True, but I think the SNA was trying to maximize his chances to select something tailhook out of primary, since E-2s and Jets are two separate things to put on your dream sheet now in primary. Still, if T-45 RIs are the same for E2 and Jet studs, it’s moot like you said.
I get what they are thinking here, and it makes some sense. I just think that this effort and worry could be better channeled into just putting in hard work and seeing where it takes them. Which I’m sure was already the plan. Also, hopefully people arent reading too much into my anecdote from many years ago. RI’s are not exactly rocket science, even in the T-45. This person just probably wasn’t cut out for carrier aviation in general, and it became apparent that quickly.
It’s way easier said than done, but I think the best advice is to not worry about where you might end up after whatever phase of flight school. Focus on the now, not several steps down the road, and definitely don’t focus on how well you perceive yourself stacking up against your peers. Both of those sources of anxiety can be extremely detrimental to performance if they get out of hand. I certainly had moments when I was in orange and whites, when those thoughts crossed my mind, but i really made an effort to not dwell on them. I think the hardest part was trying to explain any of it to my (at the time) fiancée, in terms of what she could expect……which i think ultimately came out as an exasperated “we could go literally anywhere, so stop asking” The ladies love that in a guy