3-4 months to get in shape.

[Tairnyn]

I prefer running on the road because it's a flat surface. I become very cautious on natural ground because I'm paranoid I'll sprain an ankle or something. Luckily, my town has decent sidewalks and shoulders to run along. I still get the occasional asshole on the road who decides he's not going to give me some space but for the most part it's been a great experience.

I've been doing a lot of running the past few months and am putting in about 20 miles a week, always outside or on the track. I tried running on a treadmill for the first time just to see if I could get used to it for really hot days or during the snowy winters. I ran 2 miles on the machine and got off to run another 2 miles on the track, figuring it would feel like I was flying when I was moving again. Instead I got really dizzy and nauseous, nearly throwing up after about 1/4 mile. Is it normal to require some acclimation time or am I just not cut out for stationary running?

[Ard]

Late to the party, but congrats on actually following through Lakov.

[Tale]

In the end, I got a time of 13:13 and I passed the physical!

Afterwards it was a very stressful and intense question and answer session with four senior officers. Mostly about morals and ethics, I believe I did well but I won't know for a couple weeks if I go on to the next phase.  Until then, thanks for all the help!

Well done and good luck!

I did 2x 52km "time trials" on my bicycle on the weekend, as part of training for a not-entirely-serious race along the same road two weeks from now. Feeling strong and confident after that - had to force myself to take the day off from bicycle commuting today.

Embarrassed myself when I reached the end the second time - little did I know, a shoe cleat had lost a screw and was stuck in the pedal, so when I tried to unclip and step off the pedal, it wouldn't come out, I said "oh, shit" and collapsed sideways onto the road in front of five strangers :)

[Lakov_Sanite]

As much as I'd rather not, I did say I'd let you all know. I thought the interview went well but apparently I didn't score high enough on the oral exam so that's that. I could apply to another county or back at this one in another year but I don't know, since my best wasn't good enough I'm not sure if I wouldn't just be wasting my time again.

Of course I got a letter on tuesday informing me this and on wednesday I got a phone call telling me my mother was sent to the emergncy room because she couldn't breathe but had gotten stabalized.  She has empyhsema and caught a bad cold, I was going to call her that night but I didn't want to depress her with news of my police exam. So the plan was to call her yesterday...except when I got home from work she had been taking to the ICU. She's on a respirator now and can't talk at all.

The nice little cherry on top of this shit sandwich is finding out my back up plan of joining the navy to get some experience and education is not an option since i only have a GED and they require college credits if you have one. College, which I can't even afford...

fuck my life

[MrHat]

 

Sorry man.

[Cyrrex]

Dang, sorry to hear that.  Here's hoping that things, on all fronts, turn around for you.

[Evildrider]

Sorry for all your problems man.  I hope your mom gets better soon.



As for the Navy thing, I'm pretty sure you can get into the Navy with a GED, cuz I have a friend in the family that did just that.  Make sure you talk to a recruiter. 

[Lakov_Sanite]

As for the Navy thing, I'm pretty sure you can get into the Navy with a GED, cuz I have a friend in the family that did just that.  Make sure you talk to a recruiter. 

It was the recruiter that told me I needed 15 college credits.

[Evildrider]

Wow thats crazy.

Meh, Marines is better anyway!

[K9]

Damn, sorry man. Hope things pick up for you soon.

[Miguel]

Just curious...what kinds of questions did they ask on the oral exam?

[gryeyes]

The nice little cherry on top of this shit sandwich is finding out my back up plan of joining the navy to get some experience and education is not an option since i only have a GED and they require college credits if you have one. College, which I can't even afford...

fuck my life

Navy has higher standards than the army but both will require 15 credits if you have a GED. The army may allow GED waivers in the near future but the Navy always requires them (or at least a waiver is far more difficult to get). You can almost certainly get 15 credits at a community college while paying nothing. You can take the courses online in one quarter and be good to go. Do you have a criminal record of any type? That would be the biggest hindrance to joining up. Keep your head up you have options.

[schild]

Just curious...what kinds of questions did they ask on the oral exam?

This.

[gryeyes]

I kind of assumed the oral exam was the polygraph?

[Cheddar]

I kind of assumed the oral exam was the polygraph?

Shut up.

[gryeyes]

I couldn't think of another form of non-physical test that someone couldn't achieve with more study. I was under the impression a polygraph was a standard part of screening for cops.

[lamaros]

Sorry to hear about your recent bad news.

I guess it's not much consolation, but you've at least done a bit for your health.

[Montague]

I couldn't think of another form of non-physical test that someone couldn't achieve with more study. I was under the impression a polygraph was a standard part of screening for cops.

I haven't taken it but one of my friends has. It's all about poise and preparation while getting grilled by several veteran police officers. My friend said it was the most intense and nerve-wracking thing he's ever experienced and he had weeks of preparation for it. Kinda like a Kobayashi Maru test where they don't much care about the answers, it's more your poise and reasoning under pressure.

[gryeyes]

You must be thinking about something else. A polygraph is a sensitive deal,its a calm dude asking you simple questions. If you are all amped up they are not going to be able to detect the minute changes they are looking for. The test isn't about keeping your cool (well it is but thats incidental),its about do you have obvious physiological changes that corresponding to you lying. They ask you a couple of questions whose answer is obvious. And go from there,I believe its also inaccurate to the point of almost being pseudo-science.

[Der Helm]

Somewhere someone jumped to a conclusion and I can't find the reason for it. 

[Lantyssa]

We know what a polygraph test is.  We don't understand where you went from an oral examination to polygraph.  It's a committee grilling the dude on a variety of topics, much like a qualifier for an advanced degree or, y'know, interviews.  It's a common, nerve-wracking format.

[Lakov_Sanite]

Montague has it about right. It was a lot of hypothetical questions, life experience and also personality stuff.  I think where I went wrong is that my natural reaction to aggressive questions is to try not to offend. I probably came off as a bit wishy-washy when asked things like "if your were a cop already, would you get another police officer in trouble if a woman came up and accused them of harrassment" of course i would report them, it'd be my job but i don't think i was assertive enough in my answers.

...and i mentioned online games. they were asking about what accomplishments have you had as part of a team and fuck, I never played sports so I had nothing and sort of panicked. At the end of the interview I was also asked if I had any questions and I didn't.  I should have been more prepared for that and taken the time to really make a good statement about myself.

Live and learn I guess. I don't know what to do right now though...maybe try for another county, maybe try and get some easy college credits(however you do that) but right now I'm just feeling pretty defeated overall.

[Murgos]

15 credits is 1 semester of college.

Apply and tell them you have no money and would like financial aid.  If you actually have no money you will get grants enough to pay for the classes, your books and some pocket cash.

Then join the Army or Navy and ask to be an MP, in 4 years get out and THEN go be a cop.

[Broughden]

Montague has it about right. It was a lot of hypothetical questions, life experience and also personality stuff.  I think where I went wrong is that my natural reaction to aggressive questions is to try not to offend. I probably came off as a bit wishy-washy when asked things like "if your were a cop already, would you get another police officer in trouble if a woman came up and accused them of harrassment" of course i would report them, it'd be my job but i don't think i was assertive enough in my answers.

...and i mentioned online games. they were asking about what accomplishments have you had as part of a team and fuck, I never played sports so I had nothing and sort of panicked. At the end of the interview I was also asked if I had any questions and I didn't.  I should have been more prepared for that and taken the time to really make a good statement about myself.

Live and learn I guess. I don't know what to do right now though...maybe try for another county, maybe try and get some easy college credits(however you do that) but right now I'm just feeling pretty defeated overall.

Your answer to the reporting a peer should have been, "I would tell her to take her complaint to the precinct/station house. My job as a fellow cop is not internal affairs and its none of my business."  If you said anything different you fucked yourself.

You used online games as an example of team work and accomplishments? Yeah....you fucked yourself.

Try applying for the NYPD. Much easier process to get in. Hell you can even have a criminal record as long as you plea bargained your felonies down to misdemeanors.

[Koyasha]

Your answer to the reporting a peer should have been, "I would tell her to take her complaint to the precinct/station house. My job as a fellow cop is not internal affairs and its none of my business."  If you said anything different you fucked yourself.

I'm unclear as to whether this takes place before or after you're expected to have studied police procedure in depth, but if it's before then it seems like a reasonable thing for someone unfamiliar with the procedure to believe it's their duty to take down the complaint and report it to the proper channels.

[Murgos]

I don't know what answer I would have given but I absolutely wouldn't have told a bunch of cops sitting in review of me that I would rat them out at the first hint of a complaint.

[Sky]

"I would have said, "Blow me, sugartits. Then get me a cup of joe.""

"Welcome to the force."

[Salamok]

A huge plus in the oral exam is also showing initiative towards that career path.  If you go in with the attitude that you are prepared and this is already your chosen career regardless of the interview outcome the interviewers will pick up on that.  If however they get the impression that you want to do this but if you don't get this break right here, right now then you will probably give up then I seriously doubt they will give it to you.

Community College is not overly expensive, as murgos said there is financial aid and/or student loans.  Go to community college register for some general ed prereqs but also include at least one or 2 classes that will show that you are persuing this as a career option.  Take an EMT course, a self defense class, psychology 101, is there a conflict management speech class?  

Not only will this set you up for the military option but if you do get another interview it will help show that you have made your career decision and are not waiting on the outcome of an interview to make it for you.  I would guess this will also have a positive impact on your self confidence level during the interview.

I had a similar experience with the fire dept and/or joining the coast guard when I was around 20, instead of taking the above advice and doing either one I pretty much just pissed away an entire decade doing 60+ hours a week of menial jobs, if I had it all to do over again this would be at the top of the list of things I would have done differently.

[Broughden]

Your answer to the reporting a peer should have been, "I would tell her to take her complaint to the precinct/station house. My job as a fellow cop is not internal affairs and its none of my business."  If you said anything different you fucked yourself.

I'm unclear as to whether this takes place before or after you're expected to have studied police procedure in depth, but if it's before then it seems like a reasonable thing for someone unfamiliar with the procedure to believe it's their duty to take down the complaint and report it to the proper channels.

See below.

I don't know what answer I would have given but I absolutely wouldn't have told a bunch of cops sitting in review of me that I would rat them out at the first hint of a complaint.

The end.

[Sheepherder]

As Murgos said, 15 credits is a full load for a semester of college.  Ask the recruiter if they're looking for anything specific.  If they aren't, you can probably get away with any intro courses offered by your local Community College, which should be so fuckstupid simple an 8th grader should pass.  If you've been working in a semi-skilled job you might even be able to get a college or university to recognize your work experience as credits, which is why my Dad can teach Tech. Ed after spending five years of his working life underwater and most of the rest inside fires.

[Nebu]

I advise some 30+ college students a year.  My advice to them is exactly what you are seeing in this thread.

You are your own best investment. 

Head to the local community college and take classes that interest you.  If you can't afford it, take out a loan.  Doing what you enjoy for the rest of your life is well worth the small debt you'll pick up right now. 

[Sky]

Well, you have to hope you have some pretty mainstream or academic interests. I'd like to go back and finish my studio engineering degree, but the closest school I could do it at isn't a community college, and it's in Potsdam (Crane School of Music).

[schild]

I don't know what answer I would have given but I absolutely wouldn't have told a bunch of cops sitting in review of me that I would rat them out at the first hint of a complaint.

And this is why no one likes cops. A bunch of fat schlubs and skinny new fish who want to make an impression make a fraternity post community college because they never got time in a fraternity and then they get given guns.

It's absolutely shocking why the only time a cop is wanted around is when someone wants someone who is legally allowed to use deadly force than necessary and otherwise are nothing but the vermin of the roads and too dumb for words.

[Murgos]

They aren't all bad.  I mean, sometimes they direct traffic.

[Sky]

It's absolutely shocking why the only time a cop is wanted around is when someone wants someone who is legally allowed to use deadly force than necessary and otherwise are nothing but the vermin of the roads and too dumb for words.