This is one of the rare events of the week when there is nothing to do but write a blog post. No, I’m not burdened by homework or studying (yet), but there is always something to do at Embry-Riddle. Every day, there are a variety of events and club meetings to attend, making it difficult to find sparse time. This is my second week here, and already time is flying (literally). It’s unbelievable to think that I’ve moved in, and already went through two weeks of classes. Of course, new friends and a great roommate have helped tremendously. Within the first few days of living on-campus, I met a ton of people with the same passion; aviation. Meeting people at Embry-Riddle is easy. There is a common bond that usually can serve as a conversation starter or reviver: flying. However, it doesn’t stop with students – even one of the security personnel has his commercial pilot’s license.

Everyone I’ve met that works for the university has been very kind and more than helpful. Professors and instructors are very keen on why students are here, and all of them seem to sense that we already know what we want to do with our lives. With that said, professors are very good at relating classes directly to aviation, making it easy to get involved during class. Initially, meeting other business students was very difficult. However, unlike Aeronautical Science (and some of the other larger majors), there are a few people that you’ll continuously see in many of your classes. For the first two weeks, my Introduction to Business Programs class focused on getting to know other freshmen business students, making it easier to get to know peers in the business program. The College of Business seems to be a place where everyone knows each other – making it a tight knit community.

As for room and board, I couldn’t have been matched with a better roommate. Even as an incoming freshman, it’s possible to pick your roommate in advance. I met my roommate (Jeff) through a mutual friend, and we became quick friends weeks before we moved down to Daytona. Jeff, from Rhode Island, is an Aeronautical Science major. If you choose not to pick a roommate prior to moving down, I believe you’re assigned someone from your major. Having a roommate with a different major gives you another perspective of the university, and I’ve been fortunate enough to join Jeff on a flight. Having a roommate that you get along with is half the battle. Our room in Adams Hall is great. Many of the essentials, like a refrigerator and microwave, are provided. Additionally, there is a sink located in our room – we share the bathroom (toilet and shower) with the room next door. Our Resident Advisor, Brent, has been very helpful and kind. Every now and then, he’ll pop in just to say hi, and he does a good job remembering names (they’re also posted on your door – he might be cheating). He’s arranged several events, including a trip to a NASA shuttle launch and a seminar on “microwave eats,” which have helped us get to know others on our floor and improved our cooking-with-microwave skills.

This is so much more I can write, but I’ll include that in later posts. The first few weeks here have been awesome, and I hope you got a better view of what Embry-Riddle and Daytona Beach are like. Do you have a specific question? Feel free to email me at heckmanj@erau.edu

Best,

Jonathan Heckman