The Hardest Goodbyes

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Chelsea

Along with graduation, there will come many unwanted and unavoidable goodbyes.

The first will be that one professor. That one professor that has gone out of his or her way to help you too many times to count. That professor that you wouldn’t dare skipping their class because you respect them too much. You have no way of thanking them or telling them how much you appreciated their efforts to assist you through your undergrad. You look up to them, you’ll miss them.

Second will be your squad. Yes, your squad. You know, that group of people that you met freshman year that have seen you at your worst and best. The group of people that know waaaay too much about each other. You can go to them for literally anything. This might arguably be the hardest goodbye. No longer will you be neighbors, a walk away, and there is no way you could ever explain to someone how close you all became.

Third, the best friend. The person who you could never thank enough for putting up with you and your weird tendencies. You admire this person and you’ve spent the better part of your undergrad laughing at whatever life throws at you by their side. Their family is just an extension of your own. When its time to say goodbye, it’ll hard to imagine life without them their to embarrass you…all the time.

And lastly, Prescott and your old self. Time to move on to bigger and better things. Time for a new adventure. You’ve ultimately grown into yourself in this town and whether you want to admit it or not, you love it and saying goodbye won’t be easy.

Still can’t believe how fast four years went by! I consider myself lucky that I have such hard goodbyes to make. ERAU has truly become a home for me and I know we will meet again.

Blue Eagles Skydiving Team!

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Chelsea

ERAU has tons of clubs to join, as seen in Colton’s Vlog awhile ago, but one of the cooler ones (in my opinion) is our skydiving team. Now let me start off by saying I have never skydived, nor do I have the desire to. BUT I am a little biased because my best friend and roommate, Jen, is a part of the team as their outreach chair. Blue Eagles Skydiving team aims to make skydiving accessible and affordable to all students, alumni, and faculty at here at ERAU and they are successful in doing so!

Jen was able to receive her A license from Skydive Phoenix, located in Maricopa, AZ, in just a few months! jen a license Other members on the team are aiming to do the same. The team consists of first timers, experienced divers, and professors. They make trips down to the drop zone together and even have done some vertical wind tunnel training.

This team is such a hit at ERAU because you get both the flying and adrenaline aspects which appeal to most of the students here. As a diver, you start out by doing tandems with a qualified instructor. After that you are free to jump alongside said instructor. Once you get your A license (25 jumps), that allows you to jump at any drop zone! If you are an incoming student and interested in joining, go ahead and like their Facebook page. They have a lot more videos and pictures that I haven’t included that I’m sure will get you hooked. I can’t stress this enough, joining clubs or teams is the best thing you can do here! You can meet tons of people that have the same interests as you. Look for dates for the Activity Fair at the beginning of every semester!

ERAU Health Center

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Adam

For those current students or future students who might be in need of a quick visit with a nurse be sure you check out the Health Center on campus. Just recently I came down with a cold and needed a quick diagnosis to be sure I was taking the proper medication. So I decided to give you the low down on what to do when you get sick away from home.

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First off, if you don’t already know, at the beginning of each year you will be asked if you want to opt-out of the school’s medical coverage. If you already have an insurance plan then just go ahead and opt-out otherwise they will charge you for it.

When you happen to get sick/injured be sure you check out the health center. If it’s no big deal and you only need some Dayquil or Advil to get through it they will give you some. You can also schedule appointments with them. If it is a more serious issue they will be able to direct you the next step in taking care of your problem.

It is important to note that while they may direct you to a physical therapist or any other sort of specialized doctor, it is a great idea to check out a professional doctor outside of school. This may seem like an extra step but it can save you money in the long run because going straight to a specialist will cost you more with or without the proper insurance.

From my experience it has made my life much less stressful being able to see the nurse on campus. Because it is quick, easy and doesn’t take much effort or time away from your studies, it is a great tool to utilize. Plus the staff at Embry-RIddle is outstanding, they always do a great job when I’ve had the blues. Be sure to take note that they do more then just prescribe medication: Check out the link below to see they’re wide range of services.

http://prescott.erau.edu/about/health/

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned.

Graduating HS Senior To Do List

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Chelsea

Is your high school graduation quickly approaching? Are you nervous that you are going to forget something before you go off to college? Here is a short checklist that I compiled to help you out.

Get all your paper work done for Embry-Riddle early: Whether it is submitting your final transcripts, making sure your financial aid is sorted out, completing health forms, get it done!
Take control of your courses: First year courses can be a pain, but there are usually more than one of the lower level classes. Look them up! One may be be less painful than the other for you.
Talk to your roommate: Get to know your roommate beforehand, even if its just a Facebook message. Sort out who is bringing what, because next thing you know you have four coffee pots and no room for them.
Hug people: Chances are you didn’t get to where you are on your own, thank the people that got you there, friends, family, your favorite teacher.
Try doing “adult-y” things: Make sure you know how to do your laundry, wake up on your own, make a budget, start eating healthy now! There is nothing worse than being the freshman who isn’t prepared!
Appreciate where you’re coming from: In just a few months, the place you called home will no longer be a daily occurrence. Appreciate the views, the smells, the experiences you’ve had.

Make your own checklist and make sure you don’t forget anything! There are several Facebook groups, admissions counselors, and current students that are here to help. Ask questions if you need!

Preview Day is here!

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Cherie

If you happen to be visiting Embry-Riddle in Prescott this weekend for preview day feel free to grab a student you see wandering around campus and say hello!! The majority of students are very friendly (they won’t bite!) and all of them are willing to share their experiences with potential students.

Preview Day is a very exciting day for all of us here to meet our future potential freshman and recruit them into activities or organizations that they might enjoy. Each of our campus organizations are like a smaller family in a large community of students. We all get along well and support the other organizations by going to their events and fundraisers. Many campus organizations also do community service events. So if any of our new freshman are interested in gaining a family away from home and giving back to the community at the same time then please stop by the organization booths that will be set up on preview day 🙂 We would all love to meet you and help you find the perfect fit here at Riddle.

Preview Day is also a good day to check out our academic buildings on campus and meet some of the professors that you will be learning from in the future. Preview Day is all about YOU!!! College is one of the biggest growing/learning experiences you will have in your life so please come prepared with questions for our faculty, staff, and students. We would love to take part in your college decision and hopefully, make Embry Riddle the right place for you 🙂

Spring Break Recap

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Chelsea

Ah, the infamous college spring break. One of the most anticipated breaks of the year. Gather an easy-going group of people, jump in a car, and hit the road.

If you’re a baseball fan, man are you in luck. And even if you aren’t, Phoenix is the hub for spring training and it is pretty awesome. You can go to endless games for a decent price at any of the teams’ stadiums. My friends and I snagged tickets for an Oakland A’s/Anaheim Angels game. Nothing was better than Arizona heat, laying in the lawn, and watching America’s favorite past time.

After Phoenix, we drove back to Prescott for a day or so. But the weather was perfect and I was able to hike Granite Mountain, which is one of the things I will miss the most when I leave this place. Just look at this view.

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I am fortunate enough to have pretty much the most laid back group of friends in existence so we kind of just packed up, and drove to Malibu and camped on the beach at Point Mugu. It was too rad. We were swimming with seals and dolphins just past the wave break. For me, nothing is better than a campfire, roasting marshmallows, card games, the sound of waves, and of course that night sky.

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Next up was Santa Barbara. We hiked through some mountains that had more variety of vegetation than any mountain I have ever seen. At the top, it over looked the city of Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands. The next few days, we were just living the beach bum life off the harbor and ate enough fish to last us a year.

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Finally, we were in Tucson getting even more sun! Don’t ask how it happened, I told you we were spontaneous.

The best part, getting back to Prescott and realizing the school year is almost over! Final stretch. Overall a very fulfilling senior year spring break. Hope yours was equally as great!

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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.

College Decisions!

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Mike

Hello all!

Being a senior about to graduate, I feel I can look back and reflect on my decision to come here. Furthermore, I hope to share this decision with you to help better make yours.

As I have said in the past, I have always wanted to fly as long as I can remember. In 8th Grade, Google was becoming the big thing, and I searched “Number One Flight School in America.” Among the top search hits was Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. I had never heard of this school, however they kept putting quotes on their website saying, “Most advanced flying fleet”, and “A quarter of all Airline Pilots studied at Embry Riddle.” It was these types of statements that had me interested in the school in general. Like I have told you before, I am from Syracuse, NY and the Daytona Beach Campus is much closer than the Prescott, AZ campus. However, I decided to check out the Prescott Campus for two reasons. First, I have family in the Phoenix area and wanted to be closer to them. Second, because of flying, I looked for the diversity in high altitude operations that Prescott has to offer.

In 10th grade I flew out to Arizona and toured the school. As soon as I stood on the campus I was convinced this was where I wanted to study. The mountains, the campus, the smaller town feeling, I knew this was a place where I could be successful. The tour guides where more than helpful, and my Admissions Counselor Bryan Doughtery (Now Dean of Enrollment Management) also showed me every option I had at Embry Riddle. With that knowledge in hand, I applied in 11th grade and got an early acceptance.

One last choice I made was to attend Accepted Student Preview Day before coming in the fall. Preview Day is essentially a tour on steroids. All the labs, all the professors, all the facilities are open to only the accepted students to give you more of an idea of what being a student here is all about. You can get your student ID card, and make your schedule even. It was exciting to get into the mind set of attending college. This year’s Accepted Student Preview Day is March 28th, 2015 hope you can attend! For me though, after August of 2011 the rest is history and I am very happy with everything that I have accomplished here.

Finally, I will provide you some suggestions to better put your mind at ease about choosing this school. Firstly, ask yourself is this really what you want to do? If yes, then Embry-Riddle will provide the tools to make that dream a reality. Secondly, are you willing to put forth the effort during the good times and the bad? Honestly, it is not all a picnic getting a college degree at any school, and you need to have the vision to get to where you want to go, no matter what. Finally, I suggest you visit multiple schools. If I could change anything about my college making process, it is that I did not visit any school other than Embry-Riddle. That said, at the end of the day, ERAU is the best at what they do and that was what I wanted.

Overall four years later, I am very happy with my decision to come to this school. I will always recommend it to anyone interested in the programs Embry-Riddle has to offer.

I wish the best for you on your journey of making what is the biggest decision of your lift so far. A blog on my Spring Break in the Caribbean to come soon! Take care!

From ERAU to OSU for Graduate School in Medical Physics

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Chelsea

I am so incredibly ecstatic to announce that you are looking at the newest member of the joint Medical Physics program between Oregon State University and Oregon Health and Science University. Upon graduation in May, I will be moving to Portland, OR to start my graduate school career that ERAU has so greatly prepared me for!

It is not uncommon for students in physics to continue their education after earning their bachelors degree. My professors were a huge help in this process by giving me advice, writing me letters of recommendation, and telling me about their experiences in graduate school.

Embry-Riddle offers a select few Master’s degrees and PhD programs which can be explored here, http://prescott.erau.edu/degrees/index.html. I apologize for the short post, I just wanted to share my excitement!!

Choosing the Right University for You

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Adam

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!