Hello there, I was just wanting to get to know a little bit more about our readers, so I was curious what your hobbies are and if you would like to know a little more about me.

I have several hobbies, some of which are weird but, hey I am an engineer and a cadet so I’m bound to be pretty strange anyways right. So things that I enjoy doing are separated in three categories they are my Air Force hobbies, my personal hobbies, and my engineering hobbies.

My Air Force hobbies are shoe shining, ironing my uniform, making up workouts for PT (because I am one of the Physical Fitness Officer’s assistants), and hanging out in the DMZ (our lounge for cadets) with my Honor Guard team/family. If you choose to join any military organization you will soon find yourself enjoying these hobbies, and seriously you will enjoy them. Shining and ironing are actually quite relaxing and they give you a sense of pride in wearing the uniform as your appearance will be excellent as a result of your own skills. It can also be really fun to help others with their uniform because you get to contribute to someones uniform knowledge and support their appreciation of the uniform that we wear.

My personal hobbies are bike riding, fixing bikes, playing pool, swimming, hiking, running, making bracelets, writing blogs (obviously!!), taking walks, and cleaning. The last one is a little weird but, I like to clean things, it is the greatest feeling to know that a dirty place is now spotless because of your work. The same goes with fixing bikes, the bike I brought to college with me is one that I spent countless hours fixing until it was in a condition better than brand new. In whatever I do I love the thrill of watching something transform into a better state as a result of the work I put into it. I enjoy the other hobbies I have because I love to be outside just to look at and enjoy the parts of life that nature itself transformed into the land formations that we see everyday.

So finally my engineering hobbies are calculus, building/programming circuits, researching engineering topics, and avoiding English classes as best as I can. As an engineer calculus is the building block to everything, all engineers must take three calculus courses and learn to love the topic to its very core. Personally, I could integrate things for eternity that’s how much I adore calculus lol. Building and programming circuits is something you will either love or hate as an engineer as all engineering majors must take a class called Digital Circuits, this is paired with a lab class in which you will construct and eventually program functions to verify logic that you will learn in the class. This is a ton of fun but, if you do not take it seriously and really work hard at it then you will not enjoy the class or receive exceptional scores. Researching topics is motivating to me as I see what others have done with their degrees and what I could possibly accomplish with mine. Lastly, avoiding English classes is a great past time, try to get these all out of the way in high school they are a waste of your time and money in college. That’s it, plain and simple. You are here for your degree, not to learn English, you should already know it at this point, except for those who come from other countries these classes might be necessary but, for those of us who spent all our previous school years in an English class there is no point in continuing that in college. The best way to not take English in college is to take and pass the AP English exams, they are pretty easy and the credits you get from these will exempt you from college English courses so avoid them if you can!!!!

Well that’s about it for my hobbies, I’d like to hear some of yours so please comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!!

When you think about whether or not you should stay and take summer courses there are a few things to consider. These are: money, internships/summer jobs, and continuity.

Firstly, do you have the money to stay for summer? Summer tuition is typically discounted at 10% the regular cost for credits. For flight some classes are rumored to be free over the summer. However, you will then need to live either on campus or in the local area as well as paying for a meal plan or buying your own groceries. This can be costly for summer tuition, but pair this with a job or any leftover loan money and your summer tuition should be a breeze to pay.

The second possibility that you must consider is if you will receive a full time summer job or internship. I highly encourage you to go out for internships even as a freshman, several freshman that I know were accepted for internships this year so you could be next!! Internships will provide you with a wage or salary and many also fund your room and board with allowances each month whereas a job serves only as a source of income and often will not provide these monthly allowances. If you are taking courses over the summer a job is great but only part time. If you are hired for a full time job it is advisable that you find a cheap place to live or perhaps save money by staying with friends or family, you can contribute with grocery money or odd jobs around the house rather than paying the rent. The money you earn from either of these options can go straight into your tuition for next year, and if used in this manner it can also be deducted from your taxes as going toward your education.

The last and in my opinion one of the most important aspects you must consider when choosing whether or not you should stay over summer is continuity. This is basically continuing your education and studies so that you do not loose any of your skills or knowledge over your time away. All the courses you take are building up your knowledge and skill set so that you can continue on into your career with a wide range of facts that you can utilize to succeed. Putting off your education for a semester or even for a summer can set you far back in your knowledge base and you might have to relearn critical elements of courses you took in the last semester you attended school so that you can continue in your course work. This can be very detrimental to your GPA as most students do not look back on their previous courses until the problem is almost unsolvable and they achieve a far lower score than they desired in the course. Furthermore, it can be highly beneficial to take courses in order to reduce the time in which you graduate and to save money on what you would pay for regular tuition as well. However, if you do choose to take a semester off or you are forced to for financial issues there are two things that you absolutely must do:

1. Get a job to help pay the bills, or maybe even two, many college students do this.

2. Continue in your studies, review past material that you covered and prepare for the courses that you will be taking when you return to school.

I hope that these 3 things to consider have got you thinking about your summer plans, it’s not too late to make a decision so don’t let time catch you by surprise. This is your career it is solely in your hands, Good Luck!!

If you are the athletic or outdoorsy type you will love the Prescott campus of Embry-Riddle!!

We have some great facilities for recreation, hanging out, and club/organization use, these I will list and explain in the following portion of my blog but, first I would like to have you note that Prescott is also full of fun things to do. If you like to bowl, see a movie, go to the mall, well we have all of that and more!! There are also local shooting ranges, camp sites, hiking areas etc etc etc. So on the weekends after you finish up homework go out and explore this beautiful area, if you can’t get a ride off campus bring a bike, it’s a fun way to see the sites and to get some fresh air. If you don’t have a bike then check out what our campus has to offer you:

Swimming pool: Open seasonally, the pool is equipped with pool toys, diving boards, and safety personal so no fear dive right in and cool off from the summer heat. Just don’t forget the sunscreen!!

Activities gym: There are two of these, one is the larger gym that is used for the universities teams and organizations and the smaller gym which is almost always open for anyone. You can check out a basketball from the athletic gym (weightlifting, running, etc. gym) and start up a game or you can scale the climbing wall located in the smaller gym which is opened in the spring and summer semesters.

Athletic gym: For all the people who want to get in some serious shape or want to study while they workout then this is the place for you. The gym includes equipment to work every muscle in your body and can be used at your leisure.

Fields: Embry-Riddle Prescott has three fields one for softball, one for soccer, and one for general use. There is also a track circling around the soccer field. These are always open to anyone to use at any time.

Outdoor Basketball: There are two outdoor basketball courts on campus, one is located outside the smaller gym and the other is  between Academic Complex 1 and the lower parts of campus.

Indoor Activities: The Student Union’s Lower Hanger hosts pool tables, shuffle board, video games, computers for 24 hour use, and a fire side lounge for all students to use at their leisure.

This is only a small list of what Embry Riddle Prescott has to offer, I strongly encourage you to schedule a visit today and check us out!! Thank you!!

As the second semester of my Sophmore year passes here at Embry-Riddle, My fellow Air Force cadets in my class and I got through a training semester known as Field Training Preparation. To understand why we do this, I’ll provide you first with some background information on how Air Force ROTC works in the first place. This information covers questions that I get all the time working as a tour guide on campus, so read up if you want to find out a little more about Air Force ROTC here at Embry-Riddle Prescott!

Your first two years involved with ROTC you are considered a GMC cadet, GMC standing for General Military Course. This means your training is geared towards learning the values and heritage of the Air Force; and general military knowledge that you will use throughout your career. Then after your sophomore year, you will receive what is known as an enrollment allocation. This enrollment allocation, or EA for short, allows you to go to Field Training over the summer. Field Training constitutes of 28 days of military training at Maxwell Air Force Base Alabama and Camp Shelby Mississippi. Upon graduating Field Training, you become part of the Professional Officer Course, or POC. As a POC, you training then focuses on leadership and preparation for active duty service.

Anyways, us second semester sophomore cadets are getting ready to go to Field Training this summer, so this semester is focused on preparing us for this endeavor. We learn about everything from how to properly make a bed and maintain a dorm , to how to march as a squadron. All of this training is received in a military training environment, which makes this semester a bit more intense then my previous three semesters here.

The biggest event on my horizon, and the biggest events for all the cadets in my class too, is the receiving of enrollment allocations. No cadet is guaranteed an enrollment allocation, and cuts are generally made. So all of us are sitting around bubbling with apprehension waiting for the results of the enrollment allocation board to come back in from Maxwell. They should be any day now so we are all very excited.

If you have any questions or comments about anything let me know in the comment section.  I’d be happy to respond to you so don’t be shy!

So I’m sure you haven’t heard about any of the local wildlife in Prescott Arizona, and I don’t mean the locals. This is a retirement community and absolutely nothing crazy goes on here 😉 (Until you set foot on Embry-Riddle’s campus that is!!). Anyways, back on track here, Prescott isn’t only a home for retirees and brilliant college students, many other sorts of creatures reside right under our very toes……

The larger of these animals wouldn’t want you to stand on it, its definitely very dangerous and I warn you to avoid it.  It’s a Mountain Lion!! These animals although gorgeous, are a force to be respected and if you happen to see one just back away slowly, but do not turn your back on the animal. If it becomes aggressive you must curl up on the ground and wrap your hands around your neck to protect yourself. Sightings are very very very very rare and the animal is as afraid of you as you are of it so you should not have encounter one in your time at Riddle. The best way to avoid this is to walk safely around areas where they have been sited a.k.a. The Dells (the rocks across from campus). Walking safely means walking with another person and not staying in the Dells after nightfall unless you are with a group of people and you have a light source.

The second largest animal is the Coyote, these animals are skittish and will run away if they see you. They are often heard at night in the Dells, but never seen. You have relatively little to fear from these creatures. The only time they are dangerous is if you see them in large groups or in the daytime. Coyotes have confidence in large groups so if you should come across a group there are two things that might work to avoid danger;  Try to make yourself and your companion look intimidating or climb the nearest tree/rock formation. If you should see a coyote in daytime stay as far away from it as possible and call animal control. It is possible that the animal has rabies as they do not show themselves during the day unless there is something wrong with the animal.

Next is the Javelina or wild pig, only the large pigs are aggressive but if you see a baby pig leave the area as fast as possible because its momma is somewhere nearby and will come to defend her piglet. These avoid you more than you avoid them so an encounter with a Javelina is rare and if it occurs the pig usually runs before you do. If you should encounter an aggressive pig call animal control and get out of the area as fast as you can by whatever means you can use.

The other common creatures are snakes and scorpions. Cockroaches and spiders do make their appearances once in a while, but if you see scorpions or snakes you should be aware of how to identify and handle them. There are many different types of each of these reptiles, so I suggest some research so that are familiar with the species that you may encounter during your time at Riddle.

A final note that I must say is that animal encounters are rare, it is best to be aware of what wildlife is in the area so that you can know how to handle these encounters. I have been here a year so far and I’ve only seen a harmless Gardener snake, some seniors at Riddle haven’t seen anything but spiders and cockroaches. So again, be knowledgeable just in case, but I reassure you that such encounters may not even happen to you so enjoy your time at Riddle and don’t worry too much about our local wildlife 🙂