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!

Semester Finale

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Cherie

This is the last week of the semester and it has been crazy! Last homework assignments are due, projects are due, and presentations are due too! Thankfully, we have all been keeping our heads above the water and getting everything done.

I am looking forward to the close of the semester! To stay motivated it helps to think about what I have planned for the summer months.

I will be making money and hanging out. I plan on doing tons of crafts, going hiking, working out, and learning how to make healthy meals on a budget 🙂 What are your plans for summer??

If you are a potential freshman with no summer plans then come on by and check us out! It will be a fun way to break up your summer 🙂

Tutoring During Finals

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Cherie

Need help during Finals week? Tutoring is still available by appointment! Check out the control tower for your tutor’s contact information and schedule a study session. When you check control tower for the list of tutors, feel free to contact more than one that way you have more scheduling options.

If no one is available then contact a professor. They are always more than willing to help out in finals prep. They are paid to help you learn and they are often better sources of information for those tough questions.

Good luck studying for finals everyone, we are almost done!!! Finish it up strong!!!

Final Two weeks of the Spring Semester!

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Cherie

It is here, the final two weeks of the semester. Long awaited but, equally dreaded. I have two projects due on the 20th and so far they are going well. In my Structures II course myself and another student are working on the analysis of an F 16 C wing. The analysis includes lift distribution, shear, moment, torque, shear flow, stress distribution, panel buckling, ANSYS modeling, and finally a write up including the history of the aircraft. It seems like a lot but after two courses in structures it is actually pretty simply, we have had plenty of practice in each topic over the last year so it is coming along well.

The other project that I am working on with a team of 4 other students is in Experimental Aerodynamics.Basically we suspended a wire in front of the leading edge of a highly cambered wing and tested it at different angles of attack of the wire and of the airfoil. The testing was also completed at different distances of the wire from the leading edge. Overall, the results proved favorable as the maximum lift coefficient and angle at which stall was predicted to occur increased in both test cases.

To get the required data we had to rapid 3D print the airfoil, sand it, and adjust it for comparability with the balance that it was mounted to. We underwent 12 hours of testing to achieve our results and now we are working on the report. The report is in AIAA format and is so far incomplete but, I am hoping I can get it all wrapped up next week so it can be edited.

If you are interested in more information on coursework and the projects that you can be involved in please feel free to ask us! Thanks for reading everyone 🙂

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!

Midterm Time Tools

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Cherie

Our second round of midterms begin this Friday!! After that there are only 28 days left before finals!!!! It is now down to that nerve wracking part of the semester when projects, presentations, final home works, and lab reports are due. It is simply amazing how fast yet another semester has gone but, as midterms approach the nerves never really go away.

If your a nervous test taker you know what I’m talking about, the sinking feeling in your stomach, the sweaty palms, and the panicked feeling as you search your brain for tiny details. It does get easier with time and practice but, there is always that initial feeling when you pick up that pencil and start staring down the midterm that will determine how hard you need to study for the final. For some reason midterms in college seem so much harder although they really shouldn’t, I mean you have done them all your life right?

Well, yes but, it can still be very difficult. So for our potential new freshman and current students who have some serious test nerves here are a few tricks that may help you out!

1. Take a deep breath and let it out!

2. Do not drink highly caffeinated drinks the day before your exam and within the hour before you take it. This will kill the jittery feeling in your stomach. Instead drink a lot of water the day before.

3. Get a good night of sleep, if possible have a regular sleep schedule for yourself.

4. Study in the gym, hop on a tread mill and put in those headphones while reading your notes. You burn off excess energy and stress which helps you focus!

5. Make your “cheat sheet” early and review it often.

6. Eat a well rounded dinner the night before and breakfast the day of to fuel your brain.

Finally, just relax, you know your stuff!! You are going to do great 🙂 Try this strategy out and if it works for you then do it again during finals, over time test anxiety goes away but, you have to put in the effort to make it so!

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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