There is generally a perception in civil circles that you need not be an academician or a studious type to get into the Army. And this myth has led many a young lad into the marshes of Army, only to bog down. Make no mistake. In the Army you have to study as much as in any other profession, if not more. We were taught:

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(a) Tactics
(b) History
(c) Geography
(d) Military Law
(e) English including Phonetics
(f) Map Reading
(g) Field Craft

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In fact, many of us were quite weak in academics and could manage to pass just because there were compulsory study periods at night when DS Staff would go around and check. These classes were always inside our own rooms and we were regularly monitored. But it will be prudent to pay rich tributes here to those GCs who could manage to sleep or otherwise relax even during these strictly monitored periods.

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"We are tested academically and the only people who benefit are academics. Everyone doesn't make A's and B's in school - and those people who can't, it doesn't mean you don't have a gift. There are people who are gifted but maybe not academically. You could be an average student but exceptional in other areas." ​

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Pearl Fryar