All Dorms: All come with a mini fridge, vanity, microwave, desk, and dresser (and a bed too obviously). The bathrooms come with a shower curtain too. You can order items like bedding through housing or order to-store at Bed Bath and Beyond. There is a Target down the street, across from the Speedway for last minute needs, but a “secret” Super Target is 15 minutes south in Port Orange. We also have a Hobby Lobby, World Market, Pier One Imports, and Michaels if you like decorating! There is a Kohls and Sam’s Club not too far for mattress toppers and bulk-snacks. You can mail stuff to the university after you get your mailbox, but you won’t have your mailbox number until after move in. To send things before you are assigned a mailbox, you can address packages with your name, New Student Embry-Riddle, 600 South Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach FL 32114. Then just pick it up at the mail room when you arrive.
I have a printer but I do not need one. You can print from the 24-hour lab in the College of Business. As for packing clothes, bring lots of t-shirts with jeans/shorts. Also, bring some light sweaters/rain jackets for classrooms and “winter”. I normally wear Keds, flats, or sandals to get across campus. Make sure to bring nice clothes (business casual and at least one business professional outfit) no matter your major. We have our career fair and interviewers coming to campus constantly. Sororities and fraternities also require you to dress nicely once a week as do some on-campus jobs.
For laundry, Adams, Woods, and Doolittle have laundry rooms downstairs. New Hall has two laundry rooms per floor (one per wing). All laundry facilities have an associated app to see which are available. While they are free, you must bring your own detergent.
- Tubs (for summer storage too)
- Command Strips (tons, but the velcro ones work best)
- Hangers
- Desk Lamp
- Mattress Topper
- Bed Covers (Twin XL) – Pottery Barn, Target, and Macy’s has cute ones!
- Pillows
- Full-length mirror
- Trashcan
- Bathroom Mat
- Toilet Paper
- Towels
- Food Organizers
- Cleaning Wipes
- Water Filter
- School Supplies
- Desk Organizer
- Air Freshener
- Laundry Basket
- TV (but most students use a laptop – I do!)
- Pictures!!!
New Hall: New Hall has a tiny kitchen area, so I recommend not bringing a lot of kitchen gadgets. You also don’t have a designated kitchen sink, so cleaning dishes and such gets a little challenging. You will have bathroom cubbies in the shower room and individual closets in your room. Most students raise their beds and put the desk under their bed. Some prefer to bunk their bed with their roommate and put the desks on the other side. My friend was kind enough to let us see her room!
Adams/Woods: Adams/Woods bathrooms are shared with 3 other people, so I recommend a caddy to keep the shower uncluttered. Since the floor is wood, I also recommend a rug. We bought curtains and lots of bins for food and bathroom storage. The photos below are from my freshman dorm!
Doolittle: I have not lived in Doolittle, but I would recommend a bathroom caddy/other bathroom organizers since you will be sharing a bathroom with 7 other people. You will have a large desk as well, so desk organizers could be beneficial if you like to be orderly. A closet is shared too, so consider a closet divider since that could be helpful if you like to keep your belongings separate. Like Adams/Woods, I want to recommend a rug to cover the wood floor! These photos are from a friend!
Personal tip: I like plants in my room since they brighten the space and make it feel more homey!
Move-in gets crazy so bring water! Be patient! It’s overwhelming but everyone does it and your RA should be helpful. Orientation is meant to be fun, so don’t stress! You will have huge moving bins to help! Assignments come out this summer so get excited!
Happy almost summer! – Maddie!
I continued my flight training throughout the summer and planned to complete everything by early August. However, I ran into delays due to weather, illness and scheduling. Nevertheless, I completed everything in the Part 141 syllabus, literally two days prior to the move. I was rushing to finish up training in order to arrive at ERAU with my certificate. Because of this, I wasn’t able to fully grasp every topic to the fullest that was required. In the end, I was signed off to take my FAA check-ride, but failed it. As a result, I learned a valuable lesson; flying should be something you enjoy doing and should not be considered at any time a “crash course”. In addition, stress and emotion should be taken into account any time one goes flying. The ‘IM SAFE’ checklist is a good way to determine if you are fit for flight:
We had packed the cars the night before, so on moving day I only had to pack final items, such as toiletries, alarm clocks, etc. During our travel to Daytona Beach, my family and I took the Auto-Train from Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL. This cut down on the driving and gave us all a more relaxed and more comfortable experience. We had driven to Florida one time prior and it was enjoyable, but I don’t plan to do it again for a long time. The Auto-Train provided us with breakfast, dinner, a reclinable chair each, a lounge car, movies and the most legroom you could ask for. It was the cheapest way to transport a car down south, aside from driving it. I think it’s the greatest option, because you’re constantly moving, getting served, and they don’t nickel and dime you for luggage like at the airport because you just shove everything in your car. Upon arrival in Sanford, Florida, we waited a half-hour for our cars to arrive at the lot, which is typical wait time. It took less than an hour to arrive in Daytona, and according to my mom, I drove right up to the place, like I had already been there before. Upon “de-car-ing” we were greeted by two upperclassmen ready to assist us with unloading our stuff. Which at the time seemed overwhelming, but as time progressed, I purchased more and more stuff for the room.
Orientation week was really great, we had so many shows and lots of activities to choose from. There were shows such as Survey Says, For Men Only, a Hypnotist, and a comedian to name a few. Activities were all across the board from BBQs, to pool parties, to “play fair.” It was really the most fun that I’ve had in a while. Unfortunately I was unable to make “play fair” because we took an unexpected tour of the beach. During which I drove off the path and got my car stuck in the sand. We waited an hour for beach patrol to come with the truck to pull us out. It was a lot of fun regardless, but I had definitely learned a lesson there.
During my first week of classes I learned a lot about how to manage my time. I learned when and where to do my homework. It was the same back home, but I definitely need to take it more seriously now that I’m in college. While in college, each student is provided with a course schedule/syllabus which describes what will be covered each class and what homework is due for the next. This helps a great deal, especially when your professor verbally assigns homework and you’re not sure if you wrote down the correct task. Emailing and getting to know your professors is the key to success in college. You’ll get a better experience because your professors will get to know your learning abilities or disabilities and will work with you should any issues arise. College isn’t like high school, you are the person who needs to make the initial step of explaining to your professor if you’re not understanding something.
Daytona Beach is definitely a great college town. Nearby are Stetson University, Daytona State College, UCF Daytona Campus, Keiser University and Bethune-Cookman College. The town is split into two main parts; Speedway and Beachside. Speedway is all shopping centers and chain restaurants and of course the NASCAR speedway. Beachside is where the beach hotels, thrift shops and clubs are located. Both parts of town are busy, however the beach is definitely the place to go on the weekends.