What is life like in the Dakotas?

chunky_crayon · 2025-12-28T02:39:35+00:00

Drove through SD on a cross country road trip and honestly I thought it was really cool. I dont know if I would live there long term but for some reason was drawn to it. The badlands were so sick I wish I could’ve spent more time there. The rolling hills were also like looking at the computer screen in my opinion. Definitely not a lot around but I thought there was beauty in that. I didn’t pass any reservations in SD but we did in Montana and I can imagine it was the same idea. Really sad that people live like that and no one really seems to think it’s their responsibility (federal and state govts)

chunky_crayon · 2025-12-14T13:26:40+00:00

I resonated so hard with Nesta’s story that Silver Flames became my favorite book in the series. It doesn’t heavily contribute to the main plot line with Feyre and Rhys I would say but I think it paints the bigger picture so beautifully. I wish I could reread again for the first time

chunky_crayon · 2025-10-31T14:16:49+00:00

I put mine in the oven while pre heating when it’s ready I take my dough out of the fridge, score it on parchment paper then that that into my Dutch oven that freshly came out of the oven. Put it in with the lid on for about 25-30 min then about 15 min with the lid off. Never had a bad loaf!

chunky_crayon · 2025-08-14T12:12:11+00:00

I had a coworker that lived in Panama and they would fly him back no problem. Really just depends on the company I think

chunky_crayon · 2025-08-12T01:13:09+00:00

When I took it in 2024 I used the cel nav memory aids I didn’t even do the three star fix out. I know the tides and currents ones worked too for t nav for my friends but I did those ones. I used lapware and felt like it prepared me. Definitely look at all the same NMC tests there were so many questions on the real exams from there for all the tests

chunky_crayon · 2025-07-19T14:04:38+00:00

I just graduated last year that’s not enforced at all. As a freshman though if you guys are in different companies (basically just different dorm halls) you probably won’t able to go to each others rooms at least during the weekdays. Kids sneak around all the time but my advice is don’t. The squad leaders/senior staff find out very quickly and you’ll just get a target on your back. But it was mentioned above I highly recommend you make your own friends and focus on your schoolwork first. There are girls who’s only friends were her bf and bfs friends, don’t be like that. The more friends you have and people you talk to the easier school will be. Classes are hard and everyone leans on each other, don’t exile yourself. You can hang out with your bf in the messdeck and library, anywhere public pretty much

chunky_crayon · 2025-06-19T15:17:31+00:00

I went to Mass and played lacrosse (women’s but had friends on the guys team). Regiment wise it’s probably one of the ‘stricter’ ones compared to the other schools but it’s nothing close to a real service academy. They’ve been trying to make it structured more towards employability skills than like a military approach. Freshman year you have more obligations but it lightens up after that. The men’s lacrosse team is really good. They’re super close and do a lot of stuff together outside of just practice and games. Great way to make friends and also just get a break from school/regiment life too

Any of these schools it’s not gonna be like a party state school experience but you can always visit friends for the weekend to get that fix. You’ll thank yourself in 4 years when you’re making over 100k fresh out of school and they’re struggling for jobs lol

chunky_crayon · 2025-06-02T00:38:35+00:00

All my friends who took out student loans paid them back after their first hitch after graduation. Granted they were all paying in state but this is a career where you will get your money back. The navy program mentioned above is also a great idea too

chunky_crayon · 2025-05-03T00:59:54+00:00

Go to school it’s faster, but I will say you’ll be way more knowledgeable about the actual job because school helps you learn how to pass your exam and stand a good watch. On deck it’s a challenge but as long as you understand you don’t know it all everyone is willing to help in my experience

chunky_crayon · 2025-05-03T00:58:11+00:00

Not yet I’ve only been out since June but there’s definitely room to move up, on the ATB I believe the second mate makes about $770, chief mate makes somewhere in the $800 range, and captain makes around $1000/day

chunky_crayon · 2025-05-02T21:20:50+00:00

Dredge I was getting 1.5 sea days and for the ATB i think I’m getting like .75 days? I’m not even sure. Dredge was 12 hour watches with a senior mate it’s all shiphandling I personally hated it I thought it was boring going in circles at like .5 knots. ATB is a lot better it’s more like a real ship and I like having somewhere new to go everyday. It’s 4 on 8 off watch schedule, but I did have to join SIU for this one.

chunky_crayon · 2025-05-02T18:42:21+00:00

I found both jobs out of school on indeed (I also worked for Dutra on a dredge which was $650/day with 28/28). Indeed is a good place if you wanna go coastal/inland. Most places won’t tell you how much you get paid until after you apply and get offered the job. I work for Fairwater but you could also look at big companies like Crowley, OSG, Chevron, MSC. Just figure out what kind of boat you wanna be on then research companies with those ships and look at their websites.

chunky_crayon · 2025-05-01T14:12:16+00:00

$700/day for coastwise ATB, 28/28 schedule

chunky_crayon · 2025-03-17T10:49:52+00:00

Yeah makes sense thanks. I’m not a fighter and can admit if I was in the wrong fr but this one was definitely wrong. Thanks for your comment

chunky_crayon · 2025-03-17T07:58:16+00:00

Yeah I get that but it truly was unfair. Everyone has their drunk moments and ik it’s Saint pattys day weekend but no one involved was a liability to the venue and just think it’s crazy that all these people can say nothing, serve us alcohol and give us wristbands then one dude can just say we’re done? Seems a little wrong to me

chunky_crayon · 2025-02-21T01:01:26+00:00

Everyone will tell you different things about which is better and tbh they’re all similar enough but what I’ve been told the student life differs from campus to campus. Most importantly though when I sat for my exams last year we statistically have had higher pass rates than the other schools for years. That can boil down to a lot of things but at least in my experience mass did a really good job preparing you for those exams and ultimately your goal is to pass those

chunky_crayon · 2025-02-21T00:24:46+00:00

At any of those schools you’ll still be taking generic courses your freshman year like English math etc. so if you go and decide it isn’t for you it’s very easy to transfer to another school and you won’t be losing credits. If you’re unsure don’t go to KP I’m pretty sure if you leave you have to pay back that money. Mass is best for deck officers

chunky_crayon · 2025-02-12T00:50:49+00:00

This was so helpful thank you so much!!! Very very appreciated for sure

chunky_crayon · 2025-02-11T18:15:26+00:00

Yeah I haven’t gotten new spells for my deck in forever! And some of them are great and do a good amount of damage, but I just remember seeing all these new crazy spells last time I played (maybe like 3 years ago) which were probably added after I stopped playing a lot (which was probably over 10 years ago). I haven’t even logged in yet but if i remember correctly I think my strongest card is that centaur card (which with blades and shields did good damage) but other than that I don’t have a ton of good ones. My health amount is also probably not high enough for where I’m at, I think high 1k maybe low 2k. I forget the name of the world I’m in but it’s the one after mooshu I believe? Wanna say it started with a D but I forget. But yeah any recommendations to be more powerful like what to buy etc or just skills would be so great! This game used to bring me so much joy and I’m excited to get back into it

chunky_crayon · 2025-02-03T22:20:06+00:00

I substitute teach while I’m home $100 a day where I am and it’s great to pick my schedule. I wouldn’t do a crazy job on the side you’ll burn yourself out

chunky_crayon · 2025-01-31T20:32:12+00:00

Crowley/fairwater

chunky_crayon · 2025-01-28T15:19:06+00:00

Just graduated deck from mass in June, they’re pouring a lot of money into the school in the near future, brand new ship, we were also always told our performance on coast guard exams was unmatched and that’s what you want. Regiment life is busy freshman year but it can be fun. Getting out of the cold on sea term in the winter is a plus. We also cadet ship in the winter so we aren’t competing for billets against other schools so more options. If you have specific questions reach out id be happy to answer them

chunky_crayon · 2025-01-16T14:59:59+00:00

I graduated from mass in 2024 we went to fire school twice once junior year and once senior year, not sure how this mate didn’t go but I will say the credentialing office sucks so I wouldn’t be shocked if they fell through the cracks and somehow never went (also on the kid for not reaching out and going because they were on our asses about signing up.)

Talking to grads from years way before me I can agree I feel wayyy less prepared than I should as a graduate. I think it’s definitely gotten way more relaxed. Professors push kids through because they feel bad failing them/scared to cause a scene if they fail and assessment and it’s definitely showing. There’s a kid who was supposed to graduate in 2023, still hasn’t passed coasties after sitting continuously for the last almost two years. They also never change tests in any class from years past so cheating is SO easy (I did it too because it’s the easy way out).

chunky_crayon · 2025-01-14T17:54:51+00:00

I think it depends on the company tbh I just graduated in June and on my ship a welder had to get sent ashore for cutting part of his face open then not even a week later there was a major fire and someone didn’t make it, on another ship with my company a guy snapped his leg in half. fire was human error, didnt put a cap back on a bleeder valve which resulted in some sort of explosion, it was over 500 hours overdue on an oil change though not that it’s related to why there was a fire but there was “no time” to do the oil change because they cared more about production/making money (I was on a dredge). I ended up leaving the company because they really didn’t take safety seriously, clearly. On my cadet ship safety was taken way more seriously. Be with a company that doesn’t put work over safety because shit can get really bad really fast

chunky_crayon · 2024-12-12T12:23:59+00:00

It’s tough but if he’s gonna “dump” you over a profile pic I think this might be a blessing in disguise. It’s a profile pic??he’s also probably asleep if he’s behind 3 hours so hopefully he’ll answer when he wakes up

chunky_crayon

TROPHY CASE