Two weeks until the academy...

[jatty26]

I have two weeks until I start the academy. I can run and do push-ups in my sleep, and sometimes even dream of doing them. Any last bits of advice?

[acreature]

Pay Attention

[Gooch]

Take good notes.
Keep your mouth shut unless asked a direct question.
Stay away from the know-it-alls.
Get anal about your appearance and uniform.

[Sleuth]

Ears and eyes open, mouth only open for valid questions. Focus on whatever is hardest for you (law, report writing), back off on the stuff you find easy. Remember, you will have an entire career to shoot ammo you did not buy from someone else's guns.
Best of luck to you.

[JD45]

Don't be the one guy/girl that sticks out in the academy for bad reasons...

[scott715us]

I remember when 2 weeks before my academy. Pretty exciting. Good advice from the others. ;)

[slim202cop]

I have two weeks until I start the academy. I can run and do push-ups in my sleep, and sometimes even dream of doing them. Any last bits of advice?

Don't forget about the situps.

[Nole795]

Every academy class has the following people:

A. Mr. "I know everything there is about law enforcement."
B. Mr. Show Off
C. Mr. Lazy
D. Mr. No Common Sense Whatsoever

Don't be anyone of them. Cops talk with instructors, and your attitude in the academy will be known at the dept. you work for. Take the advice of everyone who has posted. Congrats on your acceptance.

[samseed101]

Don't be the one guy/girl that sticks out in the academy for bad reasons...

In addition, don't be the guy that sticks out for good reasons either. At least not at first. It may sound weird, but for the first few weeks you want to be the invisible guy. You don't want to be a Private Pyle, but you don't want to be super-know-it-all-do-it-all either. You don't want to draw any attention to yourself. Your best bet is to pay attention to detail and do what you are supposed to when you are supposed to. After things settle in, you can start to excel a bit. But in the beginning everything you do is going to be wrong no matter how good you are at it, so just remain as invisible as possible

[lindat2957]

And remember no matter how shiney your shows are, they won't be shiney enough, no matter how pressed the uniform, there will always be a thread.....Point being, look sharp, study hard, keep doing the physical stuff,,,but no matter what there will always be something that you will either end up writing a memo for or doing push-ups for. My acadeny classic, on memos, was why there was a gnat in a recruits gun
It will happne brush it off and accept it, and no matter what, no matter how tired you are, no matter how much you hurt, no matter how much they yell
, never ever QUIT! Good Luck!

[Group9]

Don't be the one guy/girl that sticks out in the academy for bad reasons...

Another way to put it is to be "the gray man". If the instructors are still having to ask you what your name is in the last couple of weeks, that is a good thing.

[slim202cop]

Another way to put it is to be "the gray man". If the instructors are still having to ask you what your name is in the last couple of weeks, that is a good thing.

That's true. My class Sergeant finally learned my name the week before Graduation. She had picked me to get my class squared away in terms of reciting the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics.

At first I sort of felt left out because no class officer/instructor, class Sgt. or Lt. could remember my name. Then I thought well maybe it was because I stayed "under the radar."
I didn't complain ONCE while in the academy(still don't while on the streets). I call everyone "Sir" or "Ma'am". I was always the one that showed up one hour before morning formation.

That thing about the instructors not knowing your name until it is time to graduate is definitely A GOOD THING!

[oscarmitre]

Work with the information you're given. Unless you have an eidetic memory it will be hard to assimilate the information you get so put it in context. Envision yourself doing the things that your instructors tell you. Ask why that information is important. Put yourself in the uniform and in the scene and in your own mind imagine yourself doing those things and try to understand why you are doing them.

And laugh at your instructor's jokes (that's easy by the way, if they're smiling they're making a joke) and admire their war stories - it's how cops really learn :D

Best of luck to you.

[Cinnamon]

Everyone had great advice....But also, don't forget to have fun! Work your butt off, without trying to stress yourself out too much...not sure if I made sense or not on that, so just remember to HAVE FUN. I say that, because there's a saying, "once you find a job you love, you will never have to work again".

[jatty26]

WOW! The advice is great. I'm nervous in an excited kind of way. I will keep all of the info in mind. Everyone I have talked to has said the same things. Lay low, do your best, shut up, keep the uni clean/pressed, and so on. Thanks again for all who posted replies. I'll try to check-in from time to time, but I'm sure I won't have any time Thanks