First Few Weeks of the Fall 2016 Semester

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Jack

Hello there!

I’m getting back into the swing of things at school; it has not been too bad of an adjustment going from working all the time to going back to being a student after my summer internship.

So far, the Fall 2016 semester is off to a great start! I am taking a lot of fun/interesting courses: Organizational Behavior, Corporate Finance, the Joy of Science, Technology and the Modern Civilization (an upper-level humanities course), and Economics of Air Transportation.

This semester has a bit of a different feel compared to my first semester at Riddle two years ago. My courses this semester require a lot more reading, but they provide a nice way to challenge the way I think. For example in my humanities course, we are analyzing why people post things on social media and how deeply the message is rooted in the medium (the social platform that is being used to send the message…Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, etc). Since I have a bit of a social background, it has been fascinating have these discussions in class and through our assignments because it is something that I have never thought of.

Team work has also become a lot more frequent; in three out of my five classes this semester, I have completed at least one assignment that required groups, and it is only the end of the third week! However, this is a great way to gain some experience working in a team, and based on the interviews for internships, a question about team work came up in every single one.

The Career Services Office has been very busy! We are getting ready to host the annual Industry/Career Expo on October 6 with 101 different companies attending! I feel like a little kid again waiting for Christmas morning to finally come as October 6 quickly approaches. The week of the Industry/Career Expo is always my favorite because it is a great way to meet and network with alumni, watch other students get interviews for internships and jobs, and see an awesome event come together!

I am also working as a Peer Mentor in a University 101 course this semester; this is a class that freshman take usually their first semester at Embry-Riddle. It’s a fun class that helps prepare you for your time at Riddle. From Academic Study Plans to hearing from different offices on campus to making a resume, the class covers quite a bit. It has been a lot of fun working as a Peer Mentor, and it has reminded my of my freshman year quite a bit and how the last two years at Riddle have been awesome!

It’s going to be a busy semester, but I am fully energized and ready to enjoy it!

Until next time!

Jack

New Year, New Goals!

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Billy

We’re back! I haven’t posted an update in the three weeks I’ve been here, so I feel terrible about that! A lot of stuff has happened since May so I’ll do my best to recap everything since.

Thanks to Pokemon GO, I learned that I could bike for three hours straight.

Summer vacation was actually an enjoyable experience for me! I took a chemistry class and lab at my local community college, got to spend a lot of time in New York City, and hung out with my friends. As always, I wish I was able to do more, but with school and scheduling conflicts there was only so much I could do.

Central Park is still my favorite place in New York City.

The chemistry class and lab were very interesting. I haven’t taken chemistry since sophomore year of high school so trying to recall all knowledge on the subject was a fruitless affair. I can say with definite certainty that I did not miss chemistry, and I’m glad that I won’t have to do anything else with it soon. It’s funny though, after taking the class, it seems like all of my courses are becoming a bit reliant on chemistry.

Before school though, my family decided to take a road trip from NJ to FL.

Over the summer I also bought myself an old Polaroid camera, and I love it. The Polaroid SX-70 is definitely no Canon 5D Mark III, but you don’t buy an old camera to use for work: You buy an old camera because it’s fun to use. I love how the camera taught me shutter discipline and forced me to think about the photos I take. If anyone is interested in seeing more Polaroids, follow my Polaroid Instagram @oldformat!

Roosevelt Island is really neat too! This is where you can get nice photos of the UN Building.

Another memorable experience for me this summer was that I got to fly in a small airplane for the second time in my life! My friend invited me to join him on a flight down to Cape May, NJ, which was like a 45 minute flight when compared to the 1 hour and 35 minute drive it would’ve been. We flew on a Piper Arrow and it was very relaxing to fly in. Yes, my friend actually let me fly it for most of the flight and it was such a surreal experience.

*Flies complex airplane* *Proceeds not to take photo of it*

As summer came to close, I said my goodbyes, packed my things, and sat on the AutoTrain for 17 hours for my trip back to Daytona Beach to start the semester. Going into this semester, I had a “Go get ’em” attitude about it, and I think that’s really important to have. You need to be motivated to tackle a semester or else you’ll start to slowly get bogged down with school work and commitments.

As far as commitments go, I’m now the Photo Editor for The Avion Newspaper, I’m still a tutor for the Digital Studio, and I currently have five classes. Even with all of these things taking up a majority of my time, I still somehow manage to find time to spend with friends.

For instance, a week or two ago I went to Disney World for the first time. Yes, shocker right? I spent like ten hours at Epcot and three hours at Magic Kingdom. It was amazing, and it was even more amazing since I got in for free! Though, I probably spent an admissions worth of money on pins.

Epcot is the best park.

Last week, I got to see a rocket launch and it felt nice to be back at Riddle doing what I loved: Photography. With all of this stuff happening within the first three weeks of the semester, I can’t wait to see what Fall 2016 has in store for me.

Oh, hello there OSIRIS-REx.

SPACE.

Until the next update, remember to make smart choices and be curious!

Job Hunting 101

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Emmy

Hello, readers!

You’ve heard so much about my college career adventures that I figured a little intro into finding a job in the real world might be helpful!

Since the beginning of July, I’ve been applying for jobs non-stop. Some directly related to human factors and aviation and others not even close (they just sounded cool). It’s really important to have an idea of what you want to go into, because starting off with the wrong job can set you off into a field that you don’t even want to be a part of. That’s why I HIGHLY suggest completing a internship at least once during your time as an undergrad.

The process is painfully slow. You take all of this time stressing about what to put on your resume, how to phrase each little section, making sure the formatting is perfect, making sure all of your accomplishments are on there and you hide your grade issues and such, only to submit it online with one simple click. One of the smallest and most insignificant bodily gestures turns out to be one of the most important in your entire life up to that point.

Here’s some quick tips and advice:

Have a short list of wants and unwanted
Make sure you’re only applying for the jobs you actually want and want to interview for
It’s completely fine to apply for jobs that you are technically unqualified for, whether by class requirements or experience – you never know what might happen (I’ve interviewed for jobs that I wasn’t technically qualified for in all aspects…)
Always be prepared for random calls from employers; they may call you independently in order to schedule an interview or inquire on your interest
LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster.com are great websites – LinkedIn is great for meeting employees and gauging their satisfactory of their job
You’ll have to decide what is more important, the job or the location. You might not be able to have both.
Always have a backup plan – plan A through plan M usually don’t work out – be happy with all of your backup plans!
Make sure your wants and needs come before others – you are the one applying (and accepting!) the job

I’ve interviewed with several companies so far (Garmin, Lockheed Martin, Gulfstream…) and have moved on to the second round of interviews in a few. Hopefully some good news is to come!

I hope this helps with your job/internship hunting. Don’t forget that the Career Fair is coming up next month! What a perfect time to start looking!

Until next time…….

Blue Skies,

Emmy

Weekend Getaway to California

Posted on September 9, 2016 by Nicolas

Los Angeles, California

This past long weekend, I went on vacation to beautiful Los Angeles. For me, the Labor weekend officially marks the end of summer, even if some students have already started school. After this date, air travel decreases and starts to rise again around Thanksgiving in the United States. I decided to come to Los Angeles to enjoy the last days of summer!

I arrived at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Saturday around noon. After touching the runway, things did not go as planned. Our aircraft had to sit on a taxiway for more than 45 minutes because our assigned gate was already occupied by another plane. Once we taxied closer to the terminal, we were towed to our gate and finally deplaned. I took the shuttle and headed to rent a car that I reserved earlier. At the car rental, they told me that all the cars are sold out in the area and that I have to wait until a car returns. I finally got a car after one hour of wait. Now I’m ready to discover LA!

Below are my Top 5 Los Angeles Moments!

5. In-N-Out Burger

One of my favorite location to see aircraft taking off and land out of Los Angeles International Airport is at the famous In-N-Out Burger. The restaurant is located right at the edge of runway 24R. What’s cool is that you can see aircraft just over your head! I arrived at the right moment to see a Lufthansa Airbus A380 landing.

Lufthansa A380 taken from the iPhone.

4. Santa Monica Beach/Third Street Promenade

The Santa Monica Beach is located just a few miles west of Los Angeles on the Pacific Ocean. The Santa Monica Pier has attractions, restaurants, and shops. The pier has been featured in many films and television series.

Entrance Sign

Santa Monica Pier

Third Street Promenade is a popular street in Santa Monica for shopping and dining. Close to the beach, it is a popular destination for tourists.

3. Rodeo Drive/Beverly Hills

“Two Rodeo Drive”

Rodeo Drive

Rodeo Drive is located in Beverly Hills. Similarly to the Third Street Promenade, the street offers shopping with some of the most prestigious brands in the world. It also has cafés and restaurants to satisfy your cravings while you shop.

2. Hollywood Walk of Fame

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is one of the most popular place to visit in the Los Angeles area. When I went on Sunday morning, it was packed with people. More than 2,500 stars are spread across the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard. The stars represent the names of famous actors, musicians, directors, producers, etc.

Hollywood Walk of Fame

Hollywood Sign on Mount Lee.

Not far from this street is the well-known Hollywood sign. I wish I had brought my other lense so I could have zoomed more in it!

1. Getty Center

Central Garden

View of Los Angeles from the Getty Center

This is probably one of my favorite moments during my Los Angeles trip. The Getty Center houses architecture, gardens, and amazing views overlooking the city of Los Angeles. During a clear day, you can see the skyscrapers of the city. Every year, more than 1.3 million tourists visit the Center.

Until next time!

Nicolas

Preparing for the Industry/Career Expo

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Nicolas

Are you interested at an internship, co-op, or full-time job opportunity? If yes, you should definitely attend this year’s Industry/Career Expo! The event will take place on Thursday October 6, 2016 between 09:00 and 16:00 at the ICI Center. The Industry/Career Expo is open to all Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students and alumni.

A Delta Air Lines MD90 on takeoff roll at Daytona Beach International Airport. (Credits: Nicolas Bernier)

All major airlines of the United States will be there including Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. Many aircraft manufacturers will attend the event such as The Boeing Company, Embraer, Gulfstream, Piper, and Textron. There will also be various flight schools, aircraft suppliers, and government organizations. Click here for the complete list of registered companies.

How to prepare?

Do some research about the employers you are interested in working for. Go and visit their websites to learn more about what they do and what types of candidates they are looking for.
Get your resume reviewed a few weeks before by the Career Services Office. Don’t wait until the last minute as they are very busy. Click here for resume tips!
Practice your elevator speech that you will use to introduce yourself to the employers. You should briefly describe yourself by saying your name and major and also your strengths, past achievements, and career interests related to the organization.
Practice interviewing before you come to the event. The Career Services Office offers mock interviews for current students and alumni within one year of graduation who are interested on working on their interview skills. Click here for interviewing tips and sample questions!
During the event, you should look professional. You should wear clean, pressed business attire and be properly groomed.
You should bring your EagleCard, a notepad/portfolio to take notes and to hold copies of your resumes, a list of the companies you are interested in, and business cards.
Following the event, you should send thank you notes to the employers you had significant interaction with or whom you interviewed with.

For more information about the event and how to successfully prepare for it, please visit the Career Services webpage.

Until next time!

Nicolas

Want to be a part of the Eagles Flight Team?

Posted on September 7, 2016 by Emmy

Hello again, readers!

This one is going to be brief and a PSA for the Eagles Flight Team!

Everyone close to me knows that I am a huge fan and dedicated member of the Eagles Flight Team. I have been living and breathing Flight Team since my first day here at ERAU. Now granted, you don’t have to be as absorbed into the team as I am, but I have so much to tell you about it.

I’ve mentioned before what the different events are in a previous post. So this post is dedicated to pictures and teaching you about the benefits of being on the team!

The people you meet on the team become your family. You travel around the country together, you encourage each other on flights, you compete with and against each other. You get to represent ERAU on a Regional and National level (polo shirts and awesome jackets included!). I have friends all over the country from countless schools with so many experiences.

On the team, after your first semester, based upon your ground event performance, you can gain flight privileges. Flying for the team is free, but you have to be sure to show dedication to the team and meet a certain level of standards in your ground events. We don’t do flight training on the team (you’ll have to do your flight training at ERAU or another flight school). In order to fly, you’d also need at least a private pilot certificate. We fly Cessna 150s for precision landings and Cessna 172s for navigation.

Our Saturday practice is from 0700 to about 1400 (I know, 0700 is tough for college students), but it’s truly my favorite part of the week! It’s our landings practice and we get to sit right by the runway and watch planes land all day. I absolutely love it!

If you’re interested in joining the flight team or would like more information, come out to the IC Auditorium on September 7 and September 8 at 7pm for our Mass Briefings! There’s lots more to learn and awesome videos to see!

Check us out on Facebook at Eagles Flight Team or on our website at eaglesflightteam.com

Below are some pictures of the planes and our team!

Until next time, blue skies!

Emmy

My Life @ Riddle

Daytona Beach Edition

Category Archives: 2016 – 2017

New Year, New Goals!

Job Hunting 101

Weekend Getaway to California

Preparing for the Industry/Career Expo

Want to be a part of the Eagles Flight Team?