Schedule Shifts & WW Classes

Happy (almost) April everyone! I’m currently blogging from sunny Daytona Beach, Florida with temperatures recently around mid to upper 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The weather is turning absolutely beautiful, sunny, and warm and there is only one month of the spring semester left before finals and graduation!

I am so excited to graduate and I am hoping April flies by! My schedule has been shifting a lot lately as I am finishing up some of my obligations and will hopefully have more time to spend working out and putting more energy towards my senior design class. More free time means more gym days, ROTC events, and study time! Major shifts in my schedule have been due to my ERAU Worldwide (WW) class finishing up! Not many people are aware, but you are able to take both in-person and Worldwide classes at the same time. This past semester was my first experience both learning about this opportunity, and taking a solely online course through ERAU-WW. Experiencing an intentional online course, voice my limited experience with courses that transitioned to online and hybrid versions during the pandemic, went very well! Be sure to check with your advisor if you choose to take WW courses.

Some recent Air Force ROTC patches I picked up!

WW classes typically require the same amount of coursework as normal classes, and have a greater emphasis on various papers, essays, and Discussion Posts via Canvas, the online platform all classes at ERAU use to facilitate syllabi and assignment deadlines. My first WW class was a 3-credit hour course I opted to take as an upper level humanities elective, SOCI-300 Marriage and Family. I was surprised how well the course was facilitated virtually and the communication with the professor was more accessible, clear, and frequent than some of my experiences with in-person teachers! A ‘pro’ or general positive aspect of WW classes is that the semester length varies slightly from the regular in-person semester schedule. Thus, my WW class has officially concluded and my grade is finalized and ready for my end of semester grade report!

In my free time you will usually find me on the StairMaster machine at the gym, it’s my current favorite and I’m looking forward to the NEW fitness center being built as well!

Another aspect of my schedule changing mid-semester, that is enabling me to have more free time, is my Peer Mentor workload in University 101 winding down! Typically the busiest time of the year for both UNIV 101 students and Peer Mentors is during the preparation of Academic Study Plans. However, since those assignments have been turned-in, my Office Hours time commitment has greatly decreased and the entire UNIV 101 class will be finishing up completely in one week! I am so grateful my schedule is opening up just in time for final projects and lab reports to pick up their pace. I am eagerly awaiting the end of the semester! Keep on keeping on folks, will report back soon!

Books & Acai Bowls

Happy January everyone! I’m currently blogging from Daytona Beach and the Spring 2022 semester has officially begun! Although the future of if we’ll be switching online or not is up in the air, for the most part we are back in full swing! Winter break was very restful, and I’m so excited for spring break to visit my family again.

Current life updates: I am taking one WorldWide (WW) class completely online that is much more work than I had originally anticipated, but is a really awesome opportunity to explore topics not directly related to my degree. I’m taking a Marriage & Family class which in only two weeks has taught me about more philosophical and multi-dimensional layers of familial relations than I have ever learned about. Another elective I had space for in my last semester, one that I’ve only gotten more excited for after meeting the professor and going to the first few classes, is HU 365 – Comparative Religions! I’m very interested to learn more about different religions, religious practices, and world views.

Current books on my nightstand that are helping me prep for my Comparative Religions course are The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English translated by Geza Vermes, The Zodiac and the Salts of Salvation by Carey & Perry, and The Pineal Gland: The Eye of God by Manly Hall. Additional books on my to-read list for HU 365 are The Will to Believe by William James, and The Individual and His Religion by Gordon Allport. I don’t usually have a ton of time to read during the weeks, but I try to get through at least a few pages everynight before I go to bed.

I started going to the gym! I am two weeks in to a gym schedule of lifting 3 days a week! I am excited to finally get into lifting and to get stronger. In addition to lifting I still have AFROTC PT sessions twice a week, and I do cardio like running, stair climbing, or cycling quite frequently. Also, I went to my first cycling class at the fitness center this semester!

Additionally, my new favorite afternoon pick me up is bringing iced tea to classes. I’ve also been trying to eat more fruit and fresh veggies! My faves have been mango, pomegranate, or pineapple on oatmeal in the mornings. Fresh fruit makes dorm room breakfast so much better! I’ve been exploring eating on campus more and recently tried an acai bowl for lunch the other day from Propellers! You can find the entire Propellers menu here!

Oatmeal with pineapple and almond butter!
Acai bowl from Propellers!

In other news, I went to my first graduation prep meeting! I am so excited for graduation and to see my family again. Winter break was short lived and although the semester just begun, I am eagerly waiting for its conclusion. Keep on keeping on folks! Will report back soon!