Author Archives: Maddie

About Maddie

Sophomore

Aviation Business Administration

Hometown: Castle Rock, Colorado

Campus Involvement: O-Team, Resident Advisor, Honors Program, Women in Aviation, Womens Ambassador, Greek Life, Student Assistant, SGA Student Court

Why I chose Embry-Riddle: I chose Embry-Riddle because it felt like home. I had never, and still to this day have never, experienced a university so unique and truly special. There is no other place like our school - where you can fly up to Georgia for BBQ after class!

End of the Year!

Posted on by
Reply

Hi everyone!

This time of year is always so bittersweet. While summer is literally right around the corner, there are still a few large obstacles to get through before the sand is in between my toes.

Finals are coming up sooner than we probably would like but for me personally, I cannot wait to just take them and be done. You could say senioritis is in full swing.

After I graduate in two weeks (that sounds crazy to say), I am catching a flight to Hawaii. We are going to see my sister graduate from University of Hawaii and have a little vacation. Then we are going to Disneyland for a day before heading back to Colorado for me to begin working!

When my family comes, we plan to eat lots of yummy food, hang out at the beach, and go to Disney World. I’m so excited but I never realized how much goes into graduating. There are meetings to attend and celebrations and having your family fly out… It’s a lot!

As all my organizations wrap up, I’m genuinely surprised how reluctant I am to say goodbye. While in the moment for the past three years I may have complained about the silly things we have to do or the “pointless” meetings, I’m now kind of already missing them. It’s not that I think they won’t succeed without me, but rather that they gave me a fulfilling sense of purpose that lit up my life! Now, I will find new things, but I will always be grateful for the people I have met, helped, or learned from.

I went to the College of Business awards ceremony last week and won the John P. Eberle award, which is essentially an outstanding senior recognition. I was so honored to win but also just sitting at the banquet and telling my professors my future plans seemed surreal. I remember being a scared freshman in their class like it was yesterday. Am I really not coming back to see them next semester?! I remember being a freshman at the same awards ceremony and being jealous of the seniors saying goodbye… Now I’m jealous of the freshman who get to stay!

Freshman Year College of Business Banquet
Senior Year College of Business Banquet

These banquets and goodbye dinners have been so sad but I do have to say I am very blessed to have such great things ahead to look forward to. I have always been the person to look forward and be more excited for the future than the past. Still, every thing I do I can’t help but make a mental note that it may be my last. I submitted a paper last week… my last college essay. Then I did a presentation… my last college presentation. On the positive side of this, it’s very motivating knowing you only have ‘x’ amount of work left. It really makes you work harder to get it done!

From the Student Government Association Banquet – Student Court

That being said, I plan to continue to write at least one more blog. I hope these have been helpful and fun to read. Maybe the top ten things I learned in college? Hmmm, I’ll to think on that. It has been so exciting to meet the readers as they come to campus and say that my blog has helped them. One reader has even joined many of the organizations I am in! I cannot explain the joy it brings me knowing I have eased some minds and inspired others to become involved. If there is one takeaway I want ALL of you to get from reading these blogs – if I can do it, so can you!

Until next time, Maddie

I Got a Job!

Posted on by
Reply

I am hoping this serves as my Career Fair Part II since the topics largely overlap.

To begin, I went to the Career Fair in the middle of February. Here I only handed out a few resumes since I knew I would be interviewing with some other companies soon (neither of which attended the Spring Career Fair/Expo).

I interviewed at two companies which will remain nameless for the sake of privacy. I will clue you in on the fact that one was an airline and the other is an OEM (original equipment manufacturer).

My first interview was in Dallas, Texas and the company was one of my dream companies to work for. I had done a training session with them one summer and thought the culture was so unique and amazing! When I applied online for the Crew Scheduling position I thought I would never hear back since this company is very competitive. Crew Scheduling sounded so fun and interesting to me since I love puzzles and challenges.

I flew in Thursday morning to interview and then took the company shuttle from the airport to their offices. There was a waiting room that looked much like an airport gate area and I met some other interviewees. Then it was my turn to go back and interview. I felt very prepared and the interviewers were beyond kind. They asked a lot about my background and goals. I felt confident about my answers as I trusted ERAU’s education. Then I flew to Alabama to see Chris that evening after my interview. The next day, Friday, I received a call with an offer!

I had another interview the next Tuesday with my dream company. My nerves were crazy. That interview process was much lengthier than the other. This one was 7 hours and I had to make a presentation to present to them. Needless to say, I was exhausted by the end! The company did fly me out and pay for hotel, food, and transportation. I got to see my family too, since this position is in Colorado (one of the reasons I love it so much)!

The company culture at this second interview was my dream company culture. After my internship over last summer, I learned I prefer smaller companies – at least for now. This one is a startup, so I really love how fun and innovative everything is. There are so many coffee machines with fancy creamer and a whole kitchen stocked with free food. Not to mention you get a free $20 GrubHub credit everyday and unlimited paid time off! There is also a gym and locker rooms so you have a balanced life. That Friday I got a call with an offer from them as well!!!

Ultimately, I went with the offer in Colorado! I felt I had more room to grow with this company and I am truly passionate about their cause. The startup environment will be challenging and it is definitely not where I thought I would end up, but I am very excited to grow in this first career position.

The funny thing is, after I accepted my offer I began to get many other calls and interviews and even offers from other companies. Many of these were ones from the Career Fair. I say this so if you don’t hear back a week or two after the Career Fair, know it does not mean they forgot. Many companies take their time to get back to you, so be patient!

Both interviews had teams of people that were very impressed with the caliber of students that Embry-Riddle produced. Knowing that, I wish I had been more confident in myself going in because I think we forget how truly unique we are in this industry.

I get paid to travel for Embry-Riddle

Posted on by
Reply

If the title didn’t hook you, I don’t know what will!

For those of you who do not know, I am a Women’s Ambassador – which means I work for Admissions. This position allows me the opportunity to travel to Accepted Student Receptions (aka the dinners/lunches across the country where accepted students have the chance to meet other accepted students and learn more about the school).

Some previous trips I have been on with the Admissions team include: Charleston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and most recently, Boston. These trips are typically one weekend long and are completely paid for by Riddle, so it is free for me (even my meals). You also get to pick when you travel *+(out of a list of dates), so it is very flexible with school.

When I travel, I normally go with a team of 3-4 others depending on how big the reception is planned to be. These are all people who bring a unique skill to the trip. For example, one person will be from Financial Aid, one from Housing, one from Admissions, and a student (me).

This particular trip was to give a presentation about ERAU (meaning it was geared more towards recruiting). The Accepted Student Receptions are more focused on preparing students to come to school in the fall!

In our free time we like to go sight-seeing. Most of the other people from Riddle travel often and know super cool places or very delicious restaurants. In San Francisco we walked to Fisherman’s Wharf and in Boston we walked through Little Italy. In Los Angeles we went into downtown LA for a bit!

Your flights are booked for you and sometimes you even fly on the same flights as the team. This makes it super simple and easy. I have always flown out of Daytona Beach International Airport, so it is also very convenient. Hotels are also booked for you and as for transportation, either the team will have a rental car or they will Uber/Lyft/taxi with you. They also send itineraries way in advance, so you know who, what, where, and when!

My most recent trip was to Boston. I went last weekend and traveled with a very nice lady from Financial Aid. In Boston we met up with the rest of the team (traveling from other receptions) and ate some AMAZING food. We also got to see some Boston history, like the Boston Tea Party harbor. I left Friday afternoon after my classes and then flew to Atlanta and then to Boston. We took a taxi to our hotel, checked in, and then walked to dinner.

My dinner at a small Italian restaurant. It was the best gnocchi ever!

The next day we went to the reception and met nearly 100 students and families. We did our presentation and answered questions. Students mingled and families shared contacts! I got asked a lot about how to save money while at school. I discussed how I worked for many different departments, such as Admissions and Housing! These are our versions of “work studies”. I also applied for donor scholarships often and got very involved on campus! Just like this gig where I get a stipend and free travel, there are amazing money-saving gems all around Riddle.

The view from the Accepted Student Reception restaurant!

I did homework at night to keep on track. I typically do homework on the weekends instead of during the week. Since I had known about the trip in advance, I tried to do more homework the week before. I was also able to do homework on my flight home on Sunday, but I got a bit distracted by the movie selections (Instant Family and Crazy Rich Asians are such good movies). Once I landed, I went to the Blue & Gold week (our homecoming) comedy show! It was super good!

This was my last trip ever and I was quite nostalgic. When I was a senior in high school I actually went to the Accepted Student Reception in Denver. Now, every time I go present about our school, I fall even more in love. It is so unique and we forget this when we live it every day. To see the families and students get excited and blown away by what we do on the norm is very humbling. I am just excited these students are following their dreams and will living their best lives here soon!

Ultimately, while it is fun to see new things in new cities, the best part of this job is meeting the accepted or potential students. I love helping families and the students learn more about the school or ease their minds. Some families are very excited and others are more nervous. While their technical questions are answered by the rest of the team, I am there to help answer questions about student life, how I pay for school, my experience, and transitioning into college. At the end of a reception, it feels great to know you just helped so many people!

Let me know if you have been to or are planning on going to the Accepted Student Receptions!

Best, Maddie

Why I feel prepared to graduate ft. the Career Fair (Part 1)

Posted on by
Reply

Hi everyone! I hope your Spring Break is upon you just like ours is upon us. Who’s ready for a week off? Me!

I wanted to talk a little bit about the Career Fair we experienced last week, but then I decided to make this a series if you will. This Part 1 will focus mainly on the Career Fair and the opportunities it provides. Part 2 will focus on the actual career-readiness I believe the vast majority of Embry-Riddle students leave with.

The Career Fair or Career Industry Expo, was last Thursday, February 28th. It went throughout the day and had hundreds of employers in attendance. There are companies for every major and recruiters for internships and jobs.

Throughout the week there are lots of presentations from companies, big and small. At these smaller meetings, they discuss who they are and what they are looking for. If you are interested in a company, I encourage you to attend their info-session and bring your resume! They are there to recruit, so be on your A-game.

Companies also come in and talk to your classes. I had a representative from EAA come explain their company and what type of positions they’re recruiting for. When Boeing came in the fall, they even told us inside tips on how to nail the interview! This extra face time is great. Come to class with resumes and try to stay to talk with the presenter afterwards if you are interested!

I encourage you to look up pictures of the Career Fair if you haven’t. It’s very hectic, but fun! You can get a lot of swag and make a lot of connections. I think even if you are not interested in getting an internship or job, it is beneficial to go and get practice speaking with recruiters. You can build lasting networking connections as well as possibly get an internship or job! You just never know. Some companies will also critique your resume on the spot, so that is very helpful too!

After the Career Fair, there are some interviews that companies host. The Career Fair is for you to learn about the companies, but come in with some basic knowledge in case they pull you aside for an on-the-spot interview! Weeks before the date, they will have a list of registered attendees for you to begin researching.

Up to the Career Fair, Career Services does a lot of resume and interview prep. There are even lessons on how to improve your LinkedIn. Please take advantage of these opportunities as they are really beneficial. One thing I wish I would’ve done, even as a freshman, was regularly attend the Career Service events. They care so much about students, but they also work with these companies directly, so they may have insider tips as well.

You can also talk to your Professors for help. I had one Professor ask for us students to turn in our resumes. She then read them and made edits! I just can’t believe what an amazing university this is – one where your Professor assigns you to bring in your resume so YOU can get help. Amazing.

Overall, while I have not directly received an internship or job from the Career Expo, but I know people who have. I still think the experience is great. I learn professional business skills and grow my network. I have been able to take my elevator speech and use it in interview questions. My aviation knowledge also grows every Career Fair – plus you get cool swag!

Go – go when you are a freshman and even if you don’t need an internship or job. You grow as a person and that should be a good enough reason alone!

~ Maddie

Fun Weekend Getaway

Posted on by
Reply

Hi everyone!

One thing I love about Florida is how much there is to do. We have the beach minutes from our doorstep, Walt Disney World down the street, and beautiful springs in our backyard.

While there is an endless amount of things to do locally, it is always fun to sneak away! Many of my friends travel the WORLD over weekends, but I am on a budget, therefore you can find me local most of the time and jet-setting rarely. This past weekend I went to Savannah, Georgia with some friends.

I was beginning to feel bored and burnt out by all I had to do, so I decided to head out of town to refresh my mind.

Savannah is only 3.5 hours away from our campus, so the drive is not bad at all. I left after a test in my 2 o’clock class and then made it to our hotel at 6 pm. The hotel was very nice and once I dropped off my bags, my friends and I left to go downtown!

My friends, Lauren and Jorge, have been friends with me throughout college. They are always so much fun and make Chris and I laugh like crazy. They are also super easy going – like us – so traveling with them is never stressful.

Lauren and Jorge drove up separately, but the short drive wasn’t bad to make by myself. Chris drove 5 hours from Alabama, but he likes driving, so I wasn’t worried.

We tried lots of different restaurants, but they were all delicious! Our favorites were Treylor Park and Tequila’s Town.

We also went to the park where part of Forest Gump was filmed and took lots of pictures! We propped Chris’ phone up against the wall and were able to snap these shots, but people were definitely judging us – haha!

We also went to a the BEST ice cream shop I’ve ever been to – Leopold’s Ice Cream. If you are ever in Savannah, I highly recommend walking the cute downtown and grabbing an ice cream.

The trip was only two days, but it felt like the perfect amount of time. When I got back, I still had time to make it to my group meetings and get homework done. My freshman-self would’ve never imagined I could make the most of a weekend as much as I just did. We got so much done and I did leave feeling refreshed.

Sometimes we need a break. That can be a walk, a workout, a Starbucks break, or a weekend getaway. Take it. Take a break because I promise you it will do you well in the end.

Overall, it was great to see Chris and beautiful Savannah with friends! It is so easy to get bogged down with school and find yourself in your dorm cranking out homework. Since this is my last semester, I am challenging myself to go out and do more. As cheesy as it sounds, we should be making memories. I encourage all of you – whether you are already on campus, considering coming to ERAU, or already packing for next semester – to go out and make the most of your time here. I promise it flies (Riddle pun intended)!

Best ~ Maddie

ERAU Family Weekend!

Posted on by
Reply

This past weekend was Family Weekend here in Daytona Beach. My mom and brother came to visit, but Chris also came to surprise me! When I pulled up at the airport to pick up my mom and brother, Chris was there!

We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Ormond Beach (we got a great deal) and first began the morning by grabbing breakfast. I sent Logan (my brother) off with a friend to an engineering class since that is his interest. Chris and my mom came to meet my Professor, but instead of sitting in on the class, they went to go “officially” check-in for the weekend.

Of course my mom went to the bookstore and got all the goodies. She also met up with a friend from Castle Rock (our hometown) since her son also is a student! This is a picture of Logan and I. Can you believe he is as tall as me? I can’t!

When my family came to Family Weekend my freshman year, they were sad Logan couldn’t come too. Now that he was able to come, we were all very happy. It is huge for him to be able to see the school he hopes to attend, but also hopefully makes his first couple days at college a lot less scary, especially since he was able to sit in on a class.

After my first class, I took my family to meet some friends and faculty that I love. The folks I work with in Admissions even gave him a t-shirt!

Coolest 13 year-old I know!
Logan really wanted an energy drink and I really wanted to show him our cool deck… So here we are!

We also toured the school and then went to lunch. My mom went to my dorm and napped while Chris and Logan came to my last class of the day with me. My Professor was very sweet to them and they both really enjoyed the class. Logan now loves Aviation Business since my class was very fun and his morning Engineering class was more serious. I feel bad for tarnishing his view but… I’m also not too mad about it, haha!

There were many options for us on Friday and Saturday (like trivia night), but I just really wanted my family to see the campus and for Logan to sit in on a class with me. We decided to go to Disney since most of Saturday’s activities would not be super fun for Logan and because my mom had already been to most of the activities my freshman year. Plus… I mean it’s Disney!

After spending an arm and a leg, we went to Epcot. We decided to go to this park since we have not been in a long time. Logan is 13 (almost 14) now, so he has grown to like it a lot more than he did when he was way younger. The weather was great and the longest line we waited in was only 30 minutes!

Please enjoy some pictures from the weekend!

My adorable mom and I!
Just hanging out with my boys!
I was so happy Chris came to surprise me!
Epcot’s yummy and surprisingly affordable food!
Left: chocolate tasting Right: beef wellington

Sunday was the day scheduled by the school as “free time”, but my family left Sunday afternoon. So, instead we went to Orlando (since they were leaving out of MCO) and went to the outlet mall there!

I was sad to see everyone go, but I was also glad they came. It was honestly one of the greatest weekends of my life! When I am at school I greatly miss my family. Seeing them gives me the motivation and strength to continue to work hard on my studies!

Some restaurants we ate at (and that I highly recommend):

  • Tia Cori’s Tacos
  • Oklahoma Joe’s
  • Giuseppe’s Steel Pizza City
  • Neighbors Ice Cream Parlor
  • Blaze Pizza
  • Chicken Salad Chick

You go through life wondering what is all about but at the end of the day it’s all about family.

Rod Stewart

Until next time! ~ Maddie

Is College Hard?

Posted on by
Reply

Hi everyone!

We have only been back for about two weeks and I already feel that we are in full swing. What ever happened to syllabus week? Personally, I prefer not to waste time. I love to hit the ground running, especially this semester, because it means we are that much closer to the finish line!

It’s that time of year where I like to try extra hard to fill my blogs with good, hearty, helpful content. While I hope you get the feel of college life at ERAU by reading my blogs, I also want to leave you with something after you finish. Hopefully you can take at least one thing away from this long blog post!

This week, I wanted to answer a question I get asked a lot by incoming freshman/transfer students. It’s a question I had myself coming into college. First things first, I want to specify that ERAU is very different than any other college (or so I hear). Many of my friends who went to state schools have a very different experience than I do. This isn’t necessarily bad, but I want to make the specification that every college experience is different, especially between a private/public university and even more so at such a specialized college.

The question is: Is college hard?

As a forewarning: I am not trying to brag about anything. I work very hard and it took awhile to find the balance I have in college. That being said, I am still not perfect. Sometimes I have to take days off work to study and I don’t get an A on every assignment. I want to be real and help someone out and that is why I am sharing this information!

I was filled with fear that college would knock me off my feet. I graduated high school with above a 4.0 and I STILL was worried I’d fail out of college. Yet, here I am – thriving!

I am in my last semester, have a 4.0, work four jobs, and have leadership positions in multiple clubs/organizations. AND, I am able to have free time for myself pretty much every single night and every weekend. I travel, watch Netflix way too much, and go hang out with friends. You can have it all, I promise. Of course, this may vary by major. My engineering friends seem to have more homework, but I have more group meetings. It all really depends.

It takes time to learn your jam. My first semester of college was slow. I didn’t work and I only took 13 credits. If you plan on moving into your dorm and having life figured out after orientation, I would calm down a bit. We expect so much from ourselves and that can be unhealthy. Give yourself time to grow and adjust because many others are as well. I do this thing where I panic in the beginning of the semester thinking my classes are so hard, but by the third week I have learned they’re very manageable and it just seemed hard. I would recommend waiting to get a job until your second semester on campus, but join many organizations your first semester and weed out ones you feel are less valuable to you as the semester goes on. This ensure by spring that you will have only things you enjoy and find beneficial on your schedule.

Don’t compare yourself to others. Remind yourself that your friend in business is working 20 hours a week after class because their classes are different than yours. Or that your friend in engineering is not working or as involved as much because they have more homework than you. You are not the same person – your circumstances are completely different. College can be hard if you try to fit in and be this “perfect” person. Be yourself. Do things you are passionate about and it won’t feel overwhelming. You must make time for things that make you happy.

Choose what you want. If you want lots of spending money, get a job. If you want straight A’s, focus on that. If you want to be super social, join clubs. If you want to add to your resume, join a project. We forget that we get to choose what we do in college. It really helps to experiment and find what mix of the above get you what you want. If you know you take longer to complete assignments or study, maybe consider working only a few hours at an on-campus job that allows you to do homework. I had to quit clubs I liked because I knew they were taking too much of my studying times. I only work a couple hours at each job in order to have time to take on leadership positions in my clubs.

Go to class. Some people don’t and I know some schools allow this. Embry-Riddle does not. Almost every single one of my professors in college has taken attendance. You can’t even be tardy. My personal opinion is if you pay to come to school, you should actually go. Every class is fast-paced and beneficial. There is never just busy work. Missing a day at ERAU is not like “oh well” but rather you will find yourself in office hours trying to catch up. Please just go to class. Please.

There is not a class that is impossible to pass. There are so many resources available to students to not just pass, but get A’s. Go to every office hour if you must. Email your professor. Hang out in the tutoring center to do your homework and study. Some classes are harder than others, so you may have to adjust your extracurricular and work schedule according to your classes. If you have a hard physics class, allot time for you to get the help you need. Maybe cut your number of work hours in half or go on a semester-leave for a club. You are a student first. I truly believe if you try hard enough, you will succeed.

TIP: I don’t take notes on my laptop anymore because I found myself getting distracted. I would jump from notes to sending and email to notes to filling out some paperwork I needed to do. Learn from me – it’s easier to pay attention in class and learn than it is to try to teach yourself with the PowerPoints posted online (yeah, college professors usually post their slides online – it’s super nice). This will help when you go to study because you will have already learned it once. I think I realized this when I was learning so much in my one class that didn’t allow laptops out.

I hope this helps whoever is worried out there. I promise it’ll all be good. You can do this! ~ Maddie

The Beginning of the End

Posted on by
Reply

Welcome back! Who else is rejuvenated after such a long break?

I am so excited for this semester because IT IS MY VERY LAST SEMESTER of my undergraduate degree! This is not some sappy blog post about how difficult the journey has been, because honestly… it hasn’t been all that tough for me.

Yes, I have suffered through the painstaking long distance relationship and homesickness and working my butt off, but I feel all of that is merely a fading memory already. All the minor painful bits are overshadowed by the pure excitement of the ever impending finish line.

Some classes I struggled with and others I genuinely enjoyed attending. I’ve had professors that I adored and clung to their every word and others that I thought I couldn’t escape soon enough. There were tears and blood (just kidding) but it was all worth it.

I feel like I am talking as if I graduate tomorrow… Woah woah there cowgirl, buckle up for one more semester.

All in all, I am just saying that I feel we glorify the pain of college. We are romantics for the sleepless nights, “failed” tests, and freshman 15*. In reality, I never pulled an all-nighter. There was not a single assignment I truly “failed” (though if we are being honest, there were some tests with grades I wish were better). And I am most happy to report there was no freshman 15 here! *For those who do not know, the freshman 15 is what people call it when you gain weight going to college. They blame the food and bad habits, but my doctor once told me we look for excuses for things such as weight gain. Most “freshman 15” are probably a natural change/occurrence or due to a drastic change in lifestyle rather than college itself.

I am usually a Scrooge when it comes to New Year resolutions, but this year I am challenging myself to be more positive. So many times we get in the habit of joining people in their negativity. If we are told a class is hard, then we automatically go into it thinking that it will be difficult. I am pushing myself to see past these rumors and to attempt new things with an open mind. Maybe you thought that class was hard because you didn’t find the topic interesting or maybe you missed every other class. We are independent beings and I encourage everyone to go into college with this mindset.

If your roommate joins a sorority and you feel it’s not for you, then don’t feel you have to go out for recruitment. I am the guiltiest person when it comes to expectations. I expect a lot from others but an extraordinary amount from myself. While I obviously, wholeheartedly encourage everyone to try new things and push their limits, only do what you are passionate about. Do what you believe is best for yourself and I promise you will fly.

I guess what I am saying is accept the challenges of college with positivity and I promise your days will fly by!

~ Maddie Dietrich

What Finals are Really Like

Posted on by
Reply

Can you believe it’s already that time of the year again? No not the holidays… Finals. I can’t bring myself to be too festive until I finish finals or I’d get too distracted.

There’s a whole Study Day. Here at Embry-Riddle we have a day off so we can study for finals. The caveat to this is that we have finals starting on Saturday, Sunday is off still, but then they resume from Monday thru Wednesday. Either way, it’s nice to have this day off. Some students take this day to go relax at the beach while other meet with classmates or professors to become more prepared.

You can definitely get sleep. Finals are at all times. You can have a final at 9 am or 7 pm. Finals are also spread out (not at your normal class time). This allows for plenty of time to study AND sleep. We are constantly reminded of the importance of sleep, so I hope everyone takes full advantage of it like I do! I like to get up early and study, take the final, and go to bed early to get lots of rest before my next exam! If you are worried it’s like the movies and you will get 0 hours of sleep, I promise you this is not the truth!

The food hours are better. For one, Starbucks is open later, which is great for those who prefer to stay up and study for their tests! We can all use a little extra coffee or tea during finals, so these extra hours are surely taken advantage of! There are also extended hours on our restaurants, so you’re able to get grub at almost any time!

There are many free things. I know the library and the housing office like to hold different events for finals to help make the students feel less stressed. One of them is Exam Cram – where there are typically cookies, donuts, coffee, and tutors. The Student Government also has tutoring/study sessions during study day! They even hand out little treats for students as pick-me-ups.

Your professors understand. Your professors know how busy you are at this time of year. They were students once too, so they know firsthand the stress that finals brings about. I think it’s nice when they try to give a study guide or even just reassurance that everyone is doing well in the class. It’s important to remember they want you to do well! Don’t be afraid to email questions or visit their office hours. Some professors have extended office hours during finals!

Not all finals are cumulative. For those who do not know, cumulative means that you will be tested on all the things you have learned that semester. This semester, I have no cumulative tests. All my finals are my third test of the semester. I think it’s nice to have this,  but I know some people without finals, so I’m a little jealous of them!

Clubs are doing fun things. Even though studying is important, clubs want to have an end-of-the-year celebration. When you’re on campus and involved, I encourage you to attend as many of these events as possible! Yesterday Women’s Ambassadors made body scrub and today, Women in Aviation is having Chipotle for dinner. We are also going to the Christmas light drive-thru at the Speedway for Housing!

Groups are encouraged. Many professors will hold extra study sessions. I had one for my economics and math classes. This is super nice of the professors since they are taking their time for the students – just another reason to love Embry-Riddle! Beyond this, many professors encourage groups to work together to study. You can find students working in the Hosseini Student Union, dorm study room, Ignite, computer labs, or many other places. I know that the study rooms in the dorms are equipped with white boards and cords to connect your computer, so this is awesome for group work!

Have a happy holidays everyone! ~ Maddie Dietrich

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted on by
Reply

Happy post-Thanksgiving y’all!

I hope you had a relaxing break and lots of yummy food! Maybe you found some good deals at Black Friday too! This post may not be of interest to everyone, but I wanted to share some personal things. I love sharing tips and tidbits about ERAU, but I also want y’all to get to know me! That way the girl with the “really good advice *wink*” isn’t too much of a stranger!

Here is what I did for my break!

Saturday, November 17th through Monday, November 19th – Chris landed early in the morning at MCO. We went out to breakfast at a popular restaurant called Keke’s (note: it was very good) and then shopped at Mall at Millenia. Later we came back to the dorms and ordered Buffalo Wild Wings on GrubHub. It was delivered to the dorm and we watched a Christmas movie while eating our wings! Monday was pretty normal with classes continuing, but I really enjoyed having Chris to run to after class! We went shopping at the Outlets in town and spent way too much money! We told ourselves we were being good and proactively Christmas shopping but in reality, we both left with clothes only for ourselves and a bag of candy. Oops!

Tuesday, November 20th – Chris and I headed to Orlando after class and stayed at the Embassy Suites by the airport since our flight left super early the next morning. We parked the car at Wally Park ($5 parking with a free shuttle) and then went to the hotel. We stayed in watching TV and eating the free pizza we scored from Blaze Pizza in Daytona for their opening. All you had was follow them on social media and show them at check out! I posted it for all my friends to see and enjoy for themselves! Update: it was super duper good pizza! I love making my own and if you’re familiar with Mod Pizza (our hometown favorite), it’s very similar but maybe even better (just a tiny bit pricier)!

Wednesday, November 21st – Wednesday we left the hotel at 4 am to head to the airport. It was busier than usual but nothing too crazy. Chris and I have TSA Pre so we zoomed in and out pretty fast. We got Starbucks and McDonalds since we had over-budgeted on time. What can I say – better safe than sorry?! We were lucky to have an open seat in our row, so we napped on the plane and watched Ocean’s 8, which I highly recommend (girl power am I right?!) My mom and brother picked us up from the airport. We went to Castle Rock and got my favorite green chili breakfast burrito (a Colorado specialty) and my driver’s license renewed (it’s finally up-right but boy is adulting fun!) We had lunch at my favorite Mexican restaurant, Chris ran into an old friend, and then spent the afternoon watching my 13 year-old brother shop (who knew teen boys could shop so much/be so picky?) We ended up at my favorite dinner place, a Mongolian grill. The time change kinda kicked my butt this day, but I was super excited to shop at our fancy, new grocery store in town that night!

Finally arrived home!

Thanksgiving! – Chris and I made almost all the food and did all the cleaning. Can you believe that? What may be harder to believe is how delicious it was! Thanks Pinterest! The hit? Chris’ knock-off Honey Baked ham. Since we didn’t have time to run and get one, we decided to find a copy-cat recipe and try it ourselves. It was very rewarding when we bit into it to find out it was DELICIOUS! My personal favorite side dish was the green bean casserole I made without any cream of mushroom/chicken soup. The recipe I used was more natural and fresh-ingredient based. I forgot how much I love cooking until I go home to a kitchen (and free time)!

Corn caserole

Our version of a Honey Baked ham

I set the table!

Green bean casserole

Black Friday – We went Black Friday shopping with my best friend in the whole wide world, Olivia and her boyfriend! We went to the local outlets and had a blast people watching. Honestly, that was more exciting than any deals we could find. We also ran into old high school friends, but we may or may not have tried to be as incognito as possible. Next, we went to the restaurant Chris and I met at, where we both worked, and ate with his family. They had just gotten back from Thanksgiving in Las Vegas! Later on in the day we went to the base exchange (BX) in Colorado at Peterson to shop! We got Starbucks and found some goodies. Then we went to see Robin Hood, which I really wasn’t interested in but it turned out being able to keep me on the edge of my seat! I would highly recommend seeing it if you can! To end the day, we went home and made tacos! Of course we stopped at one of my favorite restaurants first to get some salsa!

Super irrelevant but cute picture of my cat Quincy!

Saturday, November 24 and Sunday, November 25th – Chris and I had lunch with his parents in Colorado and did some last minute Christmas shopping. We came back to my house and decorated our tree! We were in a hurry to leave because we wanted dinner before our flight, so the tree is not 100% complete. Let’s be real… my mom would’ve fixed it to her liking anyways, haha! Luckily, our flight home was super empty so we had a whole row to ourselves again. We watched Ant Man and the Wasp and Adrift on my laptop, so the flight seemed to fly by. We slept in late Sunday since we didn’t get back until 2 am (our flight had landed at midnight but driving takes an hour and getting our bags and the car from airport parking took a bit of time too). Once we woke up, we went to De Leon Springs and got pancakes at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill. It’s make-your-own pancakes/eggs, so it was a lot of fun. It is also inexpensive and super filling, so I recommend it if you have time! Be warned you do have to pay to get into the state park, but it only cost us $6. There are boat rides, nature trails, and kayaking available for guests. There are also many spots to picnic and swim! After, we went to Andy’s Frozen Custard again and then on to Disney Springs. We had dinner at the Chicken Guy, which is the cheapest place we could find, and had THE BEST chicken tenders we both have ever had. And I might add, we both eat tons of tenders around the United States, so check them out if you’re ever in the area! Disney Springs was filled with carolers and musicians showcasing holiday classics. It really got Chris and I in the Christmas spirit – especially their huge tree and light-up, giant ornaments! Sadly, all good things must come to an end. We parted ways and I am just counting the days until winter break. Has anyone ever said they’re excited for finals? No? Well mark this as the first time in history because I am excited to have them come and go so I can get back home!

DIY Pancakes!

DeLeon Springs

Disney Springs!

Our flight home!

We were super sad to leave the snow!

P.S. It snowed in Colorado and I was very, very, very excited about it!