January 22, 2006

Hey, everyone!! Look who’s writing on time.. hard to believe, isn’t it?! Looks like I’m still holding true to my first new year’s resolution: turning journal entries in on time. Hopefully this will remain true throughout the remainder of the semester. I actually didn’t realize I had an entry due, this weekend. I just happened to check my e-mail when I got online.

Anyway, it’s Saturday morning. I just woke up and finished the pint of Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream that I started, last night. It was DeLiCiouS.. and far from nutritious. However, I’ve been eating SoOo much healthier, this semester. I didn’t know it was possible, but if you surround yourself with the right people at this school, you can really get on the right track when it comes to diet. When I say diet, I don’t mean an actual only-eat-these-foods diet, rather diet as in my style of eating. I’m not all about dieting.. it usually lasts for an entire day or two.. a week if I’m feeling really determined!! However, my friend, Beth, bought me a work-out ball for Christmas. At first, I thought she was crazy. Now, though, I love the thing. I’ve been using it religiously since I’ve been back and feel like I’m in much better physical shape than when I left. I’m so proud!!

SoOo, enough of the babble.. onto the topic of interest: school. This semester is going very well, actually. I thought I’d try something new, taking all five of my classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. So far, I’m loving it. It feels great to have Tuesdays and Thursdays to myself. However, next week will be my first entire week of class. So, I shouldn’t judge too quickly!!

As far as classes are concerned though, I’m feeling rather confident about this upcoming semester. I’m taking a humanities elective at 9:15, introduction to meteorology at 10:30, speech (mandatory class for all Riddle students, FYI) at 11:45, introduction to ATC (air traffic control) at 1:00, and wrapping up my day with pre-calculus for aviation at 2:15. My humanities class is a good group of students.. a lot of in-class and out-of-class/online discussion goes on, and I really like it!! Meteorology is my major, so I’m very interested in my first of what I’m sure will be MANY meteorology classes. My professor, Mary Snow, is really energetic; I’d recommend her for everyone!! Speech class is really, really repetitive of my high school speech class. I’m really partial to my high school teacher, too. So, I don’t love the class, but it doesn’t seem as though it’ll be too miserable. Speech is a great way to learn more about people, if nothing else. Unlike most students at Embry-Riddle, I’d never even seen the letters a, t, and c together until last semester. But when my required AS 120 class took a tour of the ATC department, I was really intrigued and decided to adopt it as my minor. So, I have very little knowledge of anything going on in that class, but my professor is awesome. I feel like I’ll learn a lot from him. My pre-calculus class is actually my least favorite because, unlike MA 241 (calculus for engineers), it is EASY. I took pre-calculus in high school. I should’ve been ready for basic calculus. However, since I audited the math course I took, last semester, I had to start back somewhere. I guess I should’ve gone with basic calculus for aviation, but that’s alright. This should be a much-needed easy A. Plus, my teacher seems really cool. And one of my good friends from the dorm I was living in, last semester, is in there!!

As far as homework, this semester seems as though it’ll be a much lighter load than the previous. So far, I’ve had very little to do. I get the math homework done in class since we’re reviewing stuff I learned to do early on in high school. And other than the occasional test, the only out-of-class work I should have will be writing papers for my humanities course and writing three more speeches for speech class. Not too bad.

Now, about the sorority life!! Things are going very well this semester. I’m having a great time, already. I’m rooming with my twin, Mandy, in Stimpson, a very nice dorm on the far end of campus. So, she and I are beginning to establish a great relationship with each other. My big sister and I hung out the other night. I absolutely love Vicki. She’s like me in another body.. I don’t know where I’d be without her!! We haven’t had chapter since school’s been back in session because we should chapter on Monday nights, and we’ve yet to have classes on Monday. We had sisterhood, last weekend, at Vicki’s house. We just got together, ate, and watched 40 Year Old Virgin. That night, we went out to Chops for $1 martinis. I don’t drink, but it was still a great time!! Last night, we had a social with an on-campus fraternity, the Pikes. It was a dodgeball/BBQ-style event. I had a good time, met a few new people. Afterwards, the girls had an unofficial social with the same group of guys, but I chose to stay in and clean my messy dorm because my cousin and her family are coming in, TODAY!! They’re only going to be staying the night, but I cannot wait. They’ll be the first people to have visited me from Ohio since I started school, here. For SPRiNG BReaK, though, one of my other cousins and his roommate(s) may come down. That should be a lot of fun.

As far as upcoming events, the biggest thing on my list is, like most, SPRiNG BreaK. Our sorority and the Sigma Chi fraternity have a good 20-25 people going on a cruise to the West Carribbean for SEVEN days. I just about emptied my bank account, Tuesday night, but the entire trip was only $655. You really can’t pass that up. Everything besides alcohol is included in that price, too. So, I won’t have ANY expenses on the trip. I’m so excited. To reimburse myself for the money I spent, though, I’m picking up an extra job or two around Daytona. On Monday, I have a job interview at 5:15 for an on-campus job. If hired, I’ll be calling alumni and asking them to help support Riddle. Combined with this, I should be making a good $100/week. So, it’ll only take me about 6-8 weeks to earn the amount I just spent. Plus, I’m thinking about getting a job at Abercrombie & Fitch. Since I’m off on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I thought I’d see what I could do about getting a daytime job there. I hear they only work you two or three days a week, anyway. Plus, I’ll get a decent discount on clothes that I love. It’ll be really nice when it comes to shopping for curise-worthy attire. I don’t have a 2-piece, anymore. It was stolen from a hotel, last semester. Plus, I’m working on getting my belly-button pierced!! I just love having an income.

As far as the remainder of my weekend looks, I’m going to submit this, first. Then, I originally got online to get discussion board points for my humanities class. Then, I’m going to pick-up what little I still have laying around the dorm, make my bed, and take a quick shower. Then, I’m going to see what I can do about getting a car and riding to the mall to grab an application at A & F before my cousin and her parents get in around 1. They’re taking me out to dinner, tonight. I cannot wait.. a nice sit-down dinner sounds great, though I love on-campus dining. At 7, our boys’ basketball team has a game. Since our sorority supports them, I thought it’d be a fun experience taking my cousin and her family to the game. Then, though, I’m hoping her parents feel like getting to the hotel.. I want some quality time alone with the girl. You know what I mean!! I’m not sure what’s going on, tonight. I know that the sisters are having a social with the basketball team after the game. So, I may take her there.. or we may just chill at the beach. We’ll just have to wait and see, I guess.

I hope you all have a great weekend and next two weeks. And feel free to e-mail me with any questions: olivab46@erau.edu or on the discussion board. I’m actually getting quite a few.. I love hearing from you :o)

This entry was posted in 2005 – 2006 by Maria. Bookmark the permalink.

About Maria

**Age:** 18 **Hometown:** Fairfield (near Cincinnati), Ohio **Favorite Movie:** Beauty & The Beast **Favorite Band:** Rascal Flatts **Career Goal:** Graduate in 4 years with a 4.0 GPA **Interests:** Swimming and diving, traveling, shopping, photography, interior decorating

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