Top Secret ERAU Secret You Must Take Advantage Of!

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Adam

If you happen to be a Riddle student then there is about a 50/50 chance that you know something that many others don’t. Curious to know what I am talking about? Embry-Riddle started as flight school in 1925 and the training great pilots continues to be a strong degree program. But, not only is ERAU a top flight school, it is a major contributor of graduates to the Engineering, Business, and the Global Security & Intelligence industries.

Why is being a non-flight student at a University with a flight program COOL? I can almost guarantee that any non-flight student knows at least one pilot. And, any student that is a pilot knows that you can include one of your friends on a ride-along during an instruction. You may think, oh well that’s not a big deal, but it is! To share the experience of flying with your friends is awesome!

Just last weekend I went on a ride along and took a couple pictures from the back seat. For someone who has only flown in the large 747 plane it was a hell of an experience. It was a great way to start off spring break and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

The view in one of our practice areas.

So if you are a student at ERAU then ask your flight friends about it, and if you are an incoming freshmen then be sure to make friends with a pilot! And don’t worry about safety, the instructors at Riddle are pretty incredible. So be sure to take advantage of this experience that most of your friends at state universities won’t ever have.

Thanks for reading, stay tuned.

F… is For Friends Who do Things Together!

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Adam

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!

The Winter Weather Man

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Adam

Hello readers, if you aren’t currently an Embry-Riddle student then you might be wondering what the weather is like out here in Prescott, AZ. Well lucky for you I will be getting into how the weather is and how it changes mostly in respect to winter. This will be especially helpful for those coming from warm climates like myself.

So ERAU in Prescott definitely gets FOUR seasons! Summer is hot, fall is bipolar, winter is cold and spring is a usually a good mix of warm and cold weather. But you must be wondering how cold it actually gets here… Well last week it reached 37 degrees (F) during the day! That’s crazy!…..I don’t want to scare you so ill lighten it up with some good news, such as this weeks weather. The average for the week turned out to be 56 degrees (F) midday, and 34 degrees at any given time after dark.

So be prepared for the winter! while it is only this cold during the winter it does lighten up in the fall and spring, which are quite pleasant and beautiful. Being able to come out here and experience four seasons its great, there is really nothing like Prescott. For instance below is a photograph taken of Watson Lake after its snowed, which is right around the corner from ERAU. In fact most students that run, tend to run to the lake and back which takes about 30 minutes to get there, its a great trail!

But enough about how cold it gets, the real question is, does it snow at Embry-Riddle and how often? Well for the past 3 years that I have gone to ERAU in Prescott it has snowed on average 10 to 15 days each year. And i would say about three of those days does it actually come down in a storm that makes it hard to drive. So if you drive you could get away without buying chains no problem but I have some anyway. The other thing to know about snow here is that is melts very fast rarely staying on the roads for more than half a day. As soon as the bright Arizona sun hits it, it’s gone. I hope you enjoyed this blog, stay tuned for more!

Here is a link to a website that has a great amount of detail about the weather in Prescott, AZ. http://www.wunderground.com/weather-forecast/US/AZ/Prescott.html

Keeping up With all Your Work

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Adam

For some students it may be easy just to attend class and ace all the exams and for others like myself, this would lead into a down fall with grades. So today I will go into a few personal tips on keeping up with all the course work in order to maintain good grades.

When it comes to engineering courses at Embry-Riddle there is work to do outside of the classroom. Most of the time it will take more then just attending class to pass with good grades. The most significant tool I use to study and keep on track is homework. When you keep up with homework it becomes easier to stay on top of everything. It also helps retain the information for when the exam comes around.

The next step is to be sure you attend class and… pay ATTENTION… it isn’t enough to not skip class but to attention is the key. Sometimes teachers may be less than exciting but the knowledge they hold is essential to the learning process.

The last thing I would say is to take a break when you feel like you need one, even if its barely Tuesday and you’re feeling way too stressed or unfocused to do anything. It’s okay to relax for a bit, in fact, it’s crucial to improving your performance when you’re tired or not focused.

So keep your head in the game and remember why you are doing all this hard work. Stay motivated! Thanks for reading.

The Ragnar Relay

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Adam

Ready to get your race on? I know I am. I am sure everyone has heard of the Tough Mudder by now and if you don’t already know the Ragnar relay race is like it but harder. Be prepared to get pumped!

Ragnar is an overnight running relay race. The Ragnar trail series consists of teams of 8 that complete 120 miles over the course of two days and one night. Yes this means you get to camp out! But camping and running is only half the fun! Not only is this relay race based on a team objective. At the race there will be live music, bonfires, food and it brings together thousands of awesome people each year.

Click on the link to check out the Ragnar page for more information.

https://www.ragnarrelay.com/ragnar

I decided to do the Ragnar trail series in November at McDowell Mountain with a buddy that is in USMC (PLC) Platoon Leaders Class with me. As a student at Embry-Riddle you will meet a lot of great people with some different and some very similar interests. This is a great scenario where you will meet people that will get you excited to reach out and push your limits! Its a great experience! I encourage you to take advantage of opportunities like this. At Embry-Riddle you will find a lot of chances like this arise which is what makes it a great place to attend college.

I will also run with my buddy who is a part of Team RWB (Red White Blue). A Veteran nonprofit organization that helps veterans across the nation in a plethora of ways including coming together and running marathons or exciting events like the Ragnar.

So check it out! Grab a couple friends and hit those trails! I can’t wait to get started next weekend! Ill keep you posted after the run and let you know how it went! Thanks for reading.

Entrepreneurship as Spoken by Dr. Kodimer

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Adam

Entrepreneurship is the process of starting a business or organization. Last week Oct. 7th was IEEE day. And as a member of the student IEEE branch at ERAU I am glad to announce that in celebration Dr. Kodimer at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University gave a speech on entrepreneurship and his professional experience.

Today I will go into a few of the interesting topics he chose to discuss with us which includes goals, marketing, and a few other great discussions.

First and foremost I’d like to start by saying not everyone’s goal is the same, and your goal to be an engineer may change to being an entrepreneur. For many, it may be to own a small company that does good for the community OR, you may want your company to grow as large as Sony, Apple, or Microsoft.

It all depends. Dr. Kodimer stated, ” Remember the prime directive”. No matter what the goal may be, it can be easy to get lost in the ownership of the company and lose track of what may be best to survive.

One of the key things he listed in his speech was what it takes to be an Entrepreneur. Health — a clear mind; Knowledge — in the field of need; Integrity, Courage — higher risks; Compassion — for others on the team; and lastly Marketing! What to say and how plays a large enough roll to severely impact your success. Dr. Kodimer revealed something called a push for market and a pull for market. A push for market is when you design something for a target group that they don’t yet know they need/want. While a pull for market is when a target group needs a solution or item that may or may not exist.

There is much more to discuss so if you have further questions or knowledge that you would like to share please contact me or leave a comment.

Thank you.

olimskia@my.era.edu

Preparing for Finals

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Adam

So the end is near and final exams are approaching, its crunch time. Preparing for finals, is every college kids dread. There are good habits and bad habits that you may develop for studying. I will go over a few tips to avoid the bad habits. And some ways to keep yourself relaxed because the last thing you need to do is be stressed out. Here at Embry-Riddle Prescott campus there is plenty of tutoring available for all subjects personally i appreciate the small class size here.

So the end is near and final exams are approaching quickly. The stress is really hitting and its time to study. Some of the best ways to study are up to you’re personal preference but there are better ways to go abut it then others. All teachers are different so studying by doing practice problems and looking over previous test/quizzes, for classes such as physics and math, are a great way to understand how the teacher would like you to approach the problem. Also understanding the terms or ideas behind formulas is a great way to comprehend such problems.

Classes such as English and history are much different, but again looking over homework, quizzes and tests are great ways to prepare for these tests. If you want an insight on anything, going to tutoring and talking to previous students of a particular class or just talking to the teacher is a great idea. Understanding and comprehending what you are doing in class is the best way to do well on tests especially finals, that leaves less work for you to do in the end.

Using your resources is important to getting insights on a class or a future class, or time management.

Personally loosing motivation will happen, and one of the most important ways to do well in school is by staying motivated. Going out with friends and keeping up with hobbies is a personal favorite. Any way to stay active and healthy will also help. In Prescott, AZ there are plenty of outdoor activities, from intercollegiate sports to camping the movie theater.

The big idea is to get your mind off of school and whatever worries you have on weekends or when you have the time to, i speak this from personal experiences.

As long as you can remember to stay focused when you need to, you can survive.

Thanks for reading, hope it was a help.

Almost The End

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Adam

To those of you who would like to know what freshman year is like at Embry-Riddle Prescott, all summed up in a couple paragraphs, well today is your lucky day. It is almost the end of my freshmen year so i will be writing about, the best parts of getting through it, a few tips, and a few of my experiences.

If you have been keeping up with my blogs, I have already talked about the big move away from home. No body really talks about that part, but it can be tough. The best part about being away from home though in a new environment is the freedom that comes with it. It can be a good thing and help you or it could hurt you if you don’t treat it with respect. From my experiences as being a freshmen getting adjusted, keeping yourself busy helps you learn to manage your time wisely and keeps you on the right track to success. I have seen great success because if it and tragic failures.

The next big thing that can make a difference your freshmen year, is continuing to do things that you enjoy, keeping you hobbies or developing new ones is a great way to relieve stress from the school work. Yes it does get stressful. There are many clubs at campus, Embry-Riddle makes it easy for students to be involved with the campus. We have clubs that range from, Rock Climbing to Dance and even Martial Arts. If you are in ROTC, you will have plenty of options to get involved, the more you get involved the more friends you will make, it is easy to meet new people especially at Embry-Riddle, most people here staff included are very outgoing and very approachable. In fact one of the great things about the staff here is how approachable they are. some teachers even host events such as taking a group of people down to phoenix to watch a baseball or hockey game. its a great way to get to know the professors and hear some of their great stories or projects they are working on.

The first year is tough but some of the best parts about getting through it are the unexpected. You never know whats coming around the corner but that is the best part. You will meet a lot of great new people that have common interests and degrees. You will have great memories and a lot of laughs, but knowing you finished your freshmen year successfully is a great accomplishment and great way to start your career.

In this blog i went over a good way to deal with your free time, and a great way to keep yourself on the right track to success. I gave you a few personal insights, and a good way to get involved on campus.

Thank you for reading, I hope this was informative. If there is anything else you would like to know specifically. Feel free to let me know.

Bataan Memorial March

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Adam

Happy Easter followers. I hope you are enjoying my blog so far, today i am going to talk about my ways to keep yourself busy, how community service is beneficial and mainly experience at the Bataan Memorial Death March this past month.

One of the ways I keep myself busy and on track with school is by getting involved, and challenging myself to new heights, attainable goals that is. Not only does keeping yourself busy help your grades but you will have better experiences and memories. Not just getting involved in the school but the community as well by doing community service. It is proven that a student who has a well balanced schedule will have better grades then a student who does no or little extra activities.

So the last community service act i participated in was the Bataan Memorial Death March, in White Sands, New Mexico. Participating in this event with a few members from the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University AFROTC Detachment.

It wasn’t just any community service though, it was a weekend long experience that i will never forget. The Bataan Memorial Death March is a 26.2 mile hike/run that raises money for the Wounded Warrior Project, it really is an experience seeing different kinds of people from all over the world, not only the states but from 7 plus countries come to support and challenge them selves in this event.

HINT: Community Service looks great on RESUMES. Even if you are in ROTC this (and other Community service) looks good on your part towards the cadre and your peers especially if you need a pilot slot or field training position.

Taking me ten and a half hours to complete with a ruck, I will definitely be back for the next several years to participate, whether you do it alone or with a buddy i would suggest checking it out online.

For more information, visit www.bataanmarch.com

Not only are you receiving community service for events like this and supporting the troops in a big way but getting a great experience. And if you like challenges then this is something yo wont want to miss.

Events like this are also a great way to motivate yourself in life, especially if your a college student and want to take a little break and have a great time while being productive at the same time.

Thank you for reading, i certainly hope you enjoyed this topic. For more information or a specific blog feel free to let me know.