Enjoying your first day?

[Squareleg28]

So how is everyone enjoying there first "full" day in STC?

What do you think of the halls?

[ETwhat?]

that good huh?

[orbicim]

Eh... What happens tomorrow? I was told to come in at eleven and when I asked where he shrugged and walked off...

[Squareleg28]

Anyone's guess!

[ETwhat?]

best trick is to go over to the office that has sharon? c block and ask wahts going on, also check noticeboards around there for info. best get up for that lovely breakfast and then you can have a noisy around

[inversemateria]

First day has been quite good, though not much has happened to be honest. Went to the lecture theater with the rest of the HNC/HND engies, and we just got told a load of info for most of the day (Mainly about the college etc..). We had to do a shortish maths test, which I think determines which of two groups we get put into. Getting my timetable tomorrow as far as I'm aware Can't wait to find out when I'll be doing what. Really looking forward to all of the safety/survival training, but the deckies get to do it first

Edit: The food is way better than I was expecting :P Very tasty! Pretty much a full english for breakfast

[GuinnessMan]

Really looking forward to all of the safety/survival training, but the deckies get to do it first

It's because they're not there for as long as you, so they need to do it first...

[inversemateria]

They aren't? :s I thought everyone did 29 weeks for the first college phase, but then again, I'm still some paperwork and stuff short I believe.
Still, definitely looking forward to the next couple of years My only major gripe is my mattress is too bloody soft!

[Squareleg28]

The food isn't bad, but the ?7.20 doens't go that far - quite mean on portions.

Yep the beds are crap!

[inversemateria]

The food isn't bad, but the ?7.20 doens't go that far - quite mean on portions.

Yeah I've just been paying for my own coffee and stuff at both breakfast and lunch, and spending most of the ?7 on the evening meal.

[GuinnessMan]

Yeah I've just been paying for my own coffee and stuff at both breakfast and lunch, and spending most of the ?7 on the evening meal.

You know your victualling rate on ship will only equal about $7 per man/woman, per day?

[STHUF]

Surley on ship you can get more for the money though? Seems like you have to sacrifice a meal to get a full one later on.

[Hatchorder]

Surley on ship you can get more for the money though? Seems like you have to sacrifice a meal to get a full one later on.

Before anyone gets the wrong idea here.

When you join a ship you do not get an allowance that you spend in a canteen everyday. Basically the Company supplies the food to the ship and then they work out what it costs them. You just get everything provided to you whilst you are on board, except luxuries. If you want Jaffa Cakes, then buy them from the slop chest or ashore! Now I know that this is a generality, and to be honest it all depends on the company and the Chef on board but you have to keep your crew happy when they are away from home for so long and cannot nip to the Chinese takeaway of a Friday evening!

I remember a couple of poor cadets getting to the end of their first month on board and on the Sunday, as they sat in the bar relaxing on their day off, the Officer in charge of the bar handing them their bar bill for the month, followed by the the Electrician handing them a bill for electric, the Chief Steward handing them a bill for food, laundry and cleaning, and the Chief Engineer handing them a bill for water and sewage and the whole lot added up to more than their whole month's wages! White as a sheet they were for an hour until they were let in on the joke!

Apart from one ship where the Chief Steward was on the take, I do not ever remember being hungry or not having enough choice so that I always had something to eat. Bu that was in the 80's, when we had stewards to serve meals in the Officer's Saloon, uniform (even on a Sunday) and a different hand typed menu everyday - many of which reside in my deck logbooks still. Will dig them out and scan them sometime.

My son is at Warsash and the 5 from 7 cadets (5 days meals, 7 days accom) seem to get quite a good allowance for meals. I don't know if it is just the "Big White Star" cadets that get that particular allowance, but I think they get ?45 for 5 days meals and main courses are about ?3 or ?4. It carries over from week to week and cancels at the end of term. When at home he is a continual grazer and the biscuit barrel and goodies cupboard is enjoying the holiday now he is gone. In his words "The food is OK, nothing special, lots of carbs, but enough to eat and money left on card at the end of the week".

Ian

[Bulman]

At Stc we get something like 7.15 a day breakfast is ?3.50 and tea too if you get the meal deal, it doesn't roll over a day let alone a term and we have no choice of 5 or seven days. And if you're getting lunch it's normally the same as what they give you for tea or use it in the tea. No choice to go healthy either. Sure everyone will cope though!

[Hatchorder]

At Stc we get something like 7.15 a day breakfast is ?3.50 and tea too if you get the meal deal, it doesn't roll over a day let alone a term and we have no choice of 5 or seven days. And if you're getting lunch it's normally the same as what they give you for tea or use it in the tea. No choice to go healthy either. Sure everyone will cope though!

That certainly does not sound good. How can you survive on that when breakfast is almost half your allowance. Why not keep a record and complain to your Company Training Officer when you see them? Photos on your phone of the meal showing portion size etc and find out why it is not a term / weekly allowance? If they are going to be that inflexible then go back to what we had, dining hall, sign in, serve yourself, breakfast and dinner provided, sort your own lunch out. Get the Company involved, they are your sponsor.