What's a day in the life like at the Naval Academy?

I'm interested in what a typical day involves for a midshipman at the Naval Academy. What time do activities start, and what does the daily schedule look like?

A typical day at the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), also referred to as Annapolis, is highly structured and involves rigorous academic, physical, and military activities. The schedule may vary a bit, but I'll provide you with the gist of a general day.

Here is a generic breakdown of a day:

Wake-up: Around 6:00–6:30 am if there are no early morning workouts or activities. For varsity and club athletes morning workouts can start as early as 5:30 am.

Morning Formation & Breakfast: Starts around 7:00 am. All midshipmen gather in formation, followed by a communal breakfast.

Classes: 7:55 am to about 3:20 pm. Midshipmen are usually scheduled for an average of five to six classes a day, with a few free periods in between. Classes are set with 10 minutes to transition between rooms.

Lunch: Noon to 12:50 pm, which begins with a noon meal formation similar to the morning. This is a communal meal where important announcements may be made.

Afternoon sports period: Most midshipmen participate in a sport or physical activity, such as intramurals or varsity sports practice, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

Study time: After dinner till about midnight (but can vary based on assignment load). This period is for homework, studying, group projects, and plebe (freshman) professional development.

Lights Out: Typically, midshipmen should be in bed by midnight, but some might stay up later due to study needs.

Weekends allow for a bit more flexibility, with less stringent schedules and time for extracurricular activities. However, midshipmen do have some mandatory weekend obligations throughout the year, particularly in their plebe year.

Remember, the USNA is a military institution, so the schedule is highly regimented and requires discipline and organization. Your day is structured around developing you into a leader and future naval officer, so while it can be challenging it's also very exciting and rewarding.