Tag Archives: Embry-Riddle

A Much-Needed Break

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This semester has been very hectic and busy, but it has been a lot of fun. I have come to realize that changing my major to Global Security and Intelligence has been the best choice I have made! I enjoy all my classes. I especially enjoy going to my Monday, Wednesday, Friday classes- U.S. Foreign Policy and Social Psychology. I have been learning a lot in my Foreign Policy class about how history has shaped our policies overtime. It is very fascinating and Dr. Trombley makes the class energetic and fun. In psychology, we are performing social experiments. My group did an experiment on conformity where we used a generalized horoscope (printed 12 of them out and put the different horoscope signs on the top of each) and handed them out to students and staff members. We asked how much the profile pertained to them from a scale of 1 to 5. It was very interesting to see how many people felt that their horoscope was completely dead on! More students gave higher ratings than adults, proving that students are more conforming. They are taking the generalized statements and molding them into their own beliefs. It was a lot of fun.

Although I am having a lot of fun at school, I am very thankful and excited for Spring Break! I will be going to California to see my family. I’ll be going to Six Flags, Disneyland, and to San Diego for the beautiful temple and beach over there. It should be a great week. I am going with Jeff, my boyfriend. We have to come back Thursday night though, in order to finish all our assignments and projects before that upcoming Monday. It will be a great time though, and I am just so great that Embry Riddle gives us some time off. The classes are fun and the teachers are informative, but if I learn any more this week or if I have to do another exam or homework assignment, I think my head may explode!

I am also excited for next semester because I have my new schedule! I will be taking Intelligence writing and Intelligence studies, Studies of Middle Eastern Cultures, Environmental Economics, and Arabic I. I am extremely excited to  take the economics class! Dr. Carreras has his Doctorate in Environmental Economics, so this class should be extra fun and informative. I also cannot wait to start a new language! I almost chose Chinese, but I realized that more countries recognize Arabic. I will let you guys know how Arabic goes. Dr. Jones says there will be a new professor, so I will see if that ends up being a good or bad thing. I hope everyone has a safe and great vacation this week. (Or whenever your spring break is) Just remember to relax over your break, so you won’t be too overwhelmed coming back. :]

Helping the community

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One reason why I joined Greek Life, specifically Sigma Chi, was beacuse of the service to the community they serve. Just today we got to work with the Prescott Creek Society to help clean up a wildlife refuge that used to be an illegal dumping site. I thought that we were just going to pick up trash like wrappers and trash bags and things like that but man were we in for a shock. As soon as we get there I see a bunch of shovels out there for us. As the President of the Prescott Creek Societyexplained to us what we had to do, our enthusiasm grew. We were told that we could find anything under the soil. Doors, water heaters, tires, and big junk was some of the things that they had previously found.

We started walking and in the first 2 minutes, we spotted what looked like a bumper sticking out of the sand. We thought it was just a bumper so three of us began to dig. As we dig an dig, turns out half of a car was burried under there. Took us a good hours to dig and move the entire thing into the trailer (I’m working on getting pictures so once I get them, I will post them). In the end, we found (other than the car), a couple of water heaters, a stove, sheet metal, barrels, tires, and a really big piece of metal. I swear I think that we moved a ton, and I mean a ton of stuff. I’m really happy for what we did, and thanks to Sigma Chi and ERAU, I can also give back to the community.

LA for the weekend!

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So I decided to go to LA as a last minute trip for the weekend. My friend had an interview over there and asked me to go with her so I was like, it’s only 6 hours awy from ERAU, why not? One of the best impulse thing I’ve ever done. Got the see the stars on Hollywood Boulevard, the Disney Concert Hall, eat at a Colombian restaurant, all while spending some quality time with a great friend. It was a really fast trip making it back at 2:00am on Sunday morning however, it was great. On the drive back I got to see some really cool wind turbines. Had no idea CA had so many of them. Overall, it was a fun trip.

That’s one the that I like a lot about ERAU Prescott. Location, Location, Location. Prescott and Embry-Riddle are only 1.5 hours away from Phoenix and Flagstaff, 3 hours from the Grand Canyon, 4 from Las Vegas, and 8 from L.A. We are in a spot that we can reach many fun cities within a day. That’s one reason why I chose ERAU Prescott. Sure I can also do that in FL, but I can’t go from a desert, to mountains, to a beach in one day like I can in Prescott. As a senior, I recommend to look at those sorts of things when picking the right school for you. That’s how I chose ERAU Prescott, because it was the best places to suit me.

2011: Already one of my best years!

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This semester has been a blast, so far! Not only do I enjoy my classes, professors, and fellow classmates, I am spending quality time with friends and loved ones during my free time. Even though, I am given homework and books to read, I am learning to prioritize my time and I am also learning to appreciate the reading material and assignments. You are probably wondering how one can actually try to “enjoy” homework, but once you look at it in a different perspective, it is quite simple.

For example, in social psychology we had to conduct an experiment which would analyze human behaviors and beliefs on certain topics. I chose happiness. I researched other experiments and found out that happiness could easily be created within one’s attitude and thoughts. A new, favorite quote of mine is from Shakespeare, “Nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so”. As I pondered on this statement, I realized the truth behind it. Once an event happens, we can either see the good side or the bad side of it. And if we cannot change what is happening, why not look at the good side? That is what I am trying to do with my classes and homework assignments.

These classes are necessary to enhance my education, the assignments are there to aide me in the class; why not embrace what I am given and learn all that I can? I am paying good money for a desired education, instead of complaining and/or stressing about the work load, I should appreciate the opportunity I am given. Not everyone has the ability to further their education, so I should take full advantage of it and enjoy all the experiences and knowledge I gain along the way.

In other news, I was introduced to an awesome group on campus. They are called Eagle Eye Intel. The students in this club research current events and post them into our campus newspaper. Eagle Eye Intel also has its own website and posts the same articles up there as well. It consists of a group of highly-intellectual students, who are not only well-educated on daily news, but also a lot of fun to hang around and to discuss politics with. I feel that this club will be an advantage to anyone if they enjoy reading, learning, and writing about the daily news. It will also be a huge asset to have on your resume once you are finished at Embry Riddle. I encourage any GSIS student who enjoys writing to look into this fun club. 

Now get out there with a positive attitude, and take full advantage of your educational opportunities which Embry Riddle supplies to you!

Solo Flights!

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Within the Private Pilot course here at Embry-Riddle, you get to do 4 solo flights: your first solo, practice area solo, pattern solo, and a long cross-country solo! On January 20th and 22nd, I had my second and third solo flights!

On my practice area solo flight, I went out and honestly had some fun, while maintaining safety and professionalism. The pressure was on. First obstacle to overcome was pre-flight. I started to preflight around 6:00 am when the sun was just starting to rise and it was about 28 degrees out. Most of the plane had ice on it, requiring me to get de-iced. I took the windscreen cover off the plane, continued and finished pre-flighting. However, it was cold enough that ice built up on the windscreen. I sprayed it off, got in the plane, and taxied to the de-icing station.

In the practice area, I did all the maneuvers (slow flight, power on/off stalls, steep turns, and turns around a point) as well as flying around and enjoying flying solo! I finished the day with 1 landing and 1.1 hours!

Two days later, I came back for another solo, this time around the traffic pattern.

My plane of the day: Riddle 49.

This was one interesting solo! After take-off, tower instructed me to “fly runway heading,” meaning keep flying the runway heading until they tell you to turn. I overflew campus, a spot where they normally tell you to turn, but I received no approval. I restated that I was on “extended upwind,” then they approved my turn. I thought they had forgotten about me! Then, on the downwind leg of the pattern, they told me to follow traffic ahead. Then, they would tell me to turn my base leg. However, I just about reached the edge of the airspace, when at the last minute they told me to turn! Needless to say it was an interesting and fun solo flight! Here are some pictures I took!

Before Take-off checklist, to the line part

The Prescott Airport

The ERAU Flightline

ERAU Campus

Transitioning back to school

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As a freshman, my winter break was a new experience. With no AP homework to do, I spent most of break hanging out with friends and family. Something about not having to wake up for class makes me feel good.

The best part of break, in my opinion, was being able to spend time with my family. On my second to last day, we went over the the Encounter restaurant at LAX.

Delicious food with a view that started to get me back in the mindset of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. On the 10th, I flew back and when I got back, I dropped my bags off and then went to get supplies.

Today, I got the textbooks for my new classes which can only mean that classes start tomorrow! I am getting back into the routine of things and starting to get ready for flight. However, I have realized that it is good to review flight notes and checklists. I will admit that over break, I became a little rusty.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is very professional in flight, meaning that you should be ready and prepared for all activities. Therefore, I am studying and reviewing a lot of my flight notes to make sure I am good for my activity tomorrow.

I am excited for the new semester and I look forward to my new professors! Now that I have a semester under my belt, I can make this semester at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University even better!

Stop and Smell the Roses

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All of us are guilty of getting too busy in our lives, we seem to lose precious time meant for our family, friends, and loved ones. One thing I have learned this year at college is to try to put aside some time each week to stop my busy life and enjoy the smaller things I have been given. Some use the phrase, “stop and smell the roses,” meaning to take in all the beauty around us and spend some time being thankful for the little things in life.

I know it feels as if we never have time; especially with school, work, homework, and studying. Stress comes easy to many of us, which is why we should set aside some time for ourselves. And never feel guilty for doing so, you are allowed to relax and enjoy all the things you have accomplished thus far.

My personal favorites are to watch a funny movie/TV show, call up a close family member or friend, or to spend extra time on my appearance for the day- it makes me feel special. I also cherish every holiday break we are given. Although I do work at the university and tend to get busy with my work, I always put at least a week aside to go see my family in California.

Over the Christmas break, I drove to California and spent quality time with my family and a handful of my close friends. I felt like I did not have enough time to see all my friends, but the time I was given was much appreciated and wisely spent. I had a great time sharing memories and laughs with my loved ones. It was a break much needed and even though it was hard to leave them, I am happy to be back home and back into my own responsibilities.

I think when we put time aside to appreciate life more, living our normal day-to-day life feels easier because we start to realize how lucky we are to be loved and how generous life can be to us. Yes, we all go through rough patches, but without hard times we would never be able to truly know when a great opportunity falls into our laps. We would not be grateful for all the good times we are given.

So next time you are feeling stressed, I suggest you take a big deep breath in and remember all the things you are grateful for as you slowly breath out. It’s a quick and efficient way to feel better on the spot. The other quick remedy is to laugh. Laughter is medicine for the stressed and sorrowful. 🙂

Introduction to me and my first semester of college!

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Hello! My name is Jason Kopczynski and I am currently a freshman here at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

I am an Aeronautical Science major and I love every bit that this major gives me! Unless you don’t like flying, what is better than being able to fly multiple times a week? Nothing makes the week better than a good flight. As the semester is coming to a close and I am studying for finals, I am going to recap the semester, in terms of my classes.

First Introduction to Careers in Aviation. Not really what it sounds like in the title, this class was more of a freshman transition from high school to college. It was really helpful and my professor was awesome! He always started class with an interesting or cool video on planes or aviation; including this funny one about a JFK ground controller having a rough day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUWyR9rTI9E.

Next, COM 122; my English class challenged me to become a better writer and changed the way I write, which was different from how I wrote in high school.

After English was Calculus. My professor made this class easy to understand and really (literally) made math fun!

Second to last is Private Pilot Ground School. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has the best professors out of any college, as evidenced by having Flight Instructors teach ground school. My professor/instructor for ground school made the class way better by adding personal stories about his flight experiences, including his closest encounter to death while flying (made for a real interesting story, creepy, but now I know what to do if one flap breaks on final!) He always seemed to have something fail or go wrong when he was flying, but always used his training to make a safe landing.

Lastly, there is my flight course (actual flight training at the flight line). My Instructor and I got along real well (good thing) which made learning things a bit easier and non-stressful. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, again, has some of the best flight instructors (former ERAU students) and I got one of them!

In conclusion, my first semester of college has been one of the greatest experiences of my student career ever!