Day to Day

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Hello everyone!

I wanted to discuss a bit about what the average day looks like on campus. I know for me,  before coming to school I was very curious about what college is really like. So I decided I would speak a little on my schedule to help out those other curious people like me.

At Riddle we have an alternating schedule of fifty minute Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes and one-and-half hour Tuesday/Thursday classes. Every once in a while a class, typically a lab, will be offered in a three hour time block on one day of the week. For example, I had my airport management class from 5:15-8:00 pm every Thursday.

I normally schedule my classes back to back and earlier in the day. This means I get up and get classes done. Others prefer breaks so they can do homework, socialize, or get lunch in between. And one of the best parts of college is being able to choose classes that start later – sleeping in is truly the best! I also prefer the shorter classes, but I now choose to only have two on Monday/Wednesday/Friday and three on Tuesday/Thursday. This just seems to make the weeks go by faster in my opinion!

In class I usually bring a snack and a drink. I live off caffeine so the baristas at Starbucks and I are on very good terms. I also take notes on my laptop, but it’s all up to your professor. Some classes you’re in a lab with a computer provided and other times you have a professor who prefers no electronics. To me, classes feel very similar to high school. The sizes are small and the professors truly get to know you!

After class I head to work or to grab lunch. I usually find myself back in my room studying or in a lounge in the dorms. Resident Advisers (RAs) do contact hours where we are required to be available to our residents. I do mine after class. Also for this job, I have duty Wednesday nights. Duty is when RAs sit at the dorm’s front desk and walk around the building periodically. We are here to solve any problems in the dorms and be of help to all! On Monday and Wednesday I work as a Student Assistant in the Office of Development, which is basically fundraising for the university.

Homework-wise, because I know everyone is wondering, it seems as an Aviation Business major I have about a couple hours each night. This of course varies. I try to get a lot done on the weekends because after a day of classes, work, then clubs… I’m exhausted! There are jobs on campus where you can do homework during your shift and RA is definitely one. Some nights I will have nothing but others I feel very busy. It’s all about time management. The best advice I ever heard for college was to treat it like a 9-5 job. That means if you get out of class at 1 pm, sit and knock out your homework until 5 pm. When you get caught up in Netflix bingeing, it gets hard to get motivated again. It’s better to take that focus you had during class and burn through it in one sitting. Again, the amount of homework all just depends on your major, class, and professor.

Around 5:00 pm is when all the clubs get started. The campus is still bustling with involved students this late in the evening! I do have clubs that meet at 9:00 pm but those meeting are typically an hour. That was the weirdest part of transitioning from high school to college, seeing everyone out late studying and going to meetings! I love coming back to my room after a busy day and relaxing or even being super productive and cranking out homework. I live in the new dorms and they are very nice and a quick walk to and from classes!

Overall this is a rough outline of my schedule:

(Notice: your schedule will change every week and no day will be the same but you will always have time to relax and have fun!)

Weekends are genuinely open for me to do homework or spend time with friends. While campus is a little emptier on the weekends, there is still a lot going on. Many times I am invited to volunteer opportunities or events with the clubs I am involved in!

Curious about how this schedule actually plays out? Preview Day is coming soon and is a day where you get to experience college classes and learn about the clubs and activities on campus! Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 7, 2018, 8 a.m.– 4 p.m.!

Maybe see you then?!

– Maddie

Swing Into Spring

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Hello everyone!

I know it’ been a while since I posted…..my last post was literally last year (well in December!). I hope you all had a fantastic winter break and started the Spring semester strong. I was in Florida for my winter break, but we had 4 families over to celebrate Christmas with us. It was tons of fun, but it did take us 2 and half hours for everyone to open their gifts individually!

 

New Year’s was super fun too! We went for mass and then followed by New Year’s Eve dance. My boyfriend, Brent, surprised me and celebrated New Year with my family! We all had tons of fun, and it was definitely a great start to the Year!!!

My winter break was fabulous, and it was great seeing my family! I sure hope you all had a great winter break with your family and loved one! So far my Spring semester has been super busy since I will be graduating this summer!!! I can still walk for graduation in May, but I have two more courses to finish up for my degree, which will be done in summer. The Career Expo is approaching soon, so I’m hoping to nail a job then. I’m either trying to get a job or start with my Masters. Good luck to all those graduating, too!

Until next time,

Maryam

 

 

Springing into the Semester & Meet Maddie!

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Happy spring semester all!

I would like to begin my first blog by introducing myself! I am from Castle Rock, Colorado (in-between Denver and Colorado Springs) and a sophomore studying Aviation Business here at Riddle! My passion in life is traveling, hence why this is the perfect school for me! On campus I am in the Honors program, an RA (Resident Advisor) in the New Residence Hall for the Honors Living and Learning Community, Associate Justice on the Student Government Student Court, secretary for Women in Aviation, ambassador for Women Ambassadors, a Business Eagles member, student assistant in the Office of Development, ambassador for the Orientation Team, a sister in the sorority Theta Phi Alpha, and now, a student blogger! Needless to say, I keep busy on campus!

With all this involvement comes a lot of time management practice. This time of year we are all rebooting since our schedules have changed so much! The past few weekends I have spent in training or at retreats. I love that the activities you partake in during college are mainly student-run. All organizations must have an advisor, but the students run the show! During RA training all meals are catered, so a lot of good food (even though you have to come back a week early from break)! Since RAs are meant to be a resource for students, we do a fall and spring training to keep the most up-to-date and as reliable as possible. The Student Government Association and my sorority also held retreats. Good food is provided here too, of course!

One of my favorite things about being on campus is all the activities that we have! Clubs range from skydiving — to the Microgravity Club that is currently working on a project with NASA! There is truly an activity for everyone to get involved with. Not only does this help your resume, but it’s a great way to make friends and take a break from school. Not sure what clubs to join? There is an Activities Fair in both the fall and spring where the campus is teeming with students checking out what all clubs have to offer!

While the activities are fun and all, classes have also begun. It is always a little nerve-racking to start again, but our professors are so interesting! One of my professors is an attorney and another was in airline marketing before changing over to teaching! I have learned lots about long-haul low-cost airlines and alliance codeshares in the past week. Learning things like this make going to my 8 am a lot easier!

I hope everyone is starting their semesters off strong!

– Maddie

Theta Phi Alpha

Women Ambassador

Orientation Team

Business Eagles at a Southwest Camp

Women in Aviation Tour

Women in Aviation Conference

 

 

 

Good to be Back!

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Maybe it’s the countdown, but I feel more at home now than I ever have before here at Embry-Riddle. I had a successful start to my last semester and got approved for graduation! I just have to get through four more classes and I can cross the stage in May, but until then I’m going to enjoy every day leading up to it all!

Classes began last Wednesday, but thanks to all my classes being on Tuesdays and Thursdays I had an especially long weekend! I, of course, began it with a weekly Caribbean Students Association (CSA) meeting. It’s been cold in Daytona lately, so being around my loving islanders was warming by itself. Nothing beats the Caribbean beaches, though! CSA also unveiled their hand-painted crest today that will be hung in the Student Center. In addition to a plane, the student center is also decorated with crests from various clubs and organizations like the African Students Association.

The Caribbean Students Association and their new crest.

We continued the weekend with a cookout between the dorms with two grills for added warmth. For many of us, it was our first time seeing others since the break. It probably doesn’t sound like a big deal, but at Riddle clubs become family and I was finally seeing my brothers and sisters after a month too long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Saturday night, I went to a “State of the Dream Address” at Bethune-Cookman University in honor of the great Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was a truly moving

event that featured individuals in the community working to make a difference throughout Volusia County.  The most exciting part of the event was the keynote speaker – Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, author of several books including Tears We Cannot Stop and sociology professor at Georgetown University. He’s an amazing speaker, but to hear his words in person is a truly unique experience. He spoke of King, but he also spoke about race and prejudice in American today from multiple perspectives. He briefly discussed the trending #MeToo that addresses sexual assault and complicity. “[Rosa Parks] was a part of ‘Me Too’ before me too became popular.” The issues we face today are not new and it’s important that we acknowledge the voices that cried out years before.

Dr. Dyson also provided words of encouragement to his predominately undergraduate-oriented audience – “If you’ve prepared yourself, you can take advantage of

opportunity when it comes knocking on your door.” It’s important that we as students take care of ourselves, both physically and mentally, but to also take of each other. We’re here together so why not make the best of it?

Needless to say, it was an amazing and eye-opening weekend. I was fortunate enough to spend it surrounded my family.

 

A Classic Project in Motion

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In this video we take a step back in time to appreciate the classic car that is the poster child for the American dream. Nothing screams America like a tire shredding ’68 Camaro with no mufflers. Steve’s classic ’68 Camaro is a work in progress. It was his first car at the age of 16 and he’s had it since. The next big step is to get the car painted gloss black, as you can see it has flat primer on it currently. Major props to builds like this that keep the culture moving forward. The heartbeat of America is alive and well, also it’s probably still faster than whatever you drive 50 years later.

The Final Countdown

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From late nights in the College of Business computer lab to early mornings in the library, Riddle has become a home away from home. I’ve laughed, cried, and have grown as a person. Friends have become family and clubs have become a day-to-day must. This, and so much more, has made my collegiate experience one worth remembering. Despite it all, I am counting down the days! As of today, I am 113 days away from graduation on May 7th and I couldn’t be more excited.

As I look back at last semester, I have to really take pride in my hard work. I attended the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals 41st Convention in Orlando.

ERAU OBAP members and myself take a picture with our advisor, Dr. Nancy Lawrence, and  fellow alumni.

I also got to present my own research in October at the The Popular Culture Association in the South and the American Culture Association in the South Conference. This was a huge milestone for me personally. I’ve never conducted research before, so to present among others in communication and literature was a huge honor.

PCAS/ACAS was hosted in Savannah, Georgia

I designed my first mission patch as well, through Space Tango for our payloads on SpaceX CRS- 13!

SpaceTango SpaceX CRS-13 took place in December and was the last customer launch of 2017.

I even got to utilize this research later on in Dr. Silverman’s Contemporary Issues in Science (HU 302). The final exam allowed students to communicate in an array of media including papers, videos, and even a painting. I’ve been too busy to paint in my free time, so I eagerly informed Dr. Silverman I would illustrate the findings of my research through a painting.

“Hush, Hair” is the result of a qualitative approach to my research “Hair Talks, but do we Listen?” that consisted of a 7-woman focus group in which participants shared their struggles, origins, and perception of their natural hair dialogues within the workplace.

All-in-all, I spent last semester experiencing new things, networking (as usual), and finding a way to bridge my interests with my work. I think we can find enjoyment in just about anything if we make it so. As this new year starts, I look forward to maintaining the same open mind in my new courses and throughout the infamous grad school/job hunt. Step-by-step, right?

⋆ Dani

Street Racing Made Safe

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STREET RACING MADE SAFE IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES A SAFE AND LEGAL ALTERNATIVE TO ILLEGAL STREET RACING. Street Racing Made Safe offers the only solution to illegal street racing through education and simulation. At the events they simulate every option of street racing in a controlled environment. SRMS controls everything and give standards to that which street racing has never had. At SRMS events you have the option to do DIG racing and Roll Racing with different MPH options. I had a great time at SRMS and if you ever feel the need to street race, don’t! There is a safe and legal option at a track near you that simulates the street racing experience without the danger or legal consequences!

The Next Chapter

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Hello There,

While talking to my dad yesterday, he asked “how does it feel?” I really did not have an answer to that question as I have been busy wrapping everything up school-wise and finalizing the next chapter of my life.

With graduation being about 72 hours away, I guess I would say that it feels surreal. It is kind of hard to believe that I arrived at Riddle just over three years ago, and now, I have achieved the goal of attending college (to get a degree) and will be entering the workforce next month.

The last month-and-a-half feels like a blur; classes kept me very busy; I was trying to finalize the job search; and just trying to enjoy my last few weeks as a college student.

One thing that I learned about the job search is that it is not easy, but I really enjoyed the experience. I say it is not easy because you always have to be “on” in which you are finding what you want to apply for, juggling lots of communications to set up interviews, actually being interviewed, and taking care of lots of follow-up details. I was always making sure that my communication with prospective employers was friendly, error free, and that I was flexible enough to schedule interviews. (A special shoutout to all the folks in Career Services who are pros at this and give great advice!)

In September/October, I was busy applying to a few positions that interested me. I was then lucky to have several phone interviews to see if I would make it to the next round of interviews. In early November, I had several in-person interviews in which I traveled to the headquarters of a few companies for multiple in person interviews.

Going to the headquarters and having the in-person interviews was by far my favorite part; while yes they were interviews, they did allow me to network and just have great conversations about the working world.

Finally, right after Thanksgiving, I started receiving job offers, and the decision of where I would end up after college became extremely difficult.

I remember back to 2014 when it was time to officially commit to college, it was a simple decision–Embry-Riddle. I knew this is where I wanted to go as I could take my passion for aviation and combine it with a good business background to get an Aviation Business degree! However, determining where I would end up post-graduation was difficult in that there were lots of factors to consider and there were really great offers available.

While I have kept it is a secret for the last few blog posts, I am excited to finally say that I will be going back to the Delta Air Lines Network Planning department full-time! I am very much excited for the opportunity, but I am looking forward to having some time off to travel, relax, and get ready for the next chapter over the next few weeks.

End of semester is almost here!

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Hello everyone!

I hope you’re well and had a great Thanksgiving Break! I went to New Hampshire with my boyfriend, Brent, to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family. It was really fun. I went Black Friday shopping with his mum and some of her friends. We started at 1:30 am and didn’t end until 12:30 pm!!! We got really good deals. One of things I bought was  Keurig, and I’m super excited to use it soon!

We also had a Holiday Party on November 30th for Women’s Ambassador Program, where we decorated cookies. We all wore ugly Christmas sweaters and listened to carols to get in the Christmas spirit! It was a lot of fun, especially since it was my first time baking cookies AND decorating them!!!

 

I hope you all finish up this semester strong. Winter break is almost here! Good luck in everything!

Until next time,

Maryam

Student Model Highlight

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Hello everyone!

I hope you’re well! I apologize for being away for a bit. Classes are hectic since professors are trying to wrap up the semester. Women’s Ambassador Program had a breast cancer awareness fundraiser during the Embry Riddle’s Women Volleyball game held on November 3rd. We raised a lot of money and are hoping to create a lot of awareness among our eagles!

The following week, I was offered to be a student model where the Marketing Department of Riddle is working on filming current students who are willing to share their experiences with prospective students.  Some of the questions asked were about my major, involvement on campus, internships and why I chose ERAU. It was super fun, and I got to share about my experiences at Riddle so far.

I hope you all have a fantastic week!

Until next time,

Maryam