Although boot camp will be tough physically, you won't be able to make it through if you are not prepared mentally. There are few key things to keep in mind to stay strong mentally:

1. Drill Instructors treat everyone equally.
2. Don't take the yelling personally.
3. Stay positive.

The minute you get to boot camp you will be yelled at. Everything will be chaos for you as you are thrown into this new world. You will immediately begin standing in formation, standing at attention, and marching everywhere you go.

Everything will be going at a very fast pace. You won't have time to think about much of anything but what you are told.

Dealing with Homesickness

For many, this will be the first time away from home. While processing in you will also be allowed one phone call home to let your loved ones know you have arrived safely.

This is when homesickness begins to set in. The best thing you can do is not worry about your loved ones. Just remember that they are doing well and supporting you all the way. If you begin to constantly think about home, you will weaken mentally and that is not what you need. It is easy for doubts to creep in when you think about home life. Stay focused on what is ahead and how you want to finish boot camp.

You Will Make Mistakes

Don't go into boot camp thinking you won't make a mistake. You are learning a whole new way of life and mistakes are inevitable. If you are yelled at, remember that the drill instructor is trying to make you the best that you can be. Learn from it and move on. Dwelling on your mistakes is a waste of time.

Take On New Challenges with a Positive Attitude

With each new task you learn and accomplish you will build more confidence. You may not like every task you have to learn but keeping a positive attitude will mean the difference between making your time lousy or making it worthwhile. A positive mental attitude not only makes boot camp more bearable but will help the time fly by a lot faster.

You will need to prepare as much as possible physically before you enter boot camp. The exercises performed more than any others include: running, push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups.

You do not want to be overweight and weak. You are not expected to be in top physical shape but the better shape you are in, the less stress you will have trying to keep up.

Passing the PT Test

You will not graduate boot camp until you can pass the PT test. You want to pass it the first time. After you have passed a physical, begin running everyday and try to work your way up to running 1 - 2 miles nonstop.

Practice performing as many reps as you can of push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups. PT is a huge part of boot camp so the more in shape you are the better. You will make significant progress in the many weeks of boot camp.

Learn to Swim

If you have time before leaving for boot camp, it will help to take swimming lessons. Many new recruits do not know how to swim and struggle with this portion of boot camp. You will need to know how to float, tread water, and swim on your back while wearing your gear. Learning these basics will save you a lot of stress.

Travel light - Do not pack a lot of personal items as many are not allowed and will be confiscated. Almost everything that you need will be issued to you.

Open a bank account - Having a bank account opened before hand helps but is not necessary. You should be able to open one once you are there.

Learn rank and Chain of Command - Learn all ranks and your Chain of Command. You will learn more about who is in your Chain of Command once you arrive.

Learn phonetic alphabet and 24-hour clock - You will be using these all the time so learning them early will help.

Seek Advice - Ask those who have already been through for tips and advice. If you have no one to refer to, I suggest the following guide that will help you prepare both mentally and physically for the weeks ahead:

Prepare for Boot Camp