have a blast. Give up reality for two months and I guarantee you, you will never regret it.