I normally try to start each entry with a type of “hook” to grab the reader’s attention. But, to be honest, I can’t really of anything clever to say without sounding like a broken record. So I’ll just get right into it. Last weekend was family weekend down here at Riddle. The University put on a bunch of events for parents and families to attend while visiting their Riddle student away at college. Festivities kicked off Friday with the “College Student for a Day” event, where parents were able to sit in on classes with their son or daughter. Unfortunately, my parents weren’t here for family weekend, but I assume that this was a pretty cool opportunity for most parents and something they enjoyed. This school definitely had a different look with parents and families walking around everywhere all weekend. One of the most popular events of the weekend (not surprisingly) was the “take your parent flying” opportunity. As you would expect, many of the students were eager to showcase their flying skills to their parents. I also assume this was one of the highlights of the weekend for most parents and families. Some of the other events of the weekend included an ERAU baseball game, a magician and a showcase of the ERAU Jet Dragster (shown below), just to name a few.

Photo credit thanks to Jay Weiss

My flight course has been going well and I am almost up for my end of course checkride. Hopefully by the next entry I will have my Private Pilot Certificate, but some of that will depend on the weather and how quickly I can get scheduled for my checkride. Once you get to the end of course, you have to spend some time going over each and every maneuver you were taught earlier in the course. It’s taken me a few refresher flights to make sure I’ve got each maneuver nailed down. Hopefully I’ll just need one or two more flights to practice landings and I’ll be ready to go. Another part of the end of course check that often gets overlooked is the Oral Check. Basically, you have to sit down with a Check Airmen while he evaluates your cross-country flight planning, knowledge of weather and use of charts, publications and data, knowledge of operations of systems in the aircraft you are being examined in, Aeromedical factors such as hypoxia and spatial disorientation, night preparation and other items relating to Private Pilot Test Standards. To say the least, it’s a lot of studying and reviewing key terms and procedures. But, nevertheless I am feeling confident about the end of course checkride and oral and will keep the internet world updated on how it goes in the next couple of weeks.

I recently applied for the Resident Advisor (RA) position here at Embry-Riddle. A Resident Advisor is an older student (Sophomore, Junior, Senior) who is in charge of overseeing the living halls and making sure policies and rules are followed. For freshmen, an RA should also strive to create a sense of community for his/her residents and be a good friend and leader for them. I applied for the position because I thought it would be a great experience and just a good solid job. So far, I’ve been through two interviews and up next is a four week class which meets for two hours on Tuesday nights. After the class, the Housing & Residence Life Office will make a decision on the final selection of Resident Advisors.

Lastly, I just wanted to add a cool picture I took from the top of Joe’s Crab Shack the other night right after the sun set. The weather has been beautiful the past couple of weeks!

View from Joe’s Crab Shack looking south as the sun sets on Daytona Beach

January 2013

I am in my fourth week of the Spring 2013 semester here at Riddle and operations are in full swing. I have been very busy with my classes. I’m taking 16 credit hours this semester which means I spend a lot of my time studying/doing homework during the week. What has worked out so well this semester is the fact that I was able to set my schedule and pick my own classes. I was able to stack four of my classes together on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I go right from one class to another without having much down time (other than an hour lunch break). Last semester I had class from 9:45-12:30, then I had to wait around for a class at 3:45 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Other than the fact that I could take a nap after lunch, I didn’t really like that schedule; I just didn’t feel very productive. So this semester should be better from a schedule standpoint.

As I briefly mentioned in my last entry, I really like all of my professors this semester. All of them are so knowledgeable in their subjects and passionate about what they are teaching. For example, my Introduction to Rhetoric Professor spent 20 years working as an award-winning journalist for the Daytona Beach News Journal, while my Instrument Pilot Operations professor spent years flying the DC-10 for Hawaiian Airlines. It really makes each class engaging and I feel like I can take away a lot from each of my professors.

ROTC is also in full swing. We have been having Physical Training (PT) on Monday and Friday mornings and Leadership Laboratory on Wednesday mornings. I have been working hard at PT getting ready for our Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) which is graded based on sit-ups, push-ups and a mile and a half run. Your PFA score is important in determining scholarships, rank and Officer Potential so it is important to me that I do well.

Ever since coming back to Daytona Beach in early January, the Daytona International Speedway, which is adjacent to the Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach Campus on the other side of the airport, has been alive with action. This past weekend they held the Rolex 24 race, where race teams compete for 24 hours around the track. It is a test of endurance and skill for the drivers and their crews. My Air Force ROTC program sends cadets each year to volunteer at the Speedway and help with the races. This past weekend, me and a couple of friends worked for 11 hours on Saturday helping load and unload trams that would shuttle fans from one side of the track to the other. The best part of the job was taking a break for dinner, where we were able to watch part of the race right on the track. It’s amazing how fast (and LOUD) those cars are. It was a great experience.

Watching the Rolex 24 as the cars speed by

Also, my friends and I have taken up a new hobby: surfing. All of us have really wanted to learn since coming down to Florida in August, but we didn’t really know where to start during the first semester. About two weeks ago, we did some research, drove down to a local surf shop and purchased some surfboards. Ever since, we have spent almost every minute of our free time at the beach learning how to surf. Let me tell you, it is not as easy as it looks. Like any sport it takes a lot of practice and determination (not to mention an amazing amount of core strength) to master. But after last weekend, I feel like I’m starting to get the hang of it.

Driving down the beach on a sunny Sunday afternoon, ready to surf.

More to come on surfing, flying, and Embry-Riddle in my next entry, stay tuned!

Half way! It’s really hard to believe that I am already over halfway done with my freshman year of college. This year has really been flying by (pun intended). I’ve been back at Riddle for almost three weeks now since traveling home for winter break. Boy was it good to see my friends and family back in Seattle and spend some time with them over the holidays. It really never felt like I even left! My room was the same, my clothes were still there and my dog was still happy to see me. I was able to get some snowboarding, hiking and some good ole’ R & R in the three weeks I was home for. It was a much needed break. It worked out well because by the time I was boarding my flight to head back to Florida, I was ready to hit the ground running for the spring semester. I’m going to have to keep that mentality going because I have a busy semester ahead of me. I’m taking six classes, ROTC, working, playing intramural sports and getting ready for a Private Pilot check ride, just a few of the involvements I have ahead of me the next few months!

After returning to Florida in early January, I got right back into the swing of things with my flight training. The first day back my instructor did my dual cross-country and flew to St. Petersburg. We were able to get quite a bit done during the week before classes started despite relatively bad weather. The flight operations discount all flight activities by 50%. It worked out perfectly because I was able to get all of my cross countries done during that time. Last week I did my local solo and my first solo cross country. For my solo cross country I flew to Gainesville and back. It is about a 150 Nautical Mile round trip and takes about 2.3 hours. Tomorrow I am scheduled for my long cross country where I will be flying to the Tampa area, then up to Gainesville and back to Daytona. This is a much longer trip which is about 250nm and should take close to three hours. After that, I have a couple of practice flights then I’m up for my check ride! It’s hard to believe I’m already at the end of course. A bunch of my buddies  and I already have plans to go flying once I get my license, so I’m definitely looking forward to that.

My classes are going great. I was able to pick my classes and set up my schedule this semester and I have to say, I did pretty well. I really like all of my teachers and I am very interested in the classes I am taking. I will go into greater detail about my classes and ROTC in my next post which will be in the next few days.

Stay tuned for important updates on the Daytona Speedway, college professors, Florida weather, flag football, aviation, and possibly even surfing, all to come next week. Happy New Year!

Cruising above the clouds on my solo cross country.

It’s been a while since I have been able to submit an entry, from exams to winter break to the start of a new semester. My exams all turned out great, and I was rewarded with a surprise Birthday cruise to the Bahamas thanks to my grandma.  It was great getting the chance to travel, visit home, and see old friends while enjoying the holidays, but it’s even better to be back here at Riddle. I’m looking forward to this new semester and a fresh start to a new year.

I have a rather spread out schedule this semester, with classes ranging from early morning to early evening so we’ll see how this turns out! I’ve already gotten a head start on studying and even decided to enroll in chemistry which I cannot wait to attend. My advice for the beginning of spring semester for any new or upcoming students is do NOT procrastinate, get everything done right away and even move ahead.  It’s time for new classes, new students, new semester, new year, and a new me!

Well, I’ve survived my first semester in college and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome of my grades and the value of my experiences.  For this blog post, I’ve decided to write about my top 10 favorite things about Embry-Riddle.

10. Small class sizes – This is one of the biggest advantages of coming to Embry-Riddle.  You have a much better chance to get to know your classmates and your professors, and you can go to either of the two for help.  You feel much more confident and compelled to ask questions.

9. Einstein’s Bagels – Einstein’s is great because it is open until 1:00 a.m. on weekdays.  The other food options close at 9, so on those days when you’re out studying late or your club meetings run too long, you will never have to go hungry.  Also, it’s perfect for late-night snacking.

8. Academic Advancement Center – I use the AAC for tutoring all the time.  Not only can you go there to get help from the tutors, you can also get help from other people who have your same professor.  In my opinion, it’s much better to study with friends than to struggle with something alone.

7. The weather – December rolled around and I could barely tell!  Other than spontaneous rain showers and humidity, it’s nice for it to be reasonably warm all year ‘round.  You can even visit the beach after your exams are over.

6. Professors – I really liked all the professors that I had this semester.  They care for their students and will help you a lot if you visit them during their office hours.  They’re willing to help you raise your grade if you are struggling, and recognize when you are putting your best effort into the class.

5. Living near Orlando – We know we should be studying, but one or two weekend trips to Orlando won’t hurt.  The temptation of living an hour and a half from Disney World is too strong to resist.  Save up your money and buy a discounted ticket from the school, and you won’t regret your Disney day trip with your friends.

4. ERRSA – The Embry-Riddle Resident Student association is one of the best organizations on campus.  They put on programs for students living in the residence halls, and get input from the students about how housing can change to fit their needs.  Most of all, we are one big family and we get the chance to do fun activities together!

3. The Robotics Association – RAER is one of the most valuable things to get involved in if you are going into a technical career.  The organization offers opportunities for robotics teams, and will also keep you connected in outside robotics activities like FIRST.

2. Studying – As counterintuitive as it may seem, one of my favorite things about college is studying.  Unlike high school, I really feel like what I am learning applies to things that I can and will do.  Also, my study habits have improved since I’ve been in class, and now I don’t even have to study as much because I know how to help myself understand the material.

1. Dorm life – Without a doubt, dorm life is my favorite thing about being in college.  I have made so many friends in the past few months that I know I will have for life.  We can talk about anything, go anywhere, and help each other out on our schoolwork.  It’s such a great feeling to have friends around you whenever you need them.

With that, I sign out and say goodbye for this semester.  Let’s hope the next one will be even better!