Choosing the Right University for You

Are you applying to universities or making the decision of where to go? Then you are in the right place. I understand the struggle! It’s already a ton of work applying to multiple universities, but making the big decision can be even tougher on you.

Well you’re in luck because I am here to help you make the decision process easier. Let’s say you were accepted to University A that has a really high reputation for its quality and outcomes which means graduates get awesome jobs after graduation! While on the other hand you were accepted to University B which isn’t as reputable as University A but ts located 25 minutes from the beach!…Which do you choose?

A good question you need to ask yourself is “do I want to go to this school because it’s fun or because it will most definitely land me that cool job with the company of my dreams”. Well I want you to think about this, every university has something different/better to offer then the next but remember this is the most important decision you have to make. In my opinion, the location of the school is not your primary question! For me, the most important decision we have to make here is what to study which means choosing a university that outshines others in that area.

This decision is the most important for a few reasons:

A.  It will determine what classes you have to take. In other words you will either really enjoy going to school or not which could eventually lead to bad grades. You have to like what you do.

B. Having faculty experts and labs to work in will mean that your learning is solid – not in just theory but in practice.

c. This will help you land the job you want. You want internship opportunities, a strong career center, and plenty of interaction with industry.

If you know what job you want to have in the future, then take a look at the credentials you need to put yourself on the right path. Choose a school that offers your major and has expert faculty teaching. Yes! It’s that important.

The decision I made to attend ERAU in Prescott AZ has been a great one for all of the reasons above!

Thanks for reading, I hope I could make help and possibly the decision process a little easier. Good luck!

Ever Had a Favorite Professor?

I am sure we have all encountered a teacher that fits our learning style just right. Embry-Riddle has a pretty tight knit community when it comes to its professors/faculty and students. It’s pretty common to have a favorite teacher but since each student is different in the way they learn my favorite teacher may not be the same as my friends.

At Embry-Riddle one of the best professors and counselors I have had is Dr. Cone. While there are multiple characteristics that make him a great professor the one that sticks out to me the most is his background and expertise.

He is accredited with a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering as well as a PhD in Physics. Now there a lot of professors that have degrees and PhD’s but not only is Dr. cone accredited, he has experience working in multiple fields. This is beneficial because I really enjoy learning the applications of the topics in class. It makes the information stick in my brain a lot longer then just discussing it and doing the homework. Plus when you learn about some of the awesome things your professor has done with their careers it is a lot easier to be excited about what you are learning and what future might await you in your career. You will encounter teachers at ERAU with incredible backgrounds and experiences and they definitely love to share that with you. I encourage you to ask one of your teachers about their career experiences and what they enjoyed most about it.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned.

You can discover our professors below:

http://prescott.erau.edu/college-engineering/faculty/index.html

Must Have Apps for College

It is a little uncommon these days to see someone using a physical planner around campus.  Most people use their phones, tablets, or laptops to stay organized and productive.  Me being curious, I went around asking people what their favorite productivity and resource applications were.  Here were the top five results with a little info I found on them after researching.

dropbox_logoDropbox lets you bring all your photos, documents, and videos anywhere and share them easily. Access any file you save to your Dropbox from all your computers, iPhone, iPad, and the web. It’s great for saving large files and group projects.

 

bjqYUx_0XoQfRcNDh0POeBEo0a4pHprm-xd8zcA-94j-MjJHvj4eu9KqcQ__2C94IQ=w300Any.do is used for organizing your day. Manage all your tasks, work projects and personal to-dos in one place and collaborate with others to be more productive. If you really want to get stuff done, whether its chores around the house or a critical team project, use Any.do to get it done faster.

 

images_noticias_6de0fff8bb4f7e5df138b4215b326c51Remember the Star Trek computer? It’s finally happening–with Wolfram Alpha. Building on 25 years of development led by Stephen Wolfram, it has rapidly become the world’s definitive source for instant expert knowledge and computation. I highly encourage anyone with technical degree to download this!

 

Evernote

Evernote is where you do the work to achieve it.  You can take notes in a clean workspace, get organized in designated notebooks, share ides, keep up with to-dos, manage expenses, plan travel, the possibilities are endless. You can also access this anywhere which makes it even better!

 

myHomework

myHomework is the best student planner for beauty, simplicity, and reliability.  It has a modern design and simple interface making it easy for anyone to use. The app fill their role as a planner without network connectivity.

 

Another thing, all these apps are accessible for iOS and Android!  Check them out!!  And let me know what you think!

A Lesson From Newton…

…and no I don’t mean Sir Issac.  I’m talking about the cross-eyed siamese cat that resides in my apartment.  If there is anything I’ve learned from Newton, its that sunshine is the best form of therapy.  Vitamin D from exposure of our Sun is proven to show an increase in brain function and mood.

School will get stressful and it’ll be easy to get lost in your work but make sure you take the time to keep yourself happy and healthy.  Our sunshine activities from this past President’s Day weekend included rock climbing, kayaking, and a lot of lounging.

watson

How cool is it that we live in a place that where its warm enough in February (sorry east cost) to go outside for a whole weekend?  Don’t cheat yourself by by skipping a walk on a nice day just because you’re a little busy.  Speaking of weather, did you know we have a meteorology here at ERAU?  Check out this link to some weather resources! http://meteo.pr.erau.edu/ 

Prescott by week, LA by weekend!

Hello all! It sure has been a “rough” winter here in Prescott with most of our daily highs getting above 60 degrees, and of course more of that glorious sunshine! That was one of the reasons I choose to come to this school, and might be one for you as well!

As I mentioned in my previous post, there are a lot of travel opportunities to get you out of Prescott if that is how you would like to spend your weekends. A little over a week ago, during the first full weekend of February some of my friends and I went to Los Angeles for a few days. From Prescott to LA by car is only about a 6-7 hour drive, assuming traffic is good in the LA area. (No traffic to worry about in Prescott!) However be advised, it is quite a bit of driving. When we were all done we drove almost 1,200 miles! At least gas is cheap.

Since all of my friends and I are pilots, we naturally tried to find a hotel that would give us a view of LAX and their incoming airplanes. If this interests any of you, the LAX Renaissance Hotel is one I would recommend! It was far enough away that no engine noise kept us up, but also close enough to see the action. If you face the north, you’ll have a really good view of 24L and 24R.  Furthermore we decided to go to the Santa Monica Pier for a part of the evening. In which after that we took a drive down to where I used to spend my summers, San Clemente, CA. Personally my favorite town in all of So Cal but maybe I’m biased. Beachfire restaurant has great food if you’re ever in the area!

United 787 on Short Final

United 787 on Short Final

China Southern Cargo 777 about to touchdown!

China Southern Cargo 777 about to touchdown!

Singapore A380-800

Singapore A380-800

Santa Monica Pier on a Saturday Night!

Santa Monica Pier on a Saturday Night!

I had to remember the real reason we went to California was for the USA vs. Panama Soccer Game! I personally am a fan of soccer, but had never been to an actual game. If it was to be anything like basketball or baseball games I have previously attended I figured I would enjoy it. However, by the end of the match I could honestly say it was better than any live sporting event I’ve ever been to! No other sport do the fans get so into the game, and so behind their team. It was truly a sight to behold, and enjoy. Tickets weren’t bad either, only around $40. In the end USA wins it 2-0! GO USA!!!

This was the beginning, when they played both Panama and USA National Anthems

This was the beginning, when they played both Panama and USA National Anthems

USA would go on to win it 2-0!

USA would go on to win it 2-0!

Just another option for our ERAU Prescott students to go out and explore! I want to make sure all of you understand that no matter what it is you enjoy, there is something for everyone! If it is not in Prescott, it won’t be that far away!

Stay warm and fly safe!

Road Trippin’ – University isn’t just about studying – get out and experience the U.S.!

One of the greatest things about Prescott isn’t its surroundings (although they are GORGEOUS). The best thing about Prescott is its location between numerous travel destinations. Not only is it centrally located 4-5 hours between ~11 national parks, it is only 4 hours drive from Las Vegas and 6 hours drive from downtown LA. Those locations don’t appeal to you? No problem, check out Lake Powell, or SixFlags Magic Mountain in CA, the Grand Canyon, or Moab, UT, or…..

You get the point. Check out the video below to see a few of the locations mentioned above, which I have had the amazing opportunity to visit! [And remember, I’m only a freshman!]

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0PuXCx6o0A

 

There are so many out of state road trip opportunities near to Prescott, when coupled with all the things there is to do IN Prescott you’ll never find yourself short on things to do.

College Decisions

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When it comes time to make those college decisions it can be pretty scary and intimidating. The best way to do it is to get all the facts. Find a college that has the major you want and if you change your mind about your major ensure that the college has something else your interested in doing. Also, check out there area you will be living in. Do you like the weather there? The city or a rural area? What is the culture like in that area? Make sure you also research stuff you can do in the area. This is something I did not do before I came here, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that there are a lot of interesting things to do (provided you have the $$) withing a 3 hour radius of Prescott.

Also, look into the living costs of the area. Check out the on campus housing and local housing in the area. When you choose to move off campus you will need to know how much it will cost and if you can afford it. You should also look into the job market in the area. Many college students pick up a job to get some extra cash or to help work there way through school.

The last thing you should check out is students feedback on the university. This blog is a great source of feedback and many universities have similar resources available for potential students to use. I personally, am glad that I chose Embry-Riddle. It is the best place for me academically and for my AFROTC career as well. If I had to make the choice over again I definitely would. 🙂 If you have any questions or requests please let me know!

Good Friends at Riddle

AFROTC!!!! Im in the middle :)

AFROTC!!!! Im in the middle 🙂

Since I have been at Embry-Riddle I have made many crazy awesome friends all because of AFROTC. Joining ROTC has definitely been my best decision yet and the friends I have made as a result will be long lasting due to the things that we have been through together. From day one with my flight in zero week we began a training journey with shared experiences, struggles, and sacrifices. Unfortunately, not everyone has made it through to junior year but, regardless we are all still close friends.

I think that that my ROTC friends have helped me grow personally, academically, and as a leader. As we have all spent many hours preparing for our leadership roles through memorizing procedures, staying up late doing homework, and relying on each other to get to PT in the morning we have become closer and stronger as a team. The friends I have made here are not only friends but, family. We all know the difficulties of being Air Force cadets at a top rated engineering school and without these friends none of us would have been as successful.

If you are looking for a rigorous academic program and a potential future in the US Air Force then Embry-Riddle Prescott is the place for you. The detachment on this campus is known as “The Best in the West”  due to our intense leadership training and professional atmosphere. The program can be stressful and trying however, on completion you will get more out of it than you put in. If you have any questions give us a call today! Our admissions page can be found here.

F… is For Friends Who do Things Together!

Do you recognize the title from Spongebob? Well in one of Spongebob’s infamous scenes he sings about making friends and staying together…it is actually pretty entertaining, especially for Spongebob fans. From the first week until today I have made many friends at Embry-Riddle. Some that stay, a few that go, but the best are the roommates I had freshmen year…

This picture of Spongebob is pretty much what we look like as a crew.

As a freshmen I met 5 new roommates I’d live with for a year and unknowingly become best friends with 2 of them. Crazy enough I still live with them. We’re bonded with a friendship that’s strong to the core. It helps that I am in a Marine Officer Program while the other two are ROTC, one army and one Air Force. As you can see we have one huge thing in common, military lifestyles.

I think it’s great that we are all studying different subjects at Embry-Riddle! GSIS, Aerospace Engineering and Electrical Engineering. So even though we all manage different schedules and classes we manage to get together almost every weekend and go to Picture Show for an awesome movie that just came out or we play the new Call of Duty video game or even just go to Buffalo Wild Wings. A weekend with us is always a fun one!

Encountering these gentlemen have made my stay at ERAU a great one with memories to last forever. I hope that even after we all graduate we remain in contact because It would be hard to find friends like them again. I hope you have great roommates like I do.

Thanks for reading!