May 4, 2005

Hello to all the journal readers. The time has come for me to say goodbye. I have had such an enjoyable school year filled with a little of everything. When I look back on what I have accomplished, I am proud and content, but then I look forward and know that there is much more to come in this game of life.

I would like to start off by saying that I have finally become a licensed Private Pilot. I cannot tell you how happy I was the day I finally received my license. It has been a long road to get to that point, but I did it! So flying for this year is done; I will come back next year to start and finish my Multi-Engine rating.

Academically, I have one final left to take today. It is for my Aircraft Engines & Turbines class. I have not received as good grades as I thought I would, but they will suffice. Unfortunately, not all my finals have turned out that well, so it was no surprise I got some of the grades I did.

I will finish this year with 49 credits though, just about 10 shy of being in junior standing. I will take six credits back home and will be on track for a graduation in spring of 2007. I will probably look into internships and co-ops though, so my graduation in 2007 is still a big question mark. All that will be figured out and decided as my time here at Riddle goes by.

For the Summer, I will be lounging back in California and will enjoy time with my family, girlfriend, and friends. I look forward to hitting the waves on the beaches, going Jet Skiing in the lakes, and visiting some nice places like Yosemite (I love to camp) and Catalina Island (a nice place to just get away). It’s going to be nice to have a car again, as well as a nice big bed and a whole house to just kick-back in. I’m looking forward to having fun, mixed in with some school and some work.

Lastly, next year, I will come back and be taking mostly core classes which are needed for the Aeronautical Science degree. I am living in McKay once again. I chose McKay, obviously, not for its appearance, but for the space that you get. It was the cheapest option for me that provided me space and convenience. I can still wake up 15 minutes before class and be on time every now and then. Many of my friends have made arrangements to live off campus, so I figure I’ll be on and off campus depending on which day of the week it is.

Well, some final (and very random) words to all of you journal readers. Enjoy your college life wherever you go. I had a different experience than most of my other friends because I was doing different things than they were. I remember getting a call on a Friday night from a friend of mine who asked whether I was partying or just kicking back that night. I responded by saying that I had a two-hour cross-country to plan and was in need of sleep due to a 7 AM flight the next day (yes, you fly 7 days a week here).

Well, sometimes, I made sacrifices in order to make ends meet – as some would say. New things popped up all the time: money became an issue, time became an issue, scheduling my life, my weekends, my days, my nights all became an issue. I now had to buy all my own stuff (never, ever forget toilet paper!), I had to remember to wash my clothes before I run out of undergarments (sometimes the last clean pair of boxers I have are the ones I wear while I’m washing clothes), to eat correctly because no one stopped me from eating anything (Propellers’ burgers and Caesar Salad are great!), even waking up became an issue (set two alarms, the first one will never work…trust me).

Don’t forget to set your alarm, no one will wake you up. Office hours aren’t there for your professor, they are there for you, so make use of them (especially if you missed the class because you slept through it). Make use of all your resources, many are always made available (tutoring is always free!).

Lastly, enjoy college. It is a time of life where you should be having fun and enjoying your time. If you ever don’t feel right where you are at or just feel like things aren’t working out, step back and take a look at your life, sometimes that is all we need.

Enjoy the college life and good luck to all of you. Whether you are going on for another year in high school or going on to college, follow your dreams and never lose sight of your goals.

If you are coming to Embry-Riddle next year, feel free to stop me if you see me to say hello. It would be nice to see who exactly read my journals and what you guys really thought.

Well, I have to get going. Got a final today, then a flight, then the summer! Have a great summer everybody!
Sergio M.

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About Sergio

**Age:** 18 **Hometown:** Pico Rivera, CA **Favorite Movie:** Back to the Future trilogy **Favorite Band:** Beastie Boys **Career Goal:** Be an airplane pilot, fly internationally

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