Finals week was actually not as bad as last semester’s finals week.  Sure I stayed up until all hours of the night for about a week straight but heck, that’s college for you.  I had my Plant Bio final Saturday morning at eight o’clock, which for being an open note test, was not as easy as I thought it would be!  Then I took my Intelligence Writing final that afternoon which consisted of a presentation on the Sudan referendum that’s going to be held in January which will decide if Sudan will split into two separate nations.  Until I took that class, I never really paid any attention to what went on outside of my little bubble, but now I feel like I need to be involved in everything that is going on in the world!  It’s amazing how many things are happening in the world that has relevence to me, even though I may be half a world away!

This is Sudan.  It was my country that I’ve written about all semester, and I feel so…. attached to it!  When next semester rolls around, I will still definitely write about it.  I feel like it’s “my” country, and I get so excited when there are new developments in the referendum business!

My next final was Monday morning, History of Terrorism.  In that class, we talked about terrorist groups, their history, different kinds of terrorism, and so forth.  I learned a lot from that class and it really got me thinking about my little bubble I grew up in… it was affected by so many different things that I had no idea about.  After I got done with that final, I took my World History final.  I LOVED that class!  It was definitely tough, but Dr. Trombley made everything soo interesting!  I feel like I’ve learned so much from her.  Not only did we talk about historical events, she tied everything back to the changing and developing world today.  Awesome.  Yesterday I took my Chinese final, and I felt quite confident.  I love Chinese.  Just sayin’.

So that was my finals week!  Hope you all have an AWESOME Christmas break!

“God bless us, every one.”

-Tiny Tim 🙂

I have survived Finals week, officially. This week, dreaded by all throughout the year, has finally come to an end, at least for me. There are still tons of others who have to take physics and all sorts of other horrid finals tomorrow but tonight I am free! I only had to take two actual in-class finals because the others were intense take home ones, but now they are done. There is one strange thing about my final taking procedure however. For the entire semester, I have survived without getting sick, needing a Kleenex box or anything to help me, but during my first final, I suddenly got a runny nose, started sneezing everywhere and then coughing like never before. And, guess what, right after the final was over, I was fine. I have NO IDEA what the problem was, but this is not the first time that it’s happened to me. The second final was better although it sure is strange to listen to 30 students writing away on sheets of paper while the room is silent and you can hear every shoe squeak, person clear their throat or sniffle and the teacher sits at the front, judging us no doubt. Ok no I’m sure he wasn’t, but I wonder what the teacher does while the students finish their finals. I know that I would probably be on facebook wasting time and watching The Simpsons on my computer, or the Middle.

The week leading up to finals was dreadful even though I am thankful everyday for not having to take physics, Calculus 3 and other science/math and business related finals. I despise business. Anyway, I was in the library a lot studying and making study guides with groups. My History of Modern Europe class (sounds contradictory) required a take home final with at least twelve answers with about a page chock full of information each followed by two essays. I write a lot so the final result of my Final was 20 pages of history on the development of Modern Europe. It sure is a good thing that I like history and writing, otherwise I might’ve died. I also am glad that I came into college knowing what I wanted to do with a plan and didn’t have to change majors mid-way through my sophomore year because that could seriously have messed me and my GPA up. Ahh, its just good to relax now that finals are over and that another semester in the grand plan has been dealt with. Now its just time for the nervous waiting to see what grades we got which will be posted on Blackboard by Sunday.  I saw an A that one of my teachers already put up and I was so happy because despite it being a simple Humanities course, World Philosophy was hard! Never have I cared less about Plato and Aristotle but I am glad that I did for the final or else I would not have scraped that A. Celebration in the form of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish and Oreos is in order.

Brownie Celebration at Zeke's with Lindsey and Rachel!

I know most of you are thinking that this is the “million dollar question,” the interesting fact is that there are many different answers. Some students are able to handle the stress with dignity, while others lose all sight of sleep, health, and hygiene. Fortunately, I only lost the health portion; and maybe only a couple hours of sleep here and there. How was I able to this, you may ask? One word: prioritizing.

I actually bought a journal this year and two weeks before finals I decided to write down all my finals dates and the dates when all my projects, homework, and presentations were due. From there, I started writing out “to do” lists for each day; mind you, I didn’t always follow them 100%, but having them written out told me exactly what I needed to get done and what needed to be finished first. Yes, I did procrastinate like many students will, but I figured out which assignments needed to be turned in first and which exams I had to begin studying for. In the end, I had 2 exams on Saturday, 1 exam, a 14-page research paper, and a take home portion of an exam due on Monday, and my last exam was on Wednesday.

It sounds like a lot, and trust me, it was. First off, I spent Friday studying for my accounting and psychology exam. Then after taking both exams, I spent the whole rest of my weekend just hammering out my research paper and take home exam. (The take home exam ended up being about 6 pages long). Sunday night I studied for my exam on Monday and then finished my last touches on the research paper. After my Marketing exam Monday, I felt a lot better! I only had one exam left…

I was a little foolish though to relax so soon because when it came time to study for my Macroeconomics exam, it took me a while to get going. But sooner than later, I started making flash cards and made my studying experience more fun. I also went over my flash cards with a good friend of mine who will be taking the exam tomorrow, on Thursday. I even gave her my flash cards before going in to the exam. I wanted them to be put to good use and I knew she would benefit from them. After 2 hours in the exam room, I finally finished and it all felt worth it. It is a huge relief and an incredible feeling to be done.

I am excited for this month break and will be sure to use it wisely with friends and family. Stressful times, like finals, make you realize how much you actually miss being home with loved ones. My advice for any student during the next “finals week” is to try hard not to procrastinate, learn to prioritize your time, (finish your work from what is due first to what is due last) try to make studying fun with new techniques and with friends, and lastly, BREATHE~ remember that these classes are for your knowledge and benefit, enjoy them and learn from them.

Finals week has come upon us, and I just had my first one today. I don’t know if it was too much caffeine, the three hours of sleep or no breakfast, but those five pages of essays I wrote for Dr. McNabb were very uncomfortable. Only two more to go, however. I love it as finals week progresses, because you get to watch the students get stressed to the point of hysterics and then become ridiculously exuberant as their tests are all done and they get to travel back home for Christmas. Not only that, many of the finals beards that are being grown by many of the guys right now are pretty legit. Mine is getting to be a serious piece of art.

The weather here on campus has been very warm. Yesterday was a beautiful 70-some degrees! A couple of my fraternity brothers started a baseball game out on the grassy lawn, a welcome break from studying for many.

Another great thing about finals, is the never ending supply of snacks. Here in the library we have had free soda, coffee, hot cocoa, tea and snacks donated. Also, SGA, at ransom intervals throughout the day, puts out full size candy bars for those lucky enough to find them.

I really need to begin packing for my trip back to Kansas Friday, but我有一个中文考试 I must study for. Also, tomorrow my business partner and I have to travel to Flagstaff to meet with the small business incubator who has picked up our fledgling company. It seems to come from all angles at finals time, but the awesome feeling at the end is worth it.

Me in the back seat of the Cessna 172S single engine aircraft flying over the Granite Dells of Prescott.

The type of aircraft I flew in with Granite Mountain in the background.

One of the unique advantages of attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is the ability to do free observer flights in small aircraft. Although I am almost half-way through my fourth year at this university, I had never taken advantage of this opportunity. After mentioning this to my friends, I was surprised to find out how few of my fellow non-flight student friends had actually taken an observer flight.

Since I was staying on campus for Thanksgiving, and I had a day off (a rare occurrence for seniors studying engineering), I decided to give the observer flight a shot.

I arrived at the flightline at 9 a.m. on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the time recommended by the dispatcher on duty. Due to the low amount of traffic on the holiday weekend, I waited until 10:45 a.m. when an instructor and student agreed to allow me to fly with them.

The flight I observed was a one hour private pilot training flight with student Stan Westerman and instructor Lorne Trapani in a single-engine Cessna 172S.

Before my observer flight, the smallest aircraft I had flown in was a regional airliner. I’d heard several things about the difference between commercial flights I’d taken and what to expect from a small aircraft. I’d heard that I was going to be crushed in the back seat and that a commercial flight with turbulence was going to be nothing compared to what I’d experience in a single-engine aircraft.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that in my experience, neither of those cases were true. There was plenty of leg room and I found the level of turbulence about equivalent to a commercial flight. The flight in general was very enjoyable.

After a quick passenger briefing, I buckled my seat belt and eagerly awaited take-off. The instructor and student pilot adjusted the flaps and discussed cross wind as they prepared for the flight. As I sat in the back of the plane, I couldn’t help but think that it didn’t feel very different from sitting in an idling car.

The plane left the runway into a cloudless blue sky. Just after take-off we were flying over the university with beautiful views of the Granite Dells and Granite Mountain. We then banked to fly over Glassford Hill and approached Mingus Mountain. Our horizon quickly became the red rocks of Sedona and the snow-covered peaks of Flagstaff as we flew over Mingus Mountain.

I wasn’t really ready when the plane touched back down; the flight could have lasted another hour. The vistas were well worth the wait.

A View of Campus from the air.

The Granite Dells and Willow Creek across from campus

Glassford Hill between Prescott and Prescott Valley

Granite Mountain from just after take off.

In the foreground you can see Mingus Mountain. Behind that, you can see the red rocks of Sedona. In the distance you can see the white-capped mountain of Flagstaff.

Finals are approaching… duh dum…. duh dum….duh dum…. (that’s the Jaws theme song, if you couldn’t tell).  My finals are gonna be crazy this semester.  I started studying way early (on Monday) so I’d know that I was prepared.  On Tuesday, I attented Dr. Trombley’s Film Forum (which we get participation points for in class).  The Film Forum topic this semester was Future Orders: Science Fiction Envisions Future Societies.  The films we watched looked at the ways that the medium of film has envisioned the future.  We looked at themes like utopia, dystonia, and the nature of humanity through Science Fiction.  This semester we watched “The Day The Earth Stood Still” (the one from 1951), “Gattaca”, “District 9”, and on Tuesday we watched “Serenity”.  It really is interesting thinking about governments and how the world will be effected by the choices our government makes today.  I thought “Serenity” was a great movie and it really got me thinking.  Next semester the Film Forum is going to be on Espionage and Moral Decisions.  I’m so excited!

Speaking of next semester, I am going to have a blast.  I have Personality and Profiling with Dr. Bloom, Chinese 2 with Yang Laoshi, (in Chinese, you call your teacher “Their-Last-Name Teacher”… Yang Laoshi!), US Foreign Policy with Dr. Tromley, Forensics with Dr. Baker, and Chinese Regional Studies also with Yang Laoshi.  It’s gonna be great.  But first… CHRISTMAS VACATION!  There’s only roughly a week and a half left of school!  This semester seriously flew by.  Not kidding.  Well, good luck with finals everyone!

“Go as far as you can see.  When you get there, you can see further.”

– Thomas Carlyle

What’s the first thing you think about right after you graduate high school: “What should I do now”? Hopefully you think about this question before you graduate because it makes it a lot easier, and even then the road can be challenging because you may change your mind. That is where I am at now. I knew I wanted to come to Embry-Riddle and I knew I wanted to fly, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with the rest of my life after college. When I sat down and weighed my options, I realized I didn’t want a piloting career; I just want to be a pilot for private use. So, my next decision was what degree would benefit me and would I enjoy it. I decided to go into the Aviation Business Administration degree program, but as I am taking a few more business classes this term I know that entrepreneurship is also not the career path I want to get in to. So, I recently switched to Global Security and Intelligence and it feels right! I am going to minor in Business (since I already have credits for it), psychology, and Asian Studies. I have always enjoyed psychology and forensics, so this degree program seems to fit my personality perfectly. I also love to learn new languages and it’s required to take a language in the Global Security and Intelligence degree program. I decided that I am taking Mandarin Chinese, but I am learning Arabic on my own, along with brushing up on my French (from high school), and learning some Spanish. I finally feel very excited about my upcoming classes and I know I will enjoy my future.

If you are not sure what degree program you want to get in to, don’t worry because you are not alone! Many people have no idea, even after they graduate college, they decide to go back and get a different degree. I would recommend just thinking about what makes you happy. What are your favorite subjects? Is there anything you are really good at? Would that be something you want to do for the rest of your life? I know we all think about salary, but how could you stand working 40+ hours every week at a job you dislike? I, personally, think working even more hours for a job you love to do with less pay is still better. I would rather wake up every morning happy for work, wouldn’t you?

One of the other big differences between Houston and Prescott is the humidity.  Houston is very humid, causing the heat index to soar in the summer.  Prescott, on the other had is much dryer.

The first experience that I had with a dry environment was when my family took a road trip vacation in the west. We drove from Houston to Los Angeles and stopped to see many sights in-between.  It was the summer and uncomfortably hot, but a most peculiar thing was happening.  As we looked out at the Petrified Forest of northern Arizona, our sweat actually started to evaporate.

“It may be hot, but at least it’s a dry heat,” my Dad told my family. We bought him a t-shirt with skeletons laying in the desert and the saying “But, it’s a dry heat.”

Prescott is considered to be high desert which results in an interesting mix of desert areas and forested areas, where the climate transitions from a Phoenix-like desert and the forests of Flagstaff.  Prescott is just about right in the center of the state of Arizona and just about halfway between Phoenix and Flagstaff, giving it an interesting mix of landscapes.

Living somewhere without humidity meant changing a few of my daily habits.  I fully anticipate that I will lose any male readers in the next couple paragraphs.

When I lived in Houston I never really needed Chap Stick or lotion.  If I used them, it was to make lips look glossy or because it smelled good.  When I moved to Prescott, my lips were almost instantly chapped and my skin got dry for the first time in my life.  During the winter of my freshman year, my skin got so dry that it began to crack and bleed.  “What on earth is going on?” I thought to myself.  Since then, I’ve learned to carry Chap Stick and lotion with me all the time.

The dry weather isn’t all bad though.  I could never get my curly hair to settle down in the humidity of Houston.  Most days I would just tie my hair back in a pony tail. In the dry weather of Prescott, every day is a good hair day. Even on windy days, my hair still looks great – it just has better volume.  When I tried to straighten my hair in Houston, it would be wavy again by the time I got to school.

I went through a phase sophomore year where I straightened my hair every day and it actually stayed straight all day.   The only downside is that I have to switch shampoos every time I go between Texas and Prescott.  Moisturizing shampoos for dry hair in Arizona and volumizing shampoos for normal hair in Texas.

I look at the climate difference as something to learn from.  I could have gone to Daytona Beach where the climate is very similar to home, but I came here because the climate is so different, and somewhat because snow is quite a novelty to me.  The season confusion is definitely something I can cope with as I learn to appreciate the experience that the different climate has to offer.