Kirk really was a "stack of books with legs"

[Lord Garth]

It's true. I thought about it and Gary Mitchell was right and still would've been right.

The Academy's a four-year program and Kirk says he'll finish it in three. Well, if the Academy's anything like college, then I can say finishing in three years is no joke. Anyone else here who's been to college will agree with me.

I can count with fingers on one hand the number of people I know who actually graduated in four years, forget about three.

So how did Kirk do it? You need 120 credits to graduate. Every course is three credits. 40 courses. That breaks down into five courses for eight semesters.

If you want to graduate in three years, you'll take six courses per semester for six semesters, and take three summer classes between for your first and second year and your second and third.

That's committment.

Kirk's a bad one to underestimate.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

So how did Kirk do it?

Actually, he was almost ejected twice for cheating on written exams. The first time he interrupted his disciplinary hearing to rescue orphans from a burning building and was put on the Dean's list as a result; the second time he supervised the emergency evacuation of San Francisco during an earthquake while simultaneously performing CPR on Admiral Komack and was bumped ahead a year.

 

[SalvorHardin]

I think besides reading, Kirk sleeping with all the female professors did wonders for his grades and swift graduation.
Hell, if head of the Academy had been a female he could have done it in 2.

 

[Thelin]

I don't think anyone ever thought Kirk was a slacker. The guy has dedication written all over him. He probably just worked hard, partied hard, and, uh, "slept" hard.

As a side note, I know several people who graduated early. Myself not included.

 

[Ovation]

So how did Kirk do it?

Actually, he was almost ejected twice for cheating on written exams. The first time he interrupted his disciplinary hearing to rescue orphans from a burning building and was put on the Dean's list as a result; the second time he supervised the emergency evacuation of San Francisco during an earthquake while simultaneously performing CPR on Admiral Komack and was bumped ahead a year.

 

[Franklin]

I think besides reading, Kirk sleeping with all the female professors did wonders for his grades and swift graduation.
Hell, if head of the Academy had been a female he could have done it in 2.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


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It's not a coincidence that Orci and Kurtzman have Pike say that Kirk tested at the "genius" level.

I gotta tell ya, I essentially graduated in three years because I so screwed up my freshman year. It meant taking almost full loads of classes during two summers and not being able to slack off on my classload in my senior year.
Of course, a genius like Kirk probably didn't need to take summer classes to make it out in three years. Adding summer semesters is cheating, anyway. Anyone, like me, can get out in three years that way.

The thing is some universities in the U.S. are thinking of offering accelerated three-year degree programs. They are offering them because four years of college is becoming so expensive.

 

[Nick Ryder]

Well, who knows if everytime ol' Kirk went to the bar to slack off, he saw old man Pike there and went back to his room to study... with a buddy of course Ah the things you learn when you can't slack off.

Or who knows maybe Gaila was even brighter than she looked and Kirk kinda... ahem... borrowed her notes from time to time.

"When the fuck am I ever going to need to know the exact date that the NX-01 went to Warp 5.5 for the first time... hmm... I know I'll boink Gaila and when she's in the shower, I'll check her notes."

 

[Cakes488]

It's not a coincidence that Orci and Kurtzman have Pike say that Kirk tested at the "genius" level.

I gotta tell ya, I essentially graduated in three years because I so screwed up my freshman year. It meant taking almost full loads of classes during two summers and not being able to slack off on my classload in my senior year.
Of course, a genius like Kirk probably didn't need to take summer classes to make it out in three years. Adding summer semesters is cheating, anyway. Anyone, like me, can get out in three years that way.

The thing is some universities in the U.S. are thinking of offering accelerated three-year degree programs. They are offering them because four years of college is becoming so expensive.

They have accelerated degrees for older students as well and you get credit for life experience...which I feel is oftentimes (not always) more valuable then college. I'm strongly for much more workplace and on the job learning and training in tandem with college attendance.

 

[SheliakBob]

Well, who knows if everytime ol' Kirk went to the bar to slack off, he saw old man Pike there and went back to his room to study... with a buddy of course Ah the things you learn when you can't slack off.

Or who knows maybe Gaila was even brighter than she looked and Kirk kinda... ahem... borrowed her notes from time to time.

"When the fuck am I ever going to need to know the exact date that the NX-01 went to Warp 5.5 for the first time... hmm... I know I'll boink Gaila and when she's in the shower, I'll check her notes."

Ah. The Orion Nookie Scholarship! The most coveted of all academic awards

 

[Omega_Glory]

The actual time he graduated is never really specified in the film. I believe he did in four like everyone else.

 

[SalvorHardin]

The actual time he graduated is never really specified in the film. I believe he did in four like everyone else.

Umm... Kirk enters Academy.
On screen text appears "3 years later"
The events of the movie with Nero take place.
Kirk is now Captain of the Enterprise.

 

[Ovation]

The actual time he graduated is never really specified in the film. I believe he did in four like everyone else.

The words "Three Years Later" appear on screen before the Maru test, I believe (check with Jeri, she's seen it enough to know).

Edit: Damn, I have to learn to type faster.

 

[Islander]

Yes, but he hadn't gratuated yet, he was still a cadet. And the original decision was for him not to even board the ship so he was far from graduation I think. He endup promoted out of merit only.

 

[Aragorn]

I think besides reading, Kirk sleeping with all the female professors did wonders for his grades and swift graduation.
Hell, if head of the Academy had been a female he could have done it in 2.

Actually, the Dean of Starfleet does have a deep dark secret that no one knows about:

 

[24thcenstfan]

I never bought the "stack of books with legs" description anyway. Kirk (as Shatner portrayed him) always struck me as a streets smart kind of guy. Not highly academic, but wise to the way of the world instead.

 

[Cakes488]

I never bought the "stack of books with legs" description anyway. Kirk (as Shatner portrayed him) always struck me as a streets smart kind of guy. Not highly academic, but wise to the way of the world instead.

I agree with you. But I do think Kirk had plenty of booksmarts too. So the combo between the two made him a formidable adversary I never thought of him as a "genius" either...and I just don't buy it that he is one....well not my definition of one anyway.

 

[Peter the Younger]

I suspect he had credits from a previous stint in college. You gotta figure, unless his mom was a total waste (which seems like a pretty harsh assessment of Winona), she would have pushed him to go to school somewhere. I could easily seem him acing his freshman year, then deciding it was bullshit halfway through his sophomore year and just not going to class anymore.

Besides, no local townie slacker is complete until he can add "then he dropped out of school" to his resume.

 

[Islander]

I suspect he had credits from a previous stint in college. You gotta figure, unless his mom was a total waste (which seems like a pretty harsh assessment of Winona), she would have pushed him to go to school somewhere. I could easily seem him acing his freshman year, then deciding it was bullshit halfway through his sophomore year and just not going to class anymore.

Besides, no local townie slacker is complete until he can add "then he dropped out of school" to his resume.

Winona was Spock's mom. Kirk's mom is Jenifer Morison.

 

[SalvorHardin]

I suspect he had credits from a previous stint in college. You gotta figure, unless his mom was a total waste (which seems like a pretty harsh assessment of Winona), she would have pushed him to go to school somewhere. I could easily seem him acing his freshman year, then deciding it was bullshit halfway through his sophomore year and just not going to class anymore.

Besides, no local townie slacker is complete until he can add "then he dropped out of school" to his resume.

Winona was Spock's mom. Kirk's mom is Jenifer Morison.

Kirk's mom is called Winona Kirk (played by Jennifer Morrison). I believe that's the Winona he was referring to

 

[M'Sharak]

I suspect he had credits from a previous stint in college. You gotta figure, unless his mom was a total waste (which seems like a pretty harsh assessment of Winona), she would have pushed him to go to school somewhere. I could easily seem him acing his freshman year, then deciding it was bullshit halfway through his sophomore year and just not going to class anymore.

Besides, no local townie slacker is complete until he can add "then he dropped out of school" to his resume.

Winona was Spock's mom. Kirk's mom is Jenifer Morison.

He means Winona Kirk (who happens to have been played by Jennifer Morrison.)