Name:

Class Year : Senior

Major: BS Communication, International Relations Minor

Hometown: Port Orange, Florida

Career Goals: To be a diplomat or travel journalist

December

December 2008

For the past few weeks, I have sat watching the numbers peeled away from the graduation countdown in the UC. I have also found myself avoiding the UC on days when I am feeling nervous about entering the work force during a recession. Or on days when I remember that I am moving back out on my own, this time without monetary help from the parents. Or when I realize that I still haven’t mailed graduation announcements. But, today, I looked and felt a little sentimental. While I have enough countdowns in my life, this is more a count back.

It’s 3 a.m. and I have to get up at 8:00. If my math is correct, that will be 2 China Green Teas from Starbucks and 1 Prop’s chicken and rice to keep me awake. After all, the days are ticking away and I don’t want to miss a thing.

November

November 13, 2008

It is November now and most regions of the country have watched the leaves fall and are now watching the snow. However, this is Florida and I wore my first long sleeve shirt of the season last week. While Florida may not have seasons besides Hot, Really Hot, Afternoon Showers followed by Intense Humidity and Hurricane Season, I have found a more diverse option. For four and a half years, I have been a sister of a sorority and for a Floridian Greek, there are also four seasons: Recruitment, Pledging, Formal and Initiation.

While I like the other seasons because they are pertinent to our chapter’s survival, I am thrilled that right now is formal season. That means everyone will be scrambling to find their old prom gowns, borrow dresses from other sisters or rummage through the sale rack at Dillard’s. I found mine on the $10 rack with a broken zipper and thanked goodness that I actually passed sewing in Home Ec. Formal is kind of a hybrid between being VIP at a club and a high school dance. Think prom minus the stuffy up-dos and goofy dates. Or minus parents taking posed pictures by the fireplace mantle.

Skipping out of Daytona a few weeks ago, a couple of my sisters and I joined the Sigma Chi fraternity for their annual White Rose formal. The formal was held at Ginn Resorts in Orlando, a five-star resort with villa-style homes and a water park for resort guests. We rented out the three bed roomed, fully furnished homes and one of the large ballrooms for the actual dinner. Dinner was an assortment of steak, salmon, veggies and a dark chocolate mousse torte. Then the room erupted in karaoke, revelries and, of course, dancing. Clad in my newly sewn dress (which was a little tight following dinner) and a Σ Χ sweetheart tiara, I managed to put a stiletto hole in the bottom of the crinoline while dancing. Heck, at least the dress was just $10. I can’t say the same for our hotel bill the next day.

The following weekend was my last sorority formal. The sorority alumni were in town and the formal was held at the site of my first sorority semi-formal in 2005. Talk about bringing home the bittersweet memories. The food held no candle to Ginn Resort, but on the tables were our party favors, picture frames with personal pictures. For the evening, I had borrowed my dress from a sister, one worn to the Sigma Chi formal a week earlier. Following my misadventures dancing in my own dress the past weekend, I opted out of ruining someone else’s more expensive gown. Instead, I walked around looking at a half decade of photos with sisters past, present and those to be initiated this upcoming week. After my walk down memory lane, my group left to take a walk in our gowns down Beach Street. We figured Daytona could use a classing up for the evening and spent the remaining evening at a local hotspot, joined by other alumni in for University Alumni Weekend.

During the evening we talked about our initial contacts with the sorority and what our first impressions had been. We had heard the stereotypes, like “Don’t you pay for your friends?” “Did you join just to be popular?” “Aren’t there nightly pillow fights?” While I have yet to partake in a pillow fight in my four years as a sorority sister, I know I have paid a lot of money for social activities and philanthropies with friends and become a fixture on my campus. Then again, being a part of the elite female society alone makes you known on campus with or without the sorority’s help. It was because of that elite female society that I joined. Bluntly, I needed some estrogen in my inner circle. So, I guess those stereotypes are basically correct. But, stereotypes aside, there is something more I love about being Greek. No, we don’t always get along. We are a group of girls after all. But, we do share a secret bond.

This week in our final season, Initiation, and we will have new sisters at the end of it who will be a part of that secret bond. It will be their job to hopefully keep up the seasons and I can sit back and remember my seasoned times. And while it won’t snow outside or stay below 100 degrees during the summer, I can still hope for a pillow fight season.

October

October 20

Sometimes I have a hard time coming up with topics. I have looked at the other bloggers' entries to get ideas, but I never want to write about my week. Unlike them, I am boring. I get up, eat breakfast, go to a couple hours of class, come home, run, eat dinner and do homework. But, my boring life did inspire this entry. Since I spend most of my time on campus, I thought about doing a different type of campus entry. Now, I don't want to talk about my classes because they bore even my teachers. I don't think anyone is interested in what the cafeteria is serving and I certainly don't want to talk about the ever-discussed guy-to-girl ratio. Instead, I thought about how I make my monotonous days interesting. I can't say I am a rebel because I turn in all my homework and have relatively minimal absences. I stay up late studying and wake up early to be to class on time. But, there are times I stray from protocol. And those are the days I am writing about. They are my Nine Guilty Pleasures on Campus:

1. Skipping Class- You are probably thinking, "Wow, I skipped classes in tenth grade. She is just starting now?" Yes, I am. This is college, not high school and I probably should've skipped class back then. But, I am making up for lost time. Hence why I said I have a pretty decent attendance record, not a perfect one. There are some days I find myself sitting in the UC only to realize I had missed a class. No, it doesn't happen very often, nor should it, but when it does I don't beat myself up over it. After all, what will I most likely remember? The days spent with friends or the days spent in class?
2. Chicken and Rice from Props: Even while writing this, I was craving the meal I would pick if I was ending a death row sentence. I will make the inconvenient walk between the UC and Props behind the COA, just to get a to-go box of a moist chicken breast and steaming rice. I pour on some BBQ and by the time I get back to the UC, the chicken has already absorbed the BBQ. Just cut and stir and you have yourself the best meal on campus.
3. Watching shuttles take off: While I do not stop mid-step to watch a Cessna 172 depart (like my fellow classmates), I will go outside for the shuttle launches. True, it is better from Kennedy Space Center, but when they launch between classes, I get a great view. The sky lights up as the shuttle leaves behind a wake of fire streaks, clouds of exhaust and audible roaring. Your heart slightly flutters and you know that you are one in a few who actually knows that SRB does not just stand for Student Representative Board. This is how you truly know you go to Riddle.
4. Library at Lunchtime: How many people do you know who actually go to the library? At ours, everyone congregates on the first floor in the main study room, which is only full during finals week. A few wander into the upper floors, but most wander up for the same reason I do: a quiet nap area. I admit it. I love to take grandma naps during the day. I stay up late and get up early, so about lunchtime, I am ready to collapse. Luckily, there are plenty of spaces available. Just get there early to grab the prime couch positions. And please remember not to snore. This is a library after all.
5. Sipping on Starbucks: Everyone has a comfort food. Mine just happens to be a beverage. After China, I fell in love with black tea and my daily dose of caffeine. But, like the daughter of an English woman, I know tea should come in a teacup, be served with milk, not cream, and additions should not be stirred with a spoon but rather folded into the tea. Unfortunately, a cardboard cup, fake creamer and a wooden stick for stirring is the best I get. But, I make due because etiquette should be left for afternoon tea time, not before my 8 a.m. class.
6. Free coffee in the SGA office: With all those black teas, Starbucks can get expensive and there are only so many combinations of espresso and sugar left on the menu. To qualm my caffeine boredom, I take advantage of the newly acquired coffee machine in the SGA with additional choices ranging from hot chocolate to cappuccino. Best thing, the coffee is FREE and there is no waiting in the 20 minute Starbucks line if you are late for class and need a quick boost. Fake creamer included.
7. Parking in blue spots after hours: Lets face it, the faculty has prime parking space realty and student parking is basically in the next county. That is why, after hours, I love sneaking past the rental cops and parking in the faculty's spots. No, it is not illegal, but if it ever did land me in prison, I already know what my last meal would be.
8. Checking Facebook: Like I said, classes can get boring. However, I really try to schedule my classes that are held in computer-equipped classrooms. There is nothing better during drab lectures than "taking notes" on the monitor while chatting with your classmate about not taking notes. As a communications major, I am predisposed to hourly check the news. News that also includes checking the Facebook "stalker feed" to see who dumped whom, where your best friend is hanging out tonight and if anyone has posted pictures from the political rally yet. Someone has to keep up with the campus news right?
9. Free movies on the lawn during the school days: Since I do spend so much time on campus, it is really convenient when I can mix class work with date night. Every Thursday, Touch-N-Go offers different new releases without the price of a movie ticket. Bring some popcorn or chicken and rice from Props and crash on a blanket on the West Lawn. It is free, so if the movie or the date is terrible, don't feel bad about getting up to join the pickup football game instead.

With graduation coming up, I plan on capitalizing on all the free stuff on campus, foods that are worth their price, shuttle launches that light up my day and friends who make my day worthwhile. Sometimes it is just the little details that make college so memorable.

October 14

In my first blog, I told the new freshman to get out of the dorms and visit Central Florida. For those of you that will come down for a visit, it is important to not only have a tour of campus, but also to visit what Central Florida has to offer. While some will say there is absolutely nothing to do in Daytona Beach, it is just because they have done it already and eventually the sound of racecars, motorcycles and spring breakers does become redundant. I am from Port Orange, about 10 minutes outside of Daytona Beach so I can understand. However, I like to visit a few of the lesser known and well-known attractions. But first, the traditional Daytona attractions.

1. DAYTONA'S NASCAR Raceway: Car racing is what made Daytona Beach famous. After shifting from to the World's Most Famous Beach to the raceway in 1959, Daytona has managed to remain the epicenter of automobile racing. However, unless you come down during a scheduled race, it will be difficult to truly get the racing experience that so many Riddle students get throughout the year. Luckily, Daytona USA can fill that NASCAR desire year round. In the compound connected to the raceway, you can learn to change tires like the pit crews, simulate driving in a race and try to walk up the racetrack's 31 degree embankment. When I went, I couldn't change the tire, finished last in my race and managed to fall up the raceway, quickly learning the word road rash. But, it sure beat sitting in the Grandstands in 100 degree weather next to Bubba and Billy who have not showered since Jeff Gordon was last liked in Daytona (hint: never).


2. Driving on Daytona Beach: To continue your racing adventure, do like past racers and take advantage of an activity unique to Daytona's coast. Though you will have to drive a sluggish 10 mph, it sure beats lugging around your beach necessities. I love lazy beach days, especially those where I literally drive to my spot, open my trunk and worship the sun for the next few hours. You just can't get a lazier beach day.


3. The Museum of Arts and Sciences: Hidden on Nova road, about three minutes from campus, is a little bit of refinement in Daytona at the Museum of Arts and Sciences. The museum houses many permanent cultural exhibits which include African, Cuban and Chinese art. It also has a section devoted to everything Americana and Coca-Cola and an upcoming Barbie exhibit. Take a walk in the 2.5 acre sculpture garden or stroll through the Florida History exhibit. Enjoy the 13-foot tall giant ground sloth fossil or sit back in the planetarium for a presentation of the stars set to the Beatles. It is $10.95 for Riddle students, but it is a small price to pay to beat the heat.


4. Ocean Walk: Whether you want to see the latest movie, eat at Bubba Gump's or see a concert at the Bandshell, Ocean Walk is all-inclusive. One of the most popular hot spots, it is located about 10 minutes from campus. Park in the parking garage across the street and take the walk-over to a dining and viewing treat.


5. Ponce DeLeon Inlet Lighthouse: This is my favorite activity in Volusia County. Drive about 20 minutes down A1A from Ocean Walk to where you can drive no more. It costs $5 to check out the 121-year-old lighthouse, but it is worth the 175-foot climb. After getting your exercise, head over to the Lighthouse Landing Restaurant and Raw Bar for some shark or gator and a walk on the dock to check out the fisherman's latest catch.

If you have time to leave Daytona, head down to Orlando for these next attractions:

6. Orlando Theme Parks: Deemed the "Happiest Place on Earth", Disney seems to be the main attraction for every holiday to Florida. By the looks of post-Disney travelers in the Orlando airport, it also seems to be the happiest most exhausting adventure. Every parent, weighed down with Mickey souvenirs, has bags under their eyes while they are trying to reign in their Mouse-eared children. While my first trip to Disney World wasn't after I won the Super Bowl, I was equally excited to be those little kids again. I bought a princess crown, gathered autographs from the characters and snuggled with Goofy at Breakfast with the Characters. But, there are so many more places to visit. My personal favorite is "Eating/Drinking around the World" at Epcot. Get a group of friends together and bounce between each represented country, stopping to enjoy the native food or beverage of choice, served by a native of the represented country. Brush up on your linguistic skills and walk through the eleven cultural pavilions, which include Japan, Norway and Mexico. So, whether you eat couscous in Morocco, drink tea in England or slurp up spaghetti in Italy, be sure to come thirsty or "Hungary." After you fill you bellies, take a roller coaster ride in Universal, learn to growl at Animal Kingdom or get crowned at Disney World. You wouldn't want to be the only person in the Orlando airport without Mickey Mouse ears, would you?


7. City Walk: Once you enter big person land again, head to Universal City Walk for some grown up transitions. The area has everything from an IMAX theater to watch the latest Batman movie to dancing to reggae at the tribute to Bob Marley. If you don't yet feel like growing up, you can play in paint alongside the Blue Man group or play alongside kids in the in-ground fountains.


8. Cirque Du Soleil: Though tickets start at $52, the updated circus entertainment is well worth the price. No matter what seats you get, it is a front row, high-flying adventure of the five senses. Watch tight rope walkers skip along thin pieces of metal or ten-year-old Chinese acrobats do back flips off each other while keeping their Yo-Yos spinning. After the show, hop over next door to House of Blues to catch bands like All-American Rejects, Panic! At the Disco, MayDay Parade, and Rise Against. There are few seats, but there is no bad view of the stage.


9. Mall at Millenia: Yes, I am a girl and I like to shop, especially at the Mall at Millenia. I claim it to be the "Second Happiest Place on Earth" (just following the Mall at America). Located at Exit78 just off of I-4, the Mall at Millenia is uniquely, yet easily, set up. When you walk into the mall, to the right is the affordable stores like Abercrombie and Express. To the left are the stores that have security guards on detail, like Gucci and Louis Vuitton. In the middle is a large food court with Cheesecake Factory and the Blue Martini. So, whether you want to actually buy something at Forever 21, Hollister or Zara or just dream in Burberry, Tiffany's or Jimmy Choo, go for the shopping or go for the drooling. It sure beats the Daytona Mall.


10. Mystery Theater: I love CSI: Vegas and Miami and always find myself guessing the killer well before Gil Grissom or Horatio Caine utter their accusations. If you are like me, Murder Watch Mystery Dinner Theater offers plays to get you involved first hand into the murder solving. They offer many different show topics and always include audience participation.

Finally, if Orlando is too touristy, take about an hour drive from Daytona to the next three places:

11. St. Augustine: About an hour and half outside of Daytona, along A1A, is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city, St. Augustine. Located on a port and protected by the Fort Castillo de San Marcos, St. Augustine is now a historical and shopping hub. It is also home to Riddle's greatest rival, Flagler College. In spite of the university, St. Augustine is beautiful whether you want to walk the cobble stone streets in search of shopping or spirits. I strongly suggest a visit to the fort, taking a ghost tour of the town or eating at my favorite restaurant, Columbia, for their plantains. Don't forget your cameras either. You never know what might appear in the photographs later.


12. Air Force Space & Missile Museum: Ok, so we go to an aviation school so what better place to visit than Cape Canaveral, home to many shuttle launches. The museum, located in nearby Kennedy Space Center, houses numerous historical space devices such as the one used to launch Alan Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom into space. Take a drive around their Rocket Garden, home to the largest collection of rockets, missiles and other space related hardware. The Mercury Redstone and Jupiter C rockets are in permanent display and one of only two complete German V-2 engines lies in the Exhibit Hall. Go to see where aviation has been and where it is headed.


13. Blue Springs: What is more Floridian than swimming with manatees? Ok, maybe hurricanes, flamingos and octogenarians are a bit more Floridian, but Blue Springs is non-destructive. The name alone tries to do the clear, blue water justice, but experiencing the 72 degree water is the only way to fully appreciate it. Go during a hot summer day to cool off or on a Florida-winter day to scuba dive. Whenever you come, the water temperature does not change.

If you have done it all during your trip or just want to plan some more trips for your next visit, here are some additional websites for other activities.

* http://www.touristflorida.com/other.html a good website for some more attractions.

*http://www.daytonabeach.com/whattosee.cfmcan find special events for when you are here or just more ideas

Just remember, there are lots of things to do in Daytona Beach or the surrounding areas. You just have to know how to find them. And now you do.

September

September 23

I realize my first blog was kind of a throw in your face, so I figured I would back track a bit and let you know who that person was telling you what to do. I am Heather Owen, a nearly-graduated senior in the Communications Department with a specialty in International Relations. Following my December graduation, I plan on applying to the State Department to begin work towards becoming a U.S. diplomat.

Wait...did I say Communications? Do they even have that at Riddle? News flash: Riddle isn't just airplanes. I have been in the program for four and a half years.

I am always asked "why Embry-Riddle for the Communications Department?" Well, I have always loved to write. I love giving speeches. Oh, and I kind of enjoy airplanes. However, though I knew I liked these topics, I didn't quite know what I "wanted to be when I grew up." I quickly found the Communications Department had plenty to offer. Along with the typical public relations/marketing/journalism curriculum of any other collegiate communications department, Riddle offers an aviation specialty, a niche with many openings, yet few applicants.

Even though I graduate in seventy-six days (not like I am counting), I am not nervous. Graduates from the program have gone into broadcast journalism, aviation-related journalism, public relations, and even law school. None of which is my career path, but the diversity of our program is what makes me a strong post-graduate applicant.

A diploma from the "Harvard of the Sky" alone will open doors, but it has been the experiences I have had that will get my name on the corner office door. Internships and co-ops are the best and easiest way to gain first-hand knowledge. In addition to Career Services, I found my internships thanks to help within my department. The student-to-faculty ratio in the Communications Department is very small, so I quickly got to know all of my professors. As it turned out, I have had that handful of professors for all four years. It was these same instructors who were instrumental in finding me internships and helping me find my career path.

Because I was still on the fence about careers up until my senior year, I took two internships to better acquaint myself with the communications career field. For my first internship, I spent my 2006 summer working for WESH 2 News, located in Daytona Beach. I was on the call with the reporters, riding shotgun in the news van on the way to fires, robberies and homicides. I sat in on court cases, interviewed city officials and visited such fine institutions such as the Volusia County Jail to interview fine, law-abiding residents. I admit the fast-paced dramatics, and getting to "know all the dirt" truly interested me. However, I wasn't ready to acquire the stigma of a TV news reporter. My second internship this past spring had me working in the Embry-Riddle Athletics Department with the Sports Information Department. I had been in the Athletics Department for four years as a cheerleader, so I was very appreciative to work with those who also supported the Eagles. As a sports marketing intern, I updated statistics, wrote biographies on the players and taped important games. I enjoyed the press passes to games, setting up early morning track meets, and cheering on the Eagles, but I had one big issue. Although I have been a cheerleader for eleven years, I just don't like sports. I don't understand them, like to watch them or even care to talk about them. Despite striking out on potential future careers, I learned a lot from the two internships. I found the positives and negatives about the communications field so when I do land a job, I will know what to look for.

So now my senior year. I was set to graduate with a prominent degree, had two internships, had participated in a few activities here and there and gained a few future job insights. However, I wasn't content with the content of my resume. So, in an utterly rash move which I thoroughly rejoiced about later, I decided to do study abroad and push off graduation. I spent five weeks of my summer in China, speaking Chinese, learning about Chinese culture and just enjoying a culture shock. I continued my education with another three weeks in Prescott studying Chinese.

From the moment I got back to Daytona, I had a path. I want to travel the world. I want to speak foreign languages. I want to play a part in international relations. I want to know the scoop. Oh, and I want a press pass to a non-sport activity (just one of my job insights). Diplomacy is my answer and the State Department will receive my newly minted resume in December. Along with the study abroad on my resume, I also added that I am a sister in the Theta Omicron chapter of Alpha Xi Delta, sweetheart to the Eta Iota chapter of Sigma Chi, cheered for three and a half years at Riddle and am now a devoted student. I am conversant in German and I like to think my English is decent too. Better than a list of do's and don'ts from a lowly Communications major, huh?

September 15

I love the first day of class. First, there is the excitement of school supply shopping, printing off new schedules that you quickly misplaced after registering and spending the evening before picking out that envious outfit. After that, there is placing the decal on the window of your not always reliable car from high school graduation and planning your mid-morning attack on the negative five parking spots intended to accommodate the growing student population. And then you encounter the plastered smiles and inevitable questioning on the first day. “How are you?” “When did you get that tattoo?” “When did you two start dating?” But, “How was your summer vacation” is always the go-to question from your best friends, sorority sisters, lab partners, and people you didn’t even remember from freshman year. No one really listens. They just wait their turn to outdo your vacation.

Since most people already know my summer of mini-vacations from China to Canada, I won’t reiterate. Besides, I beat anyone on summer vacation fun. But, the question I got most was, “Weren’t you supposed to graduate.”

Sure, I was supposed to, but what fun is that? I was off climbing the Great Wall. I was off climbing the Grand Canyon. I was off climbing back up the GPA ladder. I admit it. I am around for one more semester to salvage my freshman year grades. Between Alpha Xi Delta, cheerleading and all my after-hour festivities, I bombed. I had no trajectory, no realization of the outside world. I found a responsibility freshman year that I did not know how to handle.

But, I found my responsibility midway through my junior year. I found a career goal. I found a life goal. I found a new way to enjoy college. While all this is dandy, don’t get me wrong. Academics should always come first. However, I had a killer time in college, one I am paying for right now. But, let me give you a few tips for having loads of fun, while still keeping that GPA afloat.

So, let me welcome you to College. No parents. No curfew. So many opportunities. At 22 years old, I am not fully qualified for Social Security or have the right to give you a “back in my day” snooze fest, though walking through the Oozeball pit to the church parking lot every day does technically count as walking uphill both ways to school. I just want to lend some advice I have acquired during my four (ok, four and a half) years at Riddle. I am sure you have heard the collegiate spiel from Admissions, Records and Registration, Financial Aid and even Safety (it scared me my first time girls, so don’t worry). But, my freshman year no one stopped to tell me other important tidbits of information. I had lived in Port Orange for two years before I came to Riddle, so I knew the best restaurants, hair salons and locals-only beaches. But, I didn’t really know the campus that well.

So here are my Freshman 15 Do’s and Don’ts of Riddle because everyone has to gain it and it might as well be advice than extra poundage.

1. Do learn Riddle’s jargon. Whether you are a pilot, engineer, or part of my minute Communications department, a few more acronyms can’t hurt. Though the University is called Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, no one wants to say all that in one sentence. Chances are your audience won’t know what you just said anyway. But, in shorting the name, don’t call it Embry. We get confused with Emory. Instead, refer to the University as Riddle. As for when you are away from Riddle, International Speedway Boulevard is simply ISB. Try to avoid it at all costs. Ponce refers to Ponce Inlet. As a local I don’t want to tell you about the white sand and lowly populated jetty. As a fellow classmate, this is the cleanest you will get of Daytona-area beaches.
2. Don’t wear uncomfortable shoes the day you need to get something done on campus. Once you have become acquainted with Riddle acronyms, it is time for another Riddle pastime. Following the Christmas tornado, offices were moved all over campus and to odd places. Even the veteran Riddlers need maps to find the ever-changing offices. But, then even when you do find the offices, chances are you have stumbled into the wrong office and the one you want is across campus. When you do find the right office, there are always thousands of signatures, first born children and blood samples needed just to drop a class. This is a phenomenon known to fellow Riddle students as the Riddle Runaround. While the staff does not do this intentionally, just expect it. Be courteous though I know you want to call home and cry or throw your expensive textbooks.
3. Do buy your books online. Speaking of textbooks, they don’t have to always be expensive. I usually have to buy multiple books for one class and understand how quickly $500 disappears. Instead, look on sites like http://www.campusbooks.com which can save you a lot of money. That extra money could go towards tuition, housing or all those “necessary” Mocha Cappucinos before Math class.
4. Don’t go to class in your beachwear or sleepwear. I know it is so tough to go to an 11:00 a.m. class when you went to bed at 4:00 a.m., but PJs or bikinis are not classroom wear.
5. Don’t forget your umbrella. We go to an open air campus and Florida weather is fickle. Heck it was Christmas day and we had a tornado. Typically, it rains at about 2 p.m. everyday until mid-winter. If you can’t tell if it is winter yet, refer to a calendar.
6. Do get to know your faculty. They are your lifeline to the industry, so make a good impression. Turn in assignments on time. Show up prepared. Don’t sleep in class. It is a really REALLY expensive nap. This is college and if you want to be treated like the adult you think you are, act that way. Professors expect adults. When you are done impressing the professors this semester, use http://ratemyprofessors.com to help pick out classes for spring.
7. Do expand your eating, not your waistline. Speaking of Freshman 15, go off campus. I know the lights of Chik-Fil-A call you like bugs, but don’t eat that day in and day out. Same goes for the all-you-can-eat buffet. It may be called that, but doctors don’t recommend it. There are healthy choices for students in the cafeteria, but they are not ready-to-eat and I understand the rush to get to class. So instead, take your time, make a salad or order a wrap. Your waistline will thank you.
8. Do get involved. The experiences I had as a cheerleader, a sister in Alpha Xi Delta, sweetheart of Sigma Chi and on study abroad have filled my scrapbook and my resume. Whether you enjoy skydiving, Anime, flag-football, German or Greek life, join others who share your same likes. Head out to the Activities Fair. Scroll through the clubs at http://www.erau.edu/db/studentlife/clubs.html. You won’t regret it.
9. Don’t miss free food at the Athletics BBQ. We have amazing sports so go support them. A list of activities can be found on embryriddlesports.com. The games usually have great giveaways while playing great rivalries. If for nothing else, pick up a free t-shirt.
10. Don’t do over 35 mph on A1A and watch the speed trap on Richard Petty. Despite popular belief, Riddle students are not God’s gift to Daytona Beach and the police are more than happy to pull over a green or yellow decal. Remember that tuition is already steep. You don’t want to explain a ticket to your loan company.
11. Do visit Florida’s many attractions. Ponce Inlet is 15 minutes east. Miami is 4 hours south. Orlando is an hour west. Jacksonville is an hour north. No matter which direction you go, there is something to do. Fill up your car with friends. I will give a few reviews on places to go later in my journal.
12. Do buy a year-round pass for the beaches. If you don’t have the gas money to get to Orlando or Miami, take the ISB Bridge to our beaches. This pass allows you to park on the beach and visit the local state parks for a full year. It saves you money and from dragging all your beach stuff. I choose to drive the beach because I am lazy. Take full advantage of the World’s Most Famous Beach.
13. Do sign up for study abroad. As a freshman, you likely won’t get an internship, so instead of going home to your parents for the summer or spending your time developing skin cancer on Daytona’s beaches, head to Italy, Japan or France. I went to China this summer for five weeks and it was the best excuse for me to not graduate. If nothing else, it half price tuition. Get more information on Study Abroad .
14. Don’t go out during BikeWeek, Biketoberfest, or Race Weeks. Spring Break may only be a week for us, but for Daytona it lasts a little over four weeks during March. During this time, use Beville and not ISB.
15. Don’t put questionable photos on Facebook. It is not the place to paste photos of you gallivanting during that weekend’s festivities. Remember those security checks we will all get in our field of work? All of those photos will make us wish we had forgotten.

On a final note, DO have fun. Don’t let upper classmen tell you there is nothing to do here. Embry-Riddle has so much to offer. Daytona Beach has so much to offer. Take all the opportunities with all the responsibility.

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