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Standard day
Standard day
Hi everyone, this is my first post here but I have been reading the boards for a while. I found it really helpful and interesting reading the PRMC diaries and I was just wondering if anyone could give me an example of an average day at Lympstone. I have completed the ‘look at life in the Marines’ course, and am about to go on my PRMC (Fingers crossed, I am doing the aptitude tests next week) and I really cant wait to get started!
word of advice mate about your apptitude tests, im going for rmr but there were a few regular lads in my testing session on monday and its the same test for everyone. Its not really a test of intelligence more your ability to think quickly under pressure, you have very little time to complete each question and when you are panicing the verbal reasoning questions are a nightmare. Just to warn you work as quickly as you can and waste absoloutly no time on any one question because you will suffer for it, i was not warned of this and was totally unprepared and found the time limits very tough. Having said that its hard to fail so no need to worry 
ramz
ramz
"per mere per terram" "esprit de corps"
Aptitude tests-PASSED
Medical-PASSED
Interview-PASSED
PJFT-PASSED (7.26)
Aptitude tests-PASSED
Medical-PASSED
Interview-PASSED
PJFT-PASSED (7.26)
From what I remember....
Let's say Week 6 of training as an example.
6-6:30 - Wake up, shower shave make bed. Go for scran.
7-8:00 - Clean accomodation or rooms.
8:30 - 10:30 -Phys
11:00 - 13:00 - Lectures
13:00 - 14:00 - Scran
15:00 - 16:00 - Drill
16:30 - - Scran
Anytime up until 7 or 8 in the night preparing kit etc for next day. Sometimes earlier sometimes later. Some lads are awesome at admin whereas others will struggle.
In RT I was usually getting to bed by about half ten eleven, but to be fair I was on the phone etc. There's also a late evening meal at 9. Get it all down you, you will burn it all off and more.
That's a rough plan, but is about right. It seems nice and chilled out but it's not. Some weeks the margin for changeover is literally seconds so you have to be fast. Plus sometimes phys is in the afternoon so you spend about an hour before getting hyped up for it. Plus there are random bollokings, details (info) and pressups issued throughout the day.
Some troops wake earlier than others, I have to be honest our troop after week 6 had quite a bit of free time, some days we would have literally an hour or so in our rooms to get admin squred away.
It all depends on the team how easy or hard your life is but there is a set timetable in Lympstone.
Please feel free to correct me anyone with more recent experience (I was there in 06', man that's flown).
Let's say Week 6 of training as an example.
6-6:30 - Wake up, shower shave make bed. Go for scran.
7-8:00 - Clean accomodation or rooms.
8:30 - 10:30 -Phys
11:00 - 13:00 - Lectures
13:00 - 14:00 - Scran
15:00 - 16:00 - Drill
16:30 - - Scran
Anytime up until 7 or 8 in the night preparing kit etc for next day. Sometimes earlier sometimes later. Some lads are awesome at admin whereas others will struggle.
In RT I was usually getting to bed by about half ten eleven, but to be fair I was on the phone etc. There's also a late evening meal at 9. Get it all down you, you will burn it all off and more.
That's a rough plan, but is about right. It seems nice and chilled out but it's not. Some weeks the margin for changeover is literally seconds so you have to be fast. Plus sometimes phys is in the afternoon so you spend about an hour before getting hyped up for it. Plus there are random bollokings, details (info) and pressups issued throughout the day.
Some troops wake earlier than others, I have to be honest our troop after week 6 had quite a bit of free time, some days we would have literally an hour or so in our rooms to get admin squred away.
It all depends on the team how easy or hard your life is but there is a set timetable in Lympstone.
Please feel free to correct me anyone with more recent experience (I was there in 06', man that's flown).
Thank you 'GGHT', that’s brilliant. I really appreciate all the advice given on here, but for me that is really interesting. Its something I have been trying to find out for a while now. The 'look at life course' was really good, but I know it was just a mock up and also didn’t cover certain aspects like lectures and as much personnel admin etc, and the phys was a bit different. Thank you for response. Much appreciated.
Could I also trouble you to ask about the phys? Somewhere I read on here that it was swimming mostly for the first few weeks? Is this true? Should I look at doing more swimming training before I go? Thank you for everyone who replies to this post. Like ‘ramz56’, The little bits of advice and help offered may only take you seconds but really helps for me
Could I also trouble you to ask about the phys? Somewhere I read on here that it was swimming mostly for the first few weeks? Is this true? Should I look at doing more swimming training before I go? Thank you for everyone who replies to this post. Like ‘ramz56’, The little bits of advice and help offered may only take you seconds but really helps for me
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LostandFound
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In the first few weeks you tend to do swimming roughly every other day, usually after a gym session. Though the timetable is set out for you, the detail can change depending on circumstances eg a PTI may not be available for whatever reason so you might do weapons earlier in the day and move swimming til last period.
GGHT is right about quick changeovers! A lot of the time you have phys right before lunch, which gives you a bit more time to get showered etc, but if you have phys and then lectures, more often than not you'll get literally 2 mins to get showered, changed, and formed up outside the block. And the poor buggers who are out there waiting for the stragglers are doing pressups the whole time, waiting for the last man. Its all good fun though haha!
Oh, and don't be tempted to skip the shower to save time - you'll get found out, put on dirty recruit, and have to parade all weekend so you can kiss goodbye to those couple of beers you've been looking forward to! But it is done for a reason - keep clean and hygenic, work fast, etc. You get used to it, very quickly....
GGHT is right about quick changeovers! A lot of the time you have phys right before lunch, which gives you a bit more time to get showered etc, but if you have phys and then lectures, more often than not you'll get literally 2 mins to get showered, changed, and formed up outside the block. And the poor buggers who are out there waiting for the stragglers are doing pressups the whole time, waiting for the last man. Its all good fun though haha!
Oh, and don't be tempted to skip the shower to save time - you'll get found out, put on dirty recruit, and have to parade all weekend so you can kiss goodbye to those couple of beers you've been looking forward to! But it is done for a reason - keep clean and hygenic, work fast, etc. You get used to it, very quickly....
BENDSTRETCHBENDSTRETCHBENDSTRETCHBENDSTRETCHBENDSTRETCH!!!!!!!!
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LostandFound
- Member
- Posts: 349
- Joined: Thu 25 Jan, 2007 1:49 pm
- Location: Sniffing knickers....
Dirty recruit is just like being put on report for poor admin, means you havent looked after yourself and deserve a punishment, usually being having to parade/kit muster at times which inconvenience you. Most lads get the message first time round.
With our troop, they didnt take away your shore-pass or anything, but you had to parade on Saturday at 1900, 2045, and 2300, and again on Sunday (depending on whether troop sgt was satisfied you had learned your lesson).
As for swimming phys, its usually a mix. At the start, it was just doing lengths, then they'll mix it up a bit - you'll be doing pressups on the side, then jumping in and doing widths, then pressups, then you'll be told to get in, get out, in, out, in, out etc. Don't wanna give too much away though - spoils the surprise
And dont worry if you're not such a good swimmer, they will identify you and you will get good tuition on how to improve. Its best if you're a good swimmer though. I always quite enjoyed the swimming sessions, even the ones which were a total hang out.
With our troop, they didnt take away your shore-pass or anything, but you had to parade on Saturday at 1900, 2045, and 2300, and again on Sunday (depending on whether troop sgt was satisfied you had learned your lesson).
As for swimming phys, its usually a mix. At the start, it was just doing lengths, then they'll mix it up a bit - you'll be doing pressups on the side, then jumping in and doing widths, then pressups, then you'll be told to get in, get out, in, out, in, out etc. Don't wanna give too much away though - spoils the surprise
And dont worry if you're not such a good swimmer, they will identify you and you will get good tuition on how to improve. Its best if you're a good swimmer though. I always quite enjoyed the swimming sessions, even the ones which were a total hang out.
BENDSTRETCHBENDSTRETCHBENDSTRETCHBENDSTRETCHBENDSTRETCH!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the advice! Dirty recruit is something I don’t want to be labelled as 
I am of a fairly decent standard at swimming, my technique is good, but I know I definitely wont be top of the class so was just a bit concerned.
Off topic but these notices boards are brilliant, thank you to everyone who has posted responses to questions and put up PRMC diaries, all very inspiring, and it gives you the opportunity to ask the questions you forget all about or feel a bit silly to ask at the recruiting office! Thanks!
Got my interview and psychometric tests next Thursday! Cant wait, anyone know how long it will be, between interview and PRMC?
I am of a fairly decent standard at swimming, my technique is good, but I know I definitely wont be top of the class so was just a bit concerned.
Off topic but these notices boards are brilliant, thank you to everyone who has posted responses to questions and put up PRMC diaries, all very inspiring, and it gives you the opportunity to ask the questions you forget all about or feel a bit silly to ask at the recruiting office! Thanks!
Got my interview and psychometric tests next Thursday! Cant wait, anyone know how long it will be, between interview and PRMC?
When it comes to swimming, and the front crawl, do they expect you to swim the proper way all the time. ? ( head in water, taking a breathe after every 3rd stroke or so ) I could never quite master that technique, so I always keep my head above the water when swimming. Would this be a problem, or should I start changing my swimming style ?.
All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing
Letsrole pretty much has it covered, to be honest I forgot about the swimming! Some days you will do normal gym phys in the morning then swimming in the afternoon, or so I remember. Trust me mate compared to the gym or bottom field swimming is a welcome break, much more chilled.Jcooke wrote:Thank you 'GGHT', that’s brilliant. I really appreciate all the advice given on here, but for me that is really interesting. Its something I have been trying to find out for a while now. The 'look at life course' was really good, but I know it was just a mock up and also didn’t cover certain aspects like lectures and as much personnel admin etc, and the phys was a bit different. Thank you for response. Much appreciated.
Could I also trouble you to ask about the phys? Somewhere I read on here that it was swimming mostly for the first few weeks? Is this true? Should I look at doing more swimming training before I go? Thank you for everyone who replies to this post. Like ‘ramz56’, The little bits of advice and help offered may only take you seconds but really helps for me
Phys for the first 9 weeks is gym based circuits. Very intense, very disciplined. It's all geared up for the gym passout at Week 9. It involves a brisk warmup, followed by shuttle runs, jogging and sprints on the spot, pressups , situps rope climbs and the dreaded camp circuits which are a (roughly) 800m sprint outside the perimeter road of CTC. Everyone dreads them. You will be suprised at how fit the gym sessions get you, being something of a runner prior to joining I was sceptical but I jumped on the treadmill on Summer leave and was shocked!
I only did around 3weeks of bottom field phys, it's "man phys" as the troop boss (officer) used to say! Aggressive, balls out speed and strength, a strong upper body and legs that are good at jumping will make life a lot easier down there. I was never the fittest guy in my troop but I could drag myself up pretty much anything which saved me a few times.
One thing I'm not quite conveying here is the atmosphere in which It's conducted. It may seem like a good laugh from what I've described but the entire time you are being watched like hawks by about 6-8 PTI's who are keen to pick up every mistake you make. They will not give you sympathy. Case in point, at around Week 4 I slid awkwardly down the ropes and skinned a deep layer of skin off my fingers. As in, down to red raw flesh. That didnt matter to this particular PTI, he basically rollocked me for "loafing" I did anything but. That injury put paid to me doing more climbs, which meant my technique suffered. The second exercise was horrible because of that. I remember even the training team were shocked when they saw the state of it.
Not trying to put you off just telling CTC as it is. There are definatley PTI's who will willingly see you injure yourself if they have some sort of problem with you. It does happen. This is where you need to use your own judgment, PTI's have superiors also.
Drill instructors and PTI's on their own were sound. In fact they would often ask if everything was ok in the troop.
Sorry to ramble. Any more questions feel free.
bottom field phys, it's "man phys"
..."Welcome to Pain City" as one of the DS said leading us down to our first session. Cracking post by GGHT regarding the atmosphere there, the first person to mention that side of things - it is a bit....erm....uncompromising
If you give it your all and fight through to your second, third, fourth wind then you'll be ok.I found that 'dirty recruits' (we called it 'crabby' recruit) weren't necessarily any dirtier than the rest of us - they were lads singled out for special attention - it sounds harsh but with our troop it tended to be lads who were letting the rest of us down with jack (selfish) behaviour. Plenty of lads made it through that though - I suppose you have to show the DS that they're wrong.
I never had that but I was on 'kitbag routine' for weeks and weeks - one week definitely deserved (insecure locker) but a few weeks on group punishments when I was room i/c and section commander (by virtue of age rather than any particular ability). You have to pack all of your issued kit (a lot of kit) into a seaman's kitbag and haul it around with you every where you go.
Reference the daily routine, I don't recall finishing any admin before midnight - not trying to big time it, admittedly I didn't take to that side of things, but perhaps things have changed - probably for the better. I never thought I'd be able to fall asleep standing up - obviously taking it all in
As above, don't let that put you off - there are reasons for all of these things and whatever they do (a) they can't kill you and (b) they can't make you pregnant
They want men who can put up with all that so the mantra is "I'm a rubber ducky.....you can't crack me"
Last edited by Sully on Fri 22 Aug, 2008 10:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
Per Flank, Per Tank
Love it. Some really interesting insights, and as they always tell you I guess they are just trying to install the right mental attitude, and I suppose that is something you have to discover from within whilst you are there. I love the mantra though. Made me smile and is definitely something I will take with me whilst I am there. "I am a rubber ducky" he he
Aye,
If you take that, a bit of determination, some balls and a sense of humour down there with you you're almost there. They'll do the rest
I did it about 17 years ago so take a lot of what I say with a pinch of salt - these lads can provide more up to date details but the basics and the type of men they're after (and get) haven't changed one bit.
Good luck bud.
If you take that, a bit of determination, some balls and a sense of humour down there with you you're almost there. They'll do the rest
I did it about 17 years ago so take a lot of what I say with a pinch of salt - these lads can provide more up to date details but the basics and the type of men they're after (and get) haven't changed one bit.
Good luck bud.
Per Flank, Per Tank
