It’s that time of the year, the end of school. I cannot believe how quickly this year went. I feel like it was not too long ago when I first moved in here and now I am already packing. These past few weeks have been very stressful, but also some of the best. While I look forward to going home, I will miss all my friends here at ERAU.

Picking six classes, as my advisor puts it, is “overload.” Throughout the year, tests and assignments were well planned and classes rarely coincided with each other. However, during the past two weeks, everything has coincided. Six classes means six finals. Needless to say, I have spent a majority of my time studying for exams, yet hard work throughout the year takes off some of the pressure. The pool reopened the other day, so I have been able to take breaks and relax for small amounts of time.

Embry-Riddle’s Sneak Peek Campus Preview weekend brought in a fair amount of incoming freshmen. If you went, you might have seen me in the college of business with ERAU’s collegiate entrepreneur’s organization (CEO). Additionally, we were set up alongside the College of Business’s table. Even if you are not majoring in business, picking up a minor in business is a smart move… of course, I might be biased.

I recently discovered that I can double major here without spending extra time here. The major in management parallels the air transportation major very closely, and the only difference between the two is 6 classes or so. I have yet to officially declare it, but I will be reworking my four-year plan this summer and I hope to declare my second major next semester.

Next semester I am signed up for marketing, air transportation principles, financial accounting, quantitative methods II, and business communication. Unlike this past semester, my course-load will be business-based. Aside from the sciences and a few math classes, I have a fair amount of non-business classes / general education courses out of the way.

On Tuesday I will be driving back up to Pennsylvania. It will be sad to leave ERAU, but I will certainly be back for Fall 2010.

I hope everyone has a great summer!
Jonathan

It is amazing how fast time can fly by at Embry-Riddle. I owe that to my six classes and my two clubs that keep me busy, one of which, Embry-Riddle’s Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO), I will be the new vice president for next semester! In my other club, Airport Management Club, we were able to tour Tampa International Airport this past Saturday.

Out of all the tours we have done this past year, this was by far my favorite and it is also the largest airport I have toured. We toured their Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) station, which proved to be a state-of-the-art facility. In addition, we got to drive around the airport’s ramp, tour their communications center and baggage handling areas. Naturally, my favorite part was when we were on the ramp. Immediately, whenever an aircraft was nearby, everyone in our group got their cameras out and started taking pictures. You can read more about my tour here http://jetcheck.net/2010/04/19/tour-of-tampa-international-airport/

Unfortunately, this past week was also the most stressful. Every day there was either a project due or a test to be taken. One of my papers, covering the recessionary effects on the aircraft manufacturing industry, totaled 16 pages. A group project, for my advanced computer system class, totaled 20 pages. However, I did not have any homework this past weekend, which let me catch up on sleep I missed.

With about two weeks left here, everyone is making preparations for going home and for coming back next semester. I will be going back up to Pennsylvania the way I came: driving. It is a 16 hour drive, but split between my Dad and I, it should not be too bad. I am excited go back home, but I know I will miss friends here at Embry-Riddle.

Until finals week,
Jonathan

There is less than a month remaining until the end of my freshman year. Yesterday, I read through my journal entries to reflect on what I have done this year at Embry-Riddle, and I have concluded that I have done quite a lot – both in school and out of school. Every day I learn something new, and every day I am grateful I chose to come here for business.

If you are an applicant or an accepted student that is unsure of where to go, my best advice is: pick the school that fits you best.Embry-Riddle offers degrees in just about every facet of aviation, and if you are interested in aviation, Embry-Riddle is a great choice, especially if you are looking into a career in the business aspect of aviation. If you ever have any specific questions about the university or the College of Business, feel free to email me.

My choice to take six courses is starting to hit my calendar, but summer is just around the corner and I am in the homestretch of things. Registration for fall of 2010 is coming up, and I’m excited to lower my course load down to 5… and to pick more business specific courses.Florida is warming up, and the temperatures have ranged from the 60s to 80s (degrees Fahrenheit). While these past few weeks have been “study-intensive,” I have been able to spend time on the beach with friends. At Embry-Riddle, you are just a ten minute car ride from the beach – what could be better?

The upcoming weeks will be busy, and I will have plenty of work to do. Already, I have a nice collection of projects, but, they are all aviation related, which makes them enjoyable.I’m hoping to go on an airport tour of Tampa International Airport soon, and I will be sure to include pictures in my next journal entry.

Until then,

Jonathan

The temperature is rising and Bike Week is over. This can only mean one thing: spring break is around the corner at Embry-Riddle. Surprisingly, classes are more than halfway over, and time is flying by. While I am looking forward to spring break, these past two weeks have been fun packed.

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to visit my parents while they were vacationing in Palm Beach. I had limited options to get there since I do not have a car and there are no flights between Daytona and West Palm Beach. Instead, I had the opportunity to experience a different form of travel: bus. Early Saturday morning, I took a taxi to the Greyhound station and boarded the bus to Orlando, then connected onto the bus bound for West Palm Beach. Needless to say, Greyhound and its riders are different from an airline’s. While I did not particularly enjoy my experience, they did get me to where I wanted to go – it was a six hour ride.

At West Palm I was picked up by my parents. It was a five minute drive across the inter-coastal to Palm Beach. I spent Saturday night and most of Sunday at the resort with them, then they kindly drove me back to Daytona Beach, where we enjoyed an excellent meal from The Cellar. The drive back took 3 hours.

Florida is a big state. Daytona makes it easy to get to most places in Florida, as it’s located in east central Florida.

Switching gears… classes. About half of my six classes this semester are related to business. While that is a bit of a drag, I’m learning new things and developing interests right and left. Not long ago, my Principles of Aeronautical Science (flying for non-flight students) took a tour of the aviation maintenance building. While I do not plan on being a mechanic for an airline, it was fascinating to watch students take apart airframes and engines (powerplants), then reassemble them and test them. For anyone interested in airline management, specifically for those interested in running an airline someday, it’s important to have some understanding of each aspect of an airline, including aviation maintenance.

At Embry-Riddle, students are given the opportunity to learn about other fields within the aviation industry, regardless of your major. Any student can chose to observe a flight student’s flight, free of charge. Most professors are thrilled when students ask them questions about a specific program or express an interest to learn more – you have the opportunity to do that here. While I want to work in the airline industry in the business side of things, I’m taking the opportunity to learn as much as I can about other aspects within the industry.

If you ever have any questions about Embry-Riddle, life as a student, or the college of business, feel free to ask! (My email is listed above).

Until after spring break,
Jonathan

Spring break is almost here, and classes will be at the halfway mark this week. It is strange how quickly time passes here; much faster than high school. With six classes, there is a fair amount of work to do each night, which means I’m rarely bored. Aside from school work, club meetings and special events fill the time.

About two weeks ago, the Airport Management Club (AMC) had its second meeting in the Daytona Beach International Airport terminal’s conference room. The room was situated on top of terminal, and there we talked with the airport’s director, an Embry-Riddle alumnus, who shared his memories and experiences working at the airport. It takes a lot to run an airport, as it is a very multi-faceted branch; finance, operations, marketing, etc. I thought to myself, “airport talk, sitting in a conference room overlooking the terminal, and pizza – what could be better?”

Last weekend I had the opportunity to go home for Valentine’s Day. Aside from a three hour tarmac delay at Charlotte and lost luggage, it was great to go home and see friends and family. I was welcomed by fresh italian food and sushi; my favorites. Fortunately Embry-Riddle had off on Monday, so I was able to spend three days home. Another close friend from Embry-Riddle flew up to see his sister, and we were able to catch the same return flights back to Daytona. Since friends were not around for the weekend, we were not able to catch a ride back to campus, but it’s only a 10-15 minute walk away – why not?

This past week, I had the opportunity to meet one my favorite authors: Homer Hickam. He is the author of “Rocket Boys,” which became the movie “October Sky.” The IC Auditorium was packed, and he gave an excellent motivational speech. While my interests are primarily in airlines, airports, and aircraft manufacturing, it was good to step out of those fields and take a look into the engineering / rocketry side of aviation.

That’s all for now – check back here in two weeks for another post!
Jonathan

What a great weekend for ERAU athletics! Embry-Riddle basketball’s Coach Ridder achieved the 500th win milestone, and baseball started off their season with a big win. Following his 500th victory, Coach Ridder said a few words, “I hope that the students know that these are not athletes on this team, they are student athletes.” In nearly every class I have this semester, there are several fellow students who play for Embry-Riddle. Unlike big schools, you’ll get to know many of the student athletes here, making the cheering more exciting and the games more enjoyable.

There is a group, called The Flock, that rallies behind and cheers for Embry-Riddle athletics. It is one of the approximate 140 organizations and student groups here at Embry-Riddle. Aside from being a flock member, I am a member of Embry-Riddle’s Collegiate Entrepreneur’s Organization, where students with business ideas can get advice and tips for starting their business. In addition, I am active in the Airport Management Club, and I will be sure to share photos from our upcoming tour of Tampa International Airport.

Classes are progressing fairly well, but they are challenging. Yet the professors do a great job relating the classes to aviation and its industry. My introduction to aeronautical science class, meant for those non-flight students, is taught by a former military pilot. My speech class is taught by a pilot. The professors are top quality, and they possess the background and credentials that give a feeling of assurance and reliability in what they teach.

Later this week I will have an opportunity to head home and visit family and friends. Yes, I am escaping the Daytona 500, but we have next Monday off. The Spring semester does not have as many breaks as the Fall, so I’m trying my best to make the most out of the few we have. We do have a week off for Spring break, and our last day of finals is May 5th – an improvement over some schools up north.

Until later,
Jonathan

What a busy first two weeks! I returned back to Embry-Riddle on January 12, and classes began the next morning. As I’ve written in past posts, this semester will be a challenge, as I am taking on six classes (18 credits). Only one of these classes, advanced computer systems, is business-major specific. The good part is, every class counts towards the degree.

From my experiences in studying and working within the business environment, it is imperative to have strong communication skills. The business administration degree requires students to take a humanities course, as well as a variety of communication courses. From my experiences so far, I’m leaning towards a minor in communication.

Last semester, and throughout winter break, I developed an interest in airline revenue management; a fancy name for ticket pricing. Selling seats, at different prices, to ensure maximum profit and a full plane sounds like a giant puzzle – the same goes for other interests of mine, like flight scheduling, or aircraft sales. The aviation industry is a multi-faceted, complex industry, faced with a variety of ever-changing external and internal factors – making it challenge; one of the reasons I’m fascinated and intrigued by it.

While the homework load is still fairly light, I’ve had the opportunity to spend time reading and blogging. Additionally, I drove around Daytona with a friend – just to explore and get-to-know the area better. I’m taking advantage while I can, since school will soon retake part of my weekend and life.

Last blog post I mentioned Florida’s frigid temperatures during winter break. Upon returning, temperatures began to rise (as they should) – it was 80 degrees F here at one point! It’s strange driving with the windows open in January, but I like it.

Lastly, I do not believe I have ever shared photos of my room. I live in the student village, commonly referred to as “the village,” at Adams hall. Here are a few pictures.

Until later,
Jonathan

It’s a time for family, friends, and loved ones to get together and celebrate. It’s also a time of reflection and goal setting, as we move forward into the year 2010. I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday.

During my first week of winter break, I did a lot of traveling. On the day following the official close date of the fall semester, I flew back to Philadelphia, where I was home for a mere day. Then I flew to Tucson, Arizona via a stop in Atlanta, which proved to be somewhat pointless, as it only added to the total trip time. In Tucson, I spent time with family, including my new niece.

After a few days in Arizona, I flew back to Philadelphia. In the past few months, I’ve flown on a total of 14 flights; more than I’ve ever flown in an entire year. Although my passion for the airline industry is endless, traveling is a hassle. Yet, after a full night’s rest (12 hours), I’m good to go.

After settling back at home, I’ve begun to work more vigorously on winter-break goals. I promised myself I’d study for the FAA private pilot’s written exam, and I’ve done so; though, not as much as I’d like.

Writing wise, I have picked up the pace. I have spent more time keeping up with the latest in aviation news, and I have added more blog posts to my blog at aviation-buzz.com, and my blog (entitled “JetCheck”) hosted by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (PI).

With New Year’s around the corner, it’s time for goal setting and reflection. It’s difficult to stick to a new year’s resolution, but unexpected events throughout the year come-up, and we adapt. Yet I encourage you to set a few short-term and long-term goals for the future; sticking to your goal can take you extraordinary places.

Wishing you a happy new year,

Jonathan

The semester is officially over, and I’m no longer in Daytona Beach. Almost everyone is home, and it’s onto Winter Break. There is so much to do, and not do, during break. I plan on getting my private pilot’s written exam done, and catching up on my reading. Yet, I want to write about my experiences during the last two weeks.

Like any Flock member or Embry-Riddle sports enthusiast, I attended ERAU’s men’s basketball game versus Flagler. I had a blast! The team played great, and we beat Flagler 105-81. It’s a big game, as both Embry-Riddle and Flagler are long-time rivals, due to their close proximity in distance. At high school, there wasn’t much spirit, but here it’s very different – which is just what I like.

Finals finals finals! They sound hard, but if you study hard and work hard, they’re not as hard as they seem. During the past two weeks, a majority of my time was spent reviewing notes, handouts, and problem-sets, and it paid off. It was difficult to find motivation during finals week, but I constantly reminded myself of my future plans – it’s one way to encourage yourself to pickup a textbook.

Once finals ended, it was time to move out. I cleaned, threw away five hefty boxes of trash, and mopped the floors. Along with my roommate, we completed our dorm-room “checkout.”

While I’m glad to be back home with family and friends, I’m going to miss all the new friends I’ve made this past semester. One of them, Alan Larsen, another blogger here, is determined to get his private pilot’s license, and spent some extra time at Embry-Riddle getting it.

The next time I post, I’ll cover some of my winter-break activities. Additionally, I hope everyone has a happy holiday.

Season’s best,

Jonathan