I’m back in Daytona and have finished the first week of school! I got back to Daytona on the 5th with no problems and all my luggage arrived, so I was happy about that. It was good to see everyone again and get organized before the first day of school on the 7th. Next week will be the first full week of classes and AFROTC, so I’ll probably settle into a routine and get into the groove of doing my homework—look out library, here I come! One big event that is coming up at the end of this month is the Rolex 24 at the Daytona Speedway and as a cadet in the Air Force I will get to work at the event!
I’m really thrilled with my class schedule this semester because on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I have two classes after Air Force training in the morning with the exception being Friday when I also have Air Force class. I have Organizational Behavior and International Business. Organizational Behavior seems like it will be a good class because the professor is really enthusiastic and we have our first big project due in February. I plan on getting started on it next week and since it’s an individual project I can finish it whenever. International Business is going to be a lot of work because the teacher wants us to really learn and digest the material. In order to do this, he has assigned each individual person a section of every chapter to outline in detail. Then in class, we will get in groups and discuss each chapter. A neat thing he has decided to do is give us extra credit for dressing professionally every Monday. I plan to get my extra credit and it’s just a coincidence that over break I bought several new suits. When going to college, make sure you bring a suit or at least one professional outfit because you never know when an opportunity is going to pop up that you need to look good for. On Tuesday and Thursday, I have three classes: Principles of Aeronautical Science, Corporate Finance, and Business Law. Principles of Aeronautical Science is just the basics of flight and the class is required, since I don’t have my private pilot’s license. I have been looking forward to Corporate Finance and had registered for it last semester but they cancelled the class. I really hope to learn a lot from this class and I’m thinking about getting my MBA with a concentration in finance if I enjoy the class. Business Law is going to be good too, I think. The major assignment is to write a ten page term paper on any subject as long as it relates to law. I’m looking forward to picking a topic and getting started! I think this semester will go by quickly just like last semester!
This past weekend I went out on the Halifax River with some friends. One of my friends owns a tiny boat and invited us to come out and have a cookout. At first, I wasn’t sure that we would even be able to leave the dock because the boat didn’t want to start. However, the guys figured it out and we took off for a place called the Disappearing Isle (it disappears during high tide). I took some pictures, so you can take a look! I built a sandcastle, while the guys grilled and played football. The water was warm and I couldn’t believe that I was out on a boat, while back home I have to wait until June to go out. I had a good time and look forward to doing it again!
Air Force has started off with a bang and this semester has already provided some challenges, but I think our class will figure it all out. Silver Wings starts this week along with Relay for Life, so this week is going to be busy! I hope everyone had a good break from school and don’t forget to send in your applications if you haven’t already!
Until next time,
Kaleigh
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a good holiday season. Mine was particularly busy, but I had a lot of fun. Right when I got back to Missouri, my friend and I decided to go to a St. Louis Blues versus Calgary hockey game. Although my beloved Blues lost, there was a lot of fighting and the two teams combined to score 9 goals. This excitement and intensity made the experience a lot of fun. A few days later I was lucky enough to also go to a Mizzou Tigers basketball game. Throughout the rest of my days in Missouri I was working, hanging out with friends, or spending time in St. Louis or Kansas City.
I already had a lot to do this first weekend back. I took part in Volleyball during the dorm Olympics. My team lost in the first round but it was very close. I also got to attend another ERAU hockey game and basketball game. The hockey team BEAT the Florida Gators 6-5!!! It was an awesome game. I also made it out to the beach and swam in the chilly Atlantic. I have a few reading assignments to do to finish my weekend, but that is the extent of my homework. Thanks for reading, and let me know if I can help you with anything.
Well hello to all out there! Seems as though I was just finishing finals for last semester and here we are ready to start another. To start, I’ll share a little bit about myself since I am a new resident student to Riddle. My name is Josh Daily, and I am from the panhandle of Florida. It’s roughly a six hour drive from campus, which is perfect; not too close to home, but not too distant either. I was lucky enough to have an ERAU extended campus in my high school back home (Choctawhatchee Aviation Institute), so I was able to complete 18 credit hours of coursework for free while I was in high school. After high school, I attended Northwest Florida State College for last semester because unfortunately, I had to have surgery on my wrist forcing me to stay close to home. In any case, I am here now! I am an Air Traffic Management major here at the Daytona Beach campus. I aspire to work in the ATC world in some way, shape, or form.
Transitioning into living at college could not have gone smoother for me. I was really surprised at how well organized this whole operation is managed and run. I had heard some horror stories from upper-classmen about the strains of housing assignments, registration, and adjusting to life on campus. But honestly, the staff and students at Embry-Riddle are truly one of a kind. I was assigned to Doolittle residence hall, and it took me all of five minutes to receive my keys and paperwork. Before I knew it, I was all moved in! I have been happy living in the dorms so far, and everyone seems to be really friendly. From what I hear, Doolittle residents have some of the closest relationships due to the layout of the suites. Eight students share a common bathroom facility here, which might sound terrible, but it’s really not bad at all.
Anyhow, classes start tomorrow and I’m really looking forward to this semester! So far I have done nothing but goof around on campus and hang out with my newly found brethren of Doolittle’s 3rd East wing. Food here is pretty good so far, and the meal plan set-up is quite neat. Whether playing volleyball, tennis, or football, playing some Xbox in the room, or just simply walking around campus enjoying the weather here in Daytona, there seems to always be something going on. I’m sure I’ll find tons of other activities to do outside my studies to keep me occupied while on my downtime.
I’m finally home!!! Finally, after an entire semester, I’m back home in NYC where it’s freezing cold! It feels so good to be able to be with family and friends. It was a really short semester but we had to get a lot done within that time. I accomplished a lot over the past 6 months and got involved with a few clubs on campus and earned 27 credits so far.
When I get back I only have a few flights then my checkride! I can’t wait. But I am concerned that not flying for a few weeks will affect my performance when I get back. I am sure it will all work out, but sometimes being away on break is not completely good.
I’m back in New York. My mom moved from the Queens to Freeport Long Island. I left the wonderful warm weather in Daytona, and now I have to wear layers of clothes and a coat when I go outside. I missed the cold so much while back on campus, but now that I’m in the cold I want to go back to the warmth. 
Since I have been here it snowed, and it should be a lot of wintry weather for the next few days. It’s not too friendly with the weather in New York, but being with friends and family makes it a lot better. Most of my friends aren’t done with their semester yet, so I have to wait a while till they get back. Last week, a friend of mine from back on campus came to NYC to visit me. He lives in Rhode Island and it was his first time in the city. We had so much fun that day, it snowed and we almost froze to death!
Holy Cow! The semester is already over. It seems like I just arrived on campus, yet I have already earned 26 credits. My involvement on campus, my new friends, and my interesting courses have helped make these four months the best of my life. When I decided on Embry-Riddle at the end of last year, I was very concerned about the distance from home. However, since I arrived in August, the thought has hardly crossed my mind. I am always busy, but I have truly enjoyed every minute.
The weather the last few days in Daytona was just amazing. The day I left, it was in the mid-eighties and sunny. One day I got to go down to the beach and spend some time relaxing. Being from the Midwest, I can’t get over how beautiful the weather can be in December. When it’s that nice I walk out the door and can’t help but smile. The great weather definitely symbolized the end of a great semester. I just hope when I come back in January it will be just as nice, so it can thaw me out from the cold winter back home!