It seems just like yesterday when I was sitting in high school thinking about Embry-Riddle. Every day I would go online and look at the student journals and read them over and over wishing that I was there. Now, one year later, I am writing the journal and I can’t believe it. I hope that over the next year I will be able to provide insight to what it’s like to be a freshman here at Riddle. When I was reading these journals last year, I had so many questions that were unanswered. In this journal, I hope I will answer everyone’s questions including the ones that I had. If you have any questions, I can be reached at the e-mail wasteofsoap@yahoo.com or on AIM at wasteofsoap. Feel free to ask any questions. I will also be monitoring the discussion boards so post there if you would like.

With that said, I guess I’ll tell you a little bit about myself. I grew up in Debary, which is a little town 30 minutes away from ERAU. I have lived there my whole life. I was in the I.B. program at Deland high school and graduated in 2006 with a 3.8 GPA. I’m not really a sports kinda guy, meaning I don’t really play anything on a team and the only sport I watch on TV is hockey. My team of choice is the Tampa Bay Lightning. I enjoy doing things that’ll get me hurt. In the past I skateboarded and biked; now I have moved on to snowboarding and skydiving. I love to hang out with friends and chill. Now that that’s done, I can tell you guys what you are really interested about. Embry-Riddle.

If you want to know how many students attend Riddle, or how it is ranked nationally for its aeronautics programs, you can go to the website. I’m not here to tell you what you already know or what you don’t care about. I’m here to tell you from first-hand experience, what it is like to attend the greatest university in the country, and possibly the world.

We’ll start off with dorms. I live in Doolittle, which I think is what fits me best. You can view the different dorms and floor plans at http://www.erau.edu/db/dorms/dbdorms.html. I liked Doolittle for various reasons, like location, one roommate, only 7 others to share a bathroom. You can make your own decisions in terms of what fits you best. But no matter what dorm you stay in, the lifestyle is pretty much the same. First of all, no matter what time it is, I can guarantee you that someone is awake. Whether you have a late study night until 2 or wake up for a flight at 5, someone is up, and they are probably yelling. Depending on whether you think it is a good thing or a bad thing, there are RAs on every level (Residence Advisor). They make sure that you have fun, but are still respectful to others. For example: I needed to get up real early for a flight and I wanted to make sure I got a decent amount of sleep, and the RA made sure no one was having a yelling contest at 2 in the morning. Another thing I like about the dorms is the sense of community. It is real easy to make friends while living in a dorm. Most people don’t know anyone, so you are all in the same boat. Someone from your hall might say, “Hey, we’re gonna go grab a bite to eat, wanna come?” Which leads us to our next item: Food.

Some colleges have Taco Bells and Mickey Dees on campus, and some have one cafeteria. Embry-Riddle is right in the middle. We only have one chain restaurant, which is an Einstein Bagels. Other than that, there is a cafeteria type place, an all you can eat place (as much as you want), a small sub type place, a very tiny Chinese place, and a burger joint (Propellers). Over all, there are plenty of different options to eat. There are burgers, chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese, spaghetti, chicken, deli sandwiches, pre-packed salads, salad bars, ice cream, cereal, meatballs, fires, chips, fruit, cookies, rice crispies, Chinese food, subs, and a whole bunch of other stuff that I probably forgot. For drinks, there is Coke and Pepsi drinks (bottled and fountain), milk, chocolate milk, orange juice, apple juice, Gatorade, Sobe, and coffee. There really is a big selection when it comes to food. Now that you know what there is, you might be askin yourself, how much does it cost? Well, all freshmen are required to have a minimum of 14 meals per week. You can get more if you like, but the least you can get is 14. One meal varies from place to place, but it is usually 1 entree and 1-3 sides, except at the all you can eat place where you can eat all you want. If you have any specific questions about the different places or the things that you eat, just let me know.

Now that you know what to eat, you might be wondering when you’re gonna eat. My schedule is very different than all of my friends. We all have classes at various times. Your schedule depends greatly on what classes you are taking and when they’re available. My schedule consists of 4 classes on Tuesday and Thursday from 8:15-3:30 with about an hour and a half break. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I fly from about 8-10 and then I have 2 classes from 1-3:15. Some of my friends are done by noon all week and some go until 6. It varies but I think no matter what your schedule is, it is much better than high school. Some classes will let you out early and you can just run by your dorm if you want. I think it’s pretty cool.

The major thing when transitioning from high school to college is the new sense of freedom that you have. You are all the sudden on your own. If you haven’t heard a lot about this yet, you will. The university loves to drill into the mind of the freshmen that you make your own decisions now, so don’t mess up. The truth of it is that you are on your own, but there are many different people there with you incase you need anything. I found that it has been a pretty easy transition for me and for other people as well. The most important thing is to have fun. I haven’t even been here for a month and I have already had so much fun and have so many stories. I’ll go into detail more if anyone wants me to, but already I have done laundry at 2:30 in the morning, went to Hooters with a bunch of people, had my first flight in an airplane (as the pilot), and gone out and about around Daytona (karaoke bars are very fun as long as you aren’t singing).

Well I don’t want to write a novel on the first entry so I guess I’ll wrap it up. One more thing though, I’m not sure how many people will read this thing, but if you have questions, don’t be afraid to ask! I regret not asking the questions I had a year ago. I wish I had, because then I wouldn’t have gone to Riddle in the dark. If anyone has a question about ANYTHING, just go on the discussion board or drop me a line.

Hope everyone’s year is going good, cause mine has started off great. I can’t wait to finish this year and share all my experiences with you. Next journal, I’ll probably talk about fraternities and skydiving. I hope to become a pledge for Sigma Chi and get AFF certified with skydiving in the next week or so. So until then, stay in school, drink your milk, and make sure that read every one of my journals and tell me how good they are, and if you think that they are bad, that is your opinion, and it’s wrong. 😉 Oh boy, I used a smiley. I told my self that I wouldn’t do that. Oh well. I’ll talk to ya guys later. -Blake

Welcome and greetings from Daytona Beach, Florida. Thank you for visiting the University website and my journal. Over the next year, I will be documenting my experiences here at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and together we will experience the life of a student at one of the top universities in the country. I’m glad you’ve decided to spend some time reading my first journal and I hope that at the end of the encounter you are intrigued to return throughout the year. I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences with prospective students and their parents and hope that this journal, and all those that follow, are as informative and enjoyable for you as they will be for me.

Before I begin, I believe I should explain how my personal and educational situation might shine light on the university experience from a different angle. My name is Steve von Kriegenbergh and I am a 20-year old transfer student from California. It is my understanding that the majority of the journals being written are by first year college students. As a transfer student, I have completed two years of college level credits towards my major. I have also had the experience of living on my own while attending classes and working. My hope is that my experience will provide three advantages. The first is that it will allow all prospective students to see what life is like for a first year Riddle student. The second is that it will allow future freshman to see what college is like after securing a year or two of good grades under your belt. The last view, and most unique, will allow possible transfer students an opportunity to see what it’s like to be a new student all over again. My plan is to share lots of stories from present and past and to compare the two time periods to give a holistic and realistic view of college life. With that in mind, it’s off to the races and to the actual journal.

As you already know, I am a transfer student from California. Before transferring to Embry-Riddle, I attended the California State University, Long Beach where I began my college career as an aeronautical engineering major. Before college, I grew up in Arcadia, California and attended Arcadia High School. While in high school I focused on my drum line activities and very little on my academic work. This next story is the first in an ongoing list of life lessons that you should consider taking to heart.

When it comes to something as important as your education, never settle for less than your very best effort. I didn’t try very hard in my classes in high school. I barely got into college right after I graduated. It was not even the school I wanted to attend. I learned from my mistakes and worked hard during my first two years of college and earned the grades I needed to transfer to Embry-Riddle. When it comes to your education, push yourself until you have nothing left to give, and then give a little more.

So, I decided to attend Embry-Riddle after working two years at another University. Let me tell you, the excitement and anticipation of applying for this university was something I missed the first time around. I worked hard and was more than qualified for acceptance, but waiting for the response was still driving me nuts. The day I got accepted was one of the happiest days of my life. I didn’t get anything done at work that day. It was the achievement of a life goal for me. There was, however, one aspect of the whole situation that anchored down my excitement. A cloud of nervousness was sitting on the tail end of my acceptance. Call me crazy, but there was something about moving 2,600 miles across the country to a new life that made me think twice. I assume a lot of students that move away to college experience this whether they are going 3 miles or 3,000 miles. I have some advice for those of you who are thinking or might eventually think twice about your decision to start a new life at college. Do It! If this is something you have thought about for a long time then you need to go through with it. I was nervous about leaving my old life behind and going from one ocean to the other. I have been here at Riddle for three and a half weeks and not once have I regret my decision to attend. These past weeks have been filled with some of the greatest memories of my entire life. Do what it takes to get here. I made lots of sacrifices to be here but it is completely worth it.

It took lots of paperwork, hard work, and two separate plane tickets, but I got here and the first weeks at the University are everything I hoped for. I’ll admit I was slightly confused and disoriented at first because everything was new to me. Traveling to a new city by yourself with no personal transportation is not an easy thing to do, but it made for a few good chances to get to know city. I arrived a few days early and spent the day before residence hall move-in and orientation check-in exploring the city. I walked from my hotel near the racetrack, to the campus and then all the way to the beach and back. I saw a lot of the city and my feet were definitely tired at the end of the day. I personally felt the best part of the day was looking out over the Atlantic Ocean. For the first time in my life, the Ocean would be associated with a sunrise and not a sunset. I also got a chance to adjust to the time difference that day and I would highly recommend showing up at least a few days before check-in.

After a night of uninterruptible sleep, I woke up and made my way to the campus with all my luggage. A little bit of advice, show up to move-in early. I got there about 45 minutes after they opened the doors and I had quite a nice line to stand in. Fortunately, the residence hall staff was very friendly and thanks to the lovely ladies of soccer team, the move-in process went smoothly. During check-in you receive your keys for your room, mailbox and after a quick trip over to the ICI center, your Eagle card to open security key doors. All of the orientation teams and residence hall staff are extremely nice people. They are going to do everything they can to help you get settled in as best possible. The majority of the day is filled with just getting moved-in and then a Convocation ceremony, which is a nice gathering to attend to open the school year. But the best part of living in the residence hall was yet to come.

The number one reason to attend college is what I am about to tell you. Your hall mates are going to become one of the key aspects of your entertainment and success in college. You will spend a lot of your day socializing and studying with them. They become not only your friends but also your family and believe me, you are going to see them a lot. I am not exaggerating this at all. After being on the hall for only 5 days, I felt like I had been living with my new friends for weeks. You can even read about it through my new friend and next-door neighbor Cat (also a student journalist). We have all become extremely close friends. The other great thing about the residence halls is that typically people with similar majors are placed on the same hall and it makes for an ideal networking, socializing, and studying environment.

I got through orientation that was filled with all kinds of activities and meetings including orientation events, department meetings, a Hawaiian Luau, and performances by a magician and hypnotist. The 5 days went by extremely fast and it ended too soon but I’m glad I was able to enjoy it while it lasted. The next episode to endure would be the transition into a regular class schedule packed with lectures, homework, exams and all night study sessions. So far, I have enjoyed my classes. I know they are going to be difficult, but the professors are great teachers and as long as I stay focused, I’m sure I will succeed. I plan to stay busy with classes while getting involved with lots of activities and hanging out with friends. Remember, if all you do is go to class, you aren’t really experiencing college. I have joined the skydiving club because it is something I have always wanted to do and I have found lots in common with my hall mates. Apparently, we all love to relax at the beach, which we try to do at least once a week. We even spent a very cold night on the beach together staring at the stars and then waiting for the sun to rise the next morning. I even found a few shooting buddies to go with me to the range every once in a while (By the way, I in no way promote storing a weapon on campus and I abide by all rules pertaining to the ownership or possession of a weapon as set forth in the student handbook.) I was also just elected to the Embry-Riddle Resident Student Association general board to represent Wood Hall (Wood 5 Baby!). Just remember to keep up with your studies and get involved around campus. I know I am looking forward to every new week.

Well it is getting late and I have an exam in Computer Programming tomorrow. This first journal was just an introduction into my background and the first days in the university. As I keep writing, I will go into many more details about everyday life. Meanwhile, if you ever have any questions about anything I write about or just want to ask about any aspect of life between journal entries you can look me up in a variety of ways. For those of you with access to Facebook or Myspace, I can be easily looked up on there. You can also e-mail me at vonkr497@erau.edu. In the future, all the journalist will also be watching the message boards and you can converse with us there. Until then, I bid you adieu and send all the best wishes with your current endeavors. Come back and check for updates and I hope to meet you all very soon…Steve

My first college exam went badly, by my standards. I was working for a grade between a 90 and a 95, and I got an 83. I’ve been told by several sources that an 83 is an excellent grade, but 83s are just not my style. Call me a nerd or an over-achiever, but it’s just the way I am – I refuse to be an 83% efficient air traffic controller. The first exam was hard – really hard. It was in a subject that I had never really closely encountered before – Aero Safety. It included a lot of history, politics, governmental acts and processes, and a lot of CFRs and the FARs. This class is teaching me how to hone my study skills – conform to tests to get the outcomes that I want.

I was terrified of my IT class. Really – I can’t stand computers – I don’t like thinking about them, learning about them, or being on them that much. I have absolutely no interest in how computers work, unless it has to do with how to download music, send emails, or talk to people on AIM. I just don’t care and it bores me to death and I hate computers. I know NOTHING about computers, while half of my class seems to know everything about them. However, I have 98 in that class – Never gotten anything below a 90 in the class (and that was just once) – and blackboard tells me that the average for that course is a 77. I have no idea how it is possible for someone as challenged as I am about computers to be doing that well. All I can say is that I TRY – I try REALLY HARD to understand and do all of the assignments – There are a lot of assignments, a lot of quizzes – just a lot of stuff to keep up with. This class has shown me that if you DO the work and you TRY… it should pay off. Also, it has shown me that I need to talk to my professors – if a grade doesn’t seem right, get it fixed. The same proved true for my meteorology class.

My Meteorology class – I like the subject, but I’m not wild about the class – it’s the biggest class that I’m in (I think), and I think I lose something from that. However, it challenges me to be focused and to use class time wisely. Sometimes I fail. Horribly – I’m not going to lie. I took a test in that class today, and I know that I did really really well on it – I studied what the professor suggested that we studied, as well as my notes and the text. There is no doubt in my mind that I got an A. (And I did!) I work really hard in my math class. Really hard. I do all the homework, I got to class, I do well on quizzes, I study, the material is easy – but I still had a B. Just because it’s easy – that doesn’t mean that I don’t have to try just as hard. I also think that professors take into account how much you participate – at least, I hope mine does, because I participate a lot in class. I have an exam coming up in that class – on the 2nd. I’m not too stressed about it yet, since I feel pretty comfortable with the material that we have already covered. (And that exam went really well, I now have a really great grade in that class).

University 101 is a strange class. But I have an awesome topic for my term paper. It’s going to be something like, “University 101 is Necessary?” I know it’s a bit controversial, but I like that. Topic is already approved and it’s going to be fun.

Speech class… I didn’t get an A on my first speech solely because I was not prepared to speak on the first day. There’s no excuse. My professor even told me that my delivery was worthy of an A, but because I didn’t speak on the first day, I got graded down. Next time I’ll be ready. (And I was.)

And that’s it for now! If you have any questions or concerns or you want to chat, or you want to rag on me for being a nerd, just drop me an email: rumbebb5@erau.edu

This week has been busy. I have been basically working on homework and studying for upcoming tests. I have a business management, meteorology, and safety sciences tests coming up within a week. I also have had quizzes in psychology and homework in meteorology to do. I also have an informative speech to write. I am planning on talking about the St. Louis Arch. I haven’t found any information in the library about it so I am worried about it. Good thing I am going to St. Louis this weekend.

I am going to be an Alpha Xi Delta!!! I am so excited. My roommate is going to be a Sigma Sigma Sigma. I am happy for everyone. We went out for ice cream and got to know each other.

I had my first exam of the semester. It was in my Intro to Psychology class. I think I passed it. I am just hoping I got a B. Some of the questions definitely stumped me.

This week was sorority recruitment week. I actually never pictured myself as a sorority girl, actually neither do my friends. I decided to try it out and see if I like it and I dragged my roommate to come with me. I was excited to be meeting girls. The three sororities had different themes and you would go into different locations to interact with them. They are all unique and fun. I would rather do this at least once a week for the rest of the school year. I love girls’ night out. I know I took them for granted for the last couple of decades but now I treasure every moment.

Yes, the boys (the ones I interact with) at school are nice. They don’t give me any problems for the most part. 😛

Hi everyone!

Well, I would like to say thanks to all the previous journal writers who really have done a great job. I should know since I read a few of them within the last couple months while anticipating my arrival to Embry-Riddle. Now I’m finally here, and I am in their position with the exciting and fun task of providing you, the readers around the world, with news about my life here at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University!

First off, let me introduce myself in this, my first journal submission. My name is Vivekh, 17 years old, and I hail from the beautiful twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean (if you don’t know where it is, go look it up on a map!) My major is finally Aeronautical Science—I used the word “finally” because I changed my major like 4 times. Don’t worry, it may happen to you too while applying. Ok, secondly, how I came to ERAU. Well, for as along as I can remember, I have LOVED aviation with all my life. Everyday will not be complete without my daily dose of airliners.net – you aviation lovers must know about that! So, I talked to my parents about going to the U.S. to learn to fly and they agreed (love u guys!). So, I completed my ordinary-level examinations in secondary school last year around June and I dove straight into SAT prep. Let me tell you, that was hell in SO many different aspects! But I got around it in my first attempt, so YAY me! Then came the application process…waited..and waited even longer until finally I got my packet and was accepted with a partial scholarship, so I was of course happy with that. Then, as time passed by, Riddle (ERAU as you will eventually call it) hosted chat sessions between the students and faculty members and staff. In those chat sessions, I met a lot of new students like myself. We exchanged emails and stuff to keep in contact, and eventually they started introducing me to others and the chain continued like that until I knew a good many freshmen…

Ok, so I visited campus before for “sneak preview day” in April and I got very familiar with the place and from that day, I knew I wanted to stay in Adams Residence Hall and thank God, I was placed in here! I now reside in the penthouse (5th floor) with the coolest Resident Advisor and hall mates, they can make any boring night fun! Know this, whenever you get here, be sure to get to know all your hall mates, they can help you in homework, look out for you, and they may even be your roommates in your following year! But one thing is for sure—residence life is probably one of the most exciting things you will experience while you are here..oh, and get this, I knew who my roommate was before even finding out that we were paired together—how is that possible?..FACEBOOK! haha..yea, and we share the same birthday!

So, anyway, orientation week was a blast!..hectic, but fun. They really made us feel welcome into the school..anything we need help with, the orientation team members were always there to help. Then orientation week was over and it was time to say goodbye to my parents…that was sad. I mean, as much as you guys think you’re not gonna miss your parents when you go to college, wait till they leave! All the things you took for granted like them taking care of you, is all gone! I’m in this country with no one..and I can’t simply fly back home whenever I want! So, spend time with them before you leave for here. Also, your friends..OMG, you have NO idea how much I miss them..miss you lots, guys!

After orientation, classes began on August 28th. All my professors are reallllllly nice and they always look out for you. Make sure you’re keeping up and stuff. It’s also fun since I got to meet a lot of new freshmen and older students too. Time passed, but the homework kept coming and coming and coming! Blackboard can be convenient, but it also can be the devil when professors post new homework like the day before class! But that’s part of college life that we all must get accustomed to..staying up until the computer lab closes doing homework for Aeronautics 132! (ahem ahem)

Oh, let me say this…when you get here, you will be hearing this a lot—-get involved on campus! And I totally agree with this. When you get here, there will be tons of things offered to you to get involved in—join organizations, participate in on-campus activities..just always be active!..not only will you have fun, but you will meet loads of new people—freshmen and older students, faculty members who can assist you further on if you ever need help in anything. Ok, so I think this is getting a bit too much for you guys to read, so I hoped you enjoyed it and I look forward to keeping you guys updated with my life in Embry-Riddle..and to all you high school students who plan on coming here, good luck and work hard-er! College is no joke; keep that in mind!

Oh, and if anyone has any questions or just wanna talk, hit me up on facebook, or my email is pundib07@erau.edu , and my aim s/n is xtriniboix

Take care

I’m out,

Vick

Today I found out a got a scholarship. I am so happy. They are going to be sending a check to the school so that’s going to help me out with the other school expenses and I will finally be able to have health insurance. For now, I am going to go with the one that the school recommended since I have to do my yearly check up. I am going to be shopping around for an insurance company that would be willing to insure me with my previous medical conditions. Hopefully it works out in the end.

I encourage you to apply for all the scholarships you qualify for, even if you think you are not going to get it. When I was in high school, I applied for many scholarships. I was always at the counselor’s office asking for letters of recommendations and trying to get my transcripts sent to different places. Now, I am going to start over so when I get my final grades in for the semester, I am going to start applying for scholarships. I am also going to start applying for internships for the summer.

I also went to the SAE meeting. They have a couple of teams working on different competitions. They have an Aero Team, 2 (1 Co-ed, 1 female Mini Baja teams, and a Hybrid group.

Today has been rather busy.

I woke up around 9:30, took a shower, yada yada, you know the routine. At 10:30 I had a meeting with my advisor. I’m glad that my UNIV 101 teacher forced everyone to meet with their advisors – I learned a lot. She helped me figure out some stuff about choosing my minor, registering for classes, events on campus, internships, electives, off-campus schooling, and the list goes on. I’m really glad that I went – So all you Riddle newbies or soon-to-be newbies – Go see your advisor, it’s a good idea. She also pointed me in the right direction for other concerns that I had.

After I got back from seeing my advisor, I made a trip to the bank, and then to a gas station to vacuum out my car – In case you haven’t noticed, Carlos (my car)… It tends to um… suck. I almost regret bringing my car down here, except that it is INFINITELY easier to have the job that I want, aka off-campus, and go to the beach when I want, and the grocery store, mall, etc.

Speaking of my job, Epic called today and asked me to work a few more days in October. I was really worried that I wasn’t going to have enough hours there, and I was going to have to get a third job, but things are looking okay. Plus, I really REALLY don’t want a third job. At all. Although, one of my hallmates did tell me about his job that he loves, and he said he’d give me some information if I want it, but… I really want to continue working at Epic, so hopefully things will work out.

There are these crazy little bugs here – People call them Love Bugs. They are everywhere, and they fly into you, and get in your car and drive you nuts. “Love Bugs” is not a good name for them. They are kind of like June Bugs or June Beetles from back home in Virginia, except they are much smaller and somehow more annoying. I vacuumed up a lot of them while I was vacuuming my car, just because they were bugging me – no pun intended.

After the gas station, I went to Publix to get some food. I had about four things on my list and left with… significantly more things, but I think I did alright. I should be good for another two weeks or so (and then I’ll get paid again). Then I came back to the dorms. Class this afternoon… Woo hoo. Then I get to study for my FIRST COLLEGE TEST. Cumulatively, I’ve already put about 7 hours of study into it… But that’s because I’m TERRIFIED. So… we’ll see how that goes. *crosses fingers*

Stay classy, and stay in class!

Today in my speech class, one of my classmates forgot to turn off the phone. The phone started ringing in the middle of the classroom and the professor asked if that was his phone ringing. He said it was his mom. She picked up the phone and talked to his mom. Everyone in class was laughing because you hear the professor say “No. This is not Papi. This is his teacher. Can you hear the students laughing? Can you please call back after 4:30.”

Lesson of the day: Make sure you have your cell phone off or the ring mode on silent.

I also went to the TFO meeting with Vick. I think it stands for Task Force One but I am not sure. It’s for first year students who want to be more involved with the Student Government.

I bought my business management book online and never received it. I filed a claim with the company and my credit card company. I also bought the book from someone else online, hopefully I get it soon.