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How did Reginald Barclay graduate from Starfleet Academy?

By passing his classes.
Exactly. He performed admirably, and passed. Failing a "test" such as a psych evaluation or some other "command" test does not mean he could not graduate.
In fact, EVERY cadet fails the Kobayashi Maru test, yet most of them graduate.
 
As has already been mentioned he passed the exams.

Being socially awkward doesn't preclude you from certain roles. Sure he might never advance to a level where he was in charge of people but that doesn't mean he couldn't be an officer. If you want to talk about his holo-addiction when did that manifest, did any event act as a catalyst for it? Besides plenty of people today manage just fine being socially awkward sometimes in positions of authority.
 
It is kind of funny that you never hear any other officer wonder aloud how Barclay graduated from Starfleet.
It is brought up in Hollow Pursuits:
LAFORGE: I just don't know what to do with him. The guy's always late, he never gives his best effort, just slides by. I'm telling you, I can't deal with it anymore. I mean, how does a guy like that make it through the Academy?
And then not long after
RIKER: In retrospect, I wonder if Captain Gleason wasn't buttering our bread a little. He knew we were looking for a diagnostic engineer. I've examined Barclay's psychological profile. He's a history of seclusive tendencies. It was noted at the Academy more than once.
Since Starfleet apparently doesn't have an "up or out" policy like the US military today, they probably didn't mind having someone who would fill a spot among the junior officer ranks his whole career.
 
As has already been mentioned he passed the exams.

Being socially awkward doesn't preclude you from certain roles. Sure he might never advance to a level where he was in charge of people but that doesn't mean he couldn't be an officer. If you want to talk about his holo-addiction when did that manifest, did any event act as a catalyst for it? Besides plenty of people today manage just fine being socially awkward sometimes in positions of authority.
Yep, and despite the idea that Federation society was more inclusive and welcoming in the TNG, until Barclay came along we never saw any examples of "weirdos" being accepted members of human society. Which is one of the reasons I like his character.
 
He has an intense and persistent horror of transporters that apparently went undetected for many years. A hang up like that is a big deal in Starfleet terms. We're not just being hard on the quirky guy here but he's got fundamental problems with the potential to derail potentially serious missions and Starfleet has missed this.
 
He has an intense and persistent horror of transporters that apparently went undetected for many years. A hang up like that is a big deal in Starfleet terms. We're not just being hard on the quirky guy here but he's got fundamental problems with the potential to derail potentially serious missions and Starfleet has missed this.
It's shocking that someone with a fear of transporters would EVER be allowed to graduate from Starfleet Academy. The next thing you will tell me is someone with a fundamental fear of matter transportation managed to not only graduate, but become the Chief Medical Officer of the Federation flagship!
 
It's shocking that someone with a fear of transporters would EVER be allowed to graduate from Starfleet Academy. The next thing you will tell me is someone with a fundamental fear of matter transportation managed to not only graduate, but become the Chief Medical Officer of the Federation flagship!
Good spot. That's dumb too.
 
Pulaski will transport if she has to and will remain operational and effective. She's an aversion to it but like someone with an aversion to flying, will fly if they have to. Barclay's attitude to the transporter doesn't fall too far too short of BA Baracus' attitude to flying in the A-Team. And I submit to you, that kind of abject horror needed to be detected.
 
He has an intense and persistent horror of transporters that apparently went undetected for many years. A hang up like that is a big deal in Starfleet terms. We're not just being hard on the quirky guy here but he's got fundamental problems with the potential to derail potentially serious missions and Starfleet has missed this.


So that rules out anyone with any phobia from serving in starfleet. After all one never knows when they might come across something which they have a phobia about
 
He has an intense and persistent horror of transporters that apparently went undetected for many years.
Realm of Fear could have been the first time he'd been assigned to an away team, given his lackluster career before serving on the Enterprise Barclay could easily have never been selected for away teams at his other assignments and got lucky enough to be able to use shuttles when transferring to other assignments, or the ship he was transferring from and the one he was transferring to were docked at a station.
The next thing you will tell me is someone with a fundamental fear of matter transportation managed to not only graduate, but become the Chief Medical Officer of the Federation flagship!
The Enterprise wasn't the flagship in TOS. It has been retconned as it in the Abrams movies, but IIRC McCoy's fear of the transporter hasn't been brought up in the Abrams movies.
 
but IIRC McCoy's fear of the transporter hasn't been brought up in the Abrams movies.

It was the subject of an amusing scene in Beyond which included a little jokey reference to Tuvix.
In any case, fear of the transporter would have been no more of a hindrance than claustrophobia, as long as the officer/crewperson in question was able to manage that fear.
 
It's an anachronism Starfleet is established again and again as grueling and only for the best of the best. Yet, there are misfits who make it through. It's like saying a 98lb weakling could make it as a Navy SEAL.
 
For the benefit of Wesley Crusher it's grueling, when they want to explore social anxiety and related issues, it's an everyman organisation.

Look, I wouldn't rewrite a word of Barclay. He's a cool character. But on a rigorous reading of the universe, his character doesn't stand scrutiny. Like alot of things I suppose.
 
I liked him, but I can't imagine Barclay surviving Starfleet Academy.

Perhaps they should have brought him on as a civilian scientist or non-commissioned officer.
 
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