Check Out Todo

For all information about checking out check my previous post and the check-out newsletter that I left in each suite.

Here is a summary of major checkout considerations.

Before Checkout

1. If any damages have the person responsible complete a damage responsibility form
2. Contact your RA with a date and time for when you want to checkout

When you are about to leave

1. Make sure your room is clean
1. You are charged for excessive cleaning. 
2. Make sure you are ready to leave
1. when you checkout you are to be ready to leave immediately. Nothing left in the room
3. If you are leaving before Thursday the 30th call you RA to check you out
4. If leaving after Thursday the 30th call the housing number and someone will come.
5. When an RA comes they will look at the room and identify any damages and give you an estimate on the cost
6. After the inspection you will give your RA your room key and leave.
7. Have a great summer
8. By the end of May you will be sent a statement of any charges. These will be deducted from the $200 housing deposit you all paid when you entered housing.

Checking Out

 

The Cost

Nearly every year students will get together and calculate the actual cost of going to a single class. Engineers love this exercise because it motivates them to get their homework done. But I think it is time that the numbers were actually written down for everyone to see.

So here are a few metrics of what you pay to go to this school and what you waste when you skip a class.

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Cost of a Class

The cost for each hour you spend listening to lectures

Tuition = $42,898/year (from the Riddle Website)
Credit Hours = 15/semester (average course load)
Weeks = 15/semester (including finals week)
Semesters = 2/year

So the cost of a single hour of class is:
Cost = 42898/(2*15*15)

Cost = $95.33/lecture

Now is it worth it to skip a class

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Cost for Each Hour Worked

Now lets break this down as you would an hourly job too see what you are paying for each hour you put into your homework as well as class.

Tuition = $42,898/year
Weeks = 15/semester (including finals week)
Semesters = 2/year
Hours in Class = 15/week
Hours of Homework = 7/day (an average for all years of a studious student)
Hours of Homework = 7*7hr/week = 54hr/week (Note: more than the average work week)

Cost = 42898/[(54+15)*15*2)]

Cost = $20.72/hour

Note: if you work fewer hours on homework your time is worth even more.

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Cost for Every Hour 

This is what you pay for every hour  as a student at riddle (including sleeping)

Tuition = $42,898/year
Weeks = 15/semester (including finals week)
Day = 7/week
Hours = 24/day
Semesters = 2/year

Cost =42898/(2*15*7*24)

Cost = $8.10/hour

That is what the average fast food worker gets paid and you are paying it while you are sleeping.

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Now is it clear what you or your parents are paying to be at this school. Please don't waste it.

Riddle is an amazing school and if you don't waste your time (and money) while your here it will be worth it.

Getting Involved

For all of you looking for clubs to get involved in, Riddle has over 100 organizations,

You can see a list of all organizations on the Control Tower (which everyone should have joined) or talk to everyone of them during the Activity Fair coming up next week.

A hundred clubs is a bunch. Normally everyone can find something to be a part of.

Want to build planes? AIAA Design Build Fly goes to competition every year.

Want to skydive? There's a club for that.

Anime' your thing? Normally meet every Sunday.

Want to start a company? Launch is getting going this semester.

Want to make some some good friend and connections? The Frats and Sororities are in full  swing.

Want to run for a student government office? Be a part of the Freshmen Class Council.

Love Sweater vests? There may still be a club for that.

Want to organize entertainers for Campus? Board of Campus Activities.

I could go on and on with this but then there would be no reason for Control Tower. Go there and start browsing then be ready for the Club Fair.

I Can See the Air. Now What?

Alright. By this time everyone is settled into their rooms and are beginning to get comfortable. This means that laundry is piling up, and people are spending more time in their rooms breathing. A very common circumstance.But with the smells of comfort come a few that are just not something that will ever be put into a scented candle.

Some of you may have realized that in Mingus air does not circulate very well. If there is something hanging in the air it is going to continue to hang. And since Febreeze will set of the fire alarms that is not really an option.

So how does one refresh an area when the air has a color. Here are some tricks for Mingus.

1. Put Dryer sheets in the AC's
• This is used all the time and is a cheap and good way to refresh the air that comes from a 20 year old AC
2. If using windows open one in the room and one on the opposite side of the suite
• Air will only flow if it can go through the whole suite
3. Clean your laundry
• No Brainer
4. Contain Shoes
• If you can put shoes in a box or a some other container when you take them off then that will eliminate one of the top Dorm odors
5. Use standard cleaners 
• Clean the whole room so that anything that was in there when you first came will be gone.
6. Take a mint
• breathing does build up 
7. Take a shower
• Some engineers have a hard time with this one, so its being written down

And now you will have a suite that smells like a bed of roses. Or at least Fresh Scent dryer sheets.

Academic Calendar

You are all going to need this to plan for trips and buy tickets. The academic calendar is set in stone.

Prescott Academic Calendar

Don't Be Stupid

Don't Be Stupid.

That is the phrase that should be stuck in every freshmen's head as the First Friday of college comes around.

The First Friday is the single most dangerous day of the year for a college freshmen. Let me explain why.

After orientation week has ended and classes have begun, every freshmen has an epiphany. "I am free!" They realize that their parents are gone and they are surrounded by peers. They are now adults. They get to make their own decisions, have their own life, and it is all up to them. "They get to do whatever they want now"

Sorry to all the freshmen, but that is just not how it works. Being an adult means you do get to do whatever you want, but if you do something stupid then you lose your right to be treated as an adult. There may no longer be parents who nag you when you do stupid stuff, but there are now other adults (like police) that can make your "stupid" bite hard.

Most freshmen forget this little fact as First Friday comes. The drug of freedom is in full swing and they are ready to start the college experience.

The most typical thing that happens is around 8-9pm Friday night a bunch of freshmen get a ride to a house somewhere and get unlimited access to a keg or something similar. Freedom tells the freshmen that they finally get to try liquor. And "being an adult" gives them the belief that they can handle as much as anyone else. So the freshmen start to drink, and drink, and drink. Unfortunately they have forgotten one thing. In one week they have not met or come to know anyone at the school truly well. Sure the roommates and suitemates have become kind of close, but the freshmen are really amongst strangers. They hardly know anyone and hardly anyone knows them.

So now the freshmen is a minor who is drunk among strangers.

There is an incredibly dark direction that this could go, but I will leave that to the imagination of the reader and tell of the most common occurrence.

Usually, the drunk freshmen is noticed sitting on the couch, maybe by a suitemate or an upperclassmen. The freshmen is then given a ride. But it is a ride back to campus. The "friend" is just dropping them off and after that doesn't really care. Plus the "friend" doesn't want to be caught with an underage person who is completely drunk in their car.

So the freshmen is dropped in the middle of Mingus to fend for himself/herself. If they are just kind of drunk they may make it back to their dorm room by themselves. But then they do something stupid and play music super loud or start to yell so that the RA's come. They are now a documented underage drunk and they lose all the scholarships they need to afford a $40,000 a year education

This ends up on the internet after First Friday
because he was stupid

The other thing that can happen, is the freshmen is so drunk that they lay in the parking lot, where they were left, until a responsible person comes along. If a person is unconscious or vomiting late at night it is most likely alcohol poisoning. 911 will be called and the freshmen will be hauled to the hospital where they will again become  a documented underage drinker. They then lose any scholarships and are put into the public justice system.

To all the freshmen out there. If you are planning to go wild over the weekend you can, there is no one to stop you. But Don't Be Stupid, because once you do that you lose all right to make your own decisions and they are, instead, made for you. And when you're stupid payback always comes and it is a B*?$%.

College is a great experience, you can have a ton of fun, and there is no reason to waste a three day weekend. But just "Don't Be Stupid." if you want to be an adult you first have to act like an adult. You need to know and respect your limits and think about the consequences.

Please Don't be Stupid. But have an awesome First Friday of college.

Note: If you need help or happen to spot anyone who may have broken the DBS rule and need help, call your RA, HRL (928-777-3790), or Safety (928-777-3333)

Math Help Sites

For all the engineering freshmen out there. Here are some links that you may want to bookmark when you need extra help in class.

Khan Academy
This site uses videos of examples to teach all kinds of topics. Many students use Khan Academy for help with math

Paul's Online Math Notes
This is a great website for detailed explanations of concepts with a lot of worked examples

ERAU Tutoring
Here is a link the tutoring schedule at ERAU

The Engineering Toolbox
This site is full of engineering calculators and information on all types of engineering if you need extra help or want to check answers



If there are other sites that you use please send them to us through the Contact page

Laundry Rooms

Everyone has to do laundry at some point. (though some may try to avoid it to the discomfort of their roommate) But the process for washing your clothes can become a bit convoluted at Riddle. Here's what you do.

There are three laundry rooms at the Prescott comapus. One is located on the first floor of Hall 3 on the end towards Hall 4. Another is on the first floor between Halls 1 and 2. And the third is in Hall 9 next to Simply To Go.

Each laundry room has dryers and washers which you have to pay to use. Each room has about 2-4 machines which are coin operated and the rest are paid for and activated with your Eagle Card. YOUR EAGLE CARD MUST HAVE EAGLE DOLLARS TO USE THE MACHINES. Eagle dollars are different from the dining dollars which come with your meal plan.

You can add Eagle Dollars to you Eagle Card account at Manage My Eagle Card in students services of Ernie.

Before you go and try to wash your clothes you may want to use LaundryView to see what machines are available, if any. LaundryView is a website which give all the info on the status of a laundry room so you don't have to walk a mile and find out there is not a machine open.

When you are finally ready to use a machine, here is the process.

1. Pick the machine you want to use and put your clothes in it
1. If you have to push much to get the clothes in the machine it is too full
2. Note the Number on the machine
3. Go to the big black and green box on the wall with a keypad in it
1. Each machine looks like it has a card reader on it, but these are just dummies DON'T TRY TO USE THEM.
4. Scan you Eagle Card at the black and green box
5. When prompted enter the number of the machine you are going to use on the keypad
6. When display on box says "Use machine ##" you have finished the payment process
7. Go back to you machine. Its display should be blinking a single word
8. Of the six buttons on the machine choose the cycle you want. Dryers only have three options
1. When you press a button on a machine it will display the water temperature to you. If you don't want that temperature you can change the cycle without any problem
9. When you pick the cycle you want the machine will start running water through the soap dispenser, which is the small black door on the top of the machine.
1. Do not over do it on the soap. The machines will adapt to a lot of soap by washing for hours instead of 38 minutes
10. Now you can put in your soap
11. Go wait for your laundry to wash
12. When you are drying be sure you note the correct number on the machine (many people confuse the top machine with the lower)
13. Go through the same process as a washer
1. check the Dryers' lent screen which in the inside front bottom of the machine. These can be fire hazards
14. And now your laundry is done

Cost for a Wash

• Washing machine -- $1.15
• Dryer -- $0.75

There you go. Now everyone should be able to he clean for their first day of classes

Perks

Here are a few cool free services and hints to making others free at Embry-Riddle.

Insurance
This is also a cost cutting hint. If you are still on your parents' insurance it is possible for you to take about $1200 off of your tuition bill.
Before September 2 go to CS Student Center and fill out the health insurance waiver, the link of which can be found under the "Finances" bar. This allows you to opt out of the university-provided insurance and apply your own, saving the extra cash. All students must be insured.

Wellness Center
The Wellness Center offers several free services as part of your tuition payments. First there is free counseling, all of which remains completely confidential. And if you are having a day of sickness, aches, or pains you can go get a few Tylenol or other over the counter meds for free, under controlled circumstances.

Free software
ERAU provides Windows software for free. See Software Downloads for access

Printing
Embry-Riddle offers free printing at the Library and around campus.

Free Shuttle
Every Wednesday the shuttle runs from Haas to Fry's and Walmart every half hour from 6:00PM to 7:30PM

Free Candy and Coffee at SGA office
SGA's office in the student union is full of goodies and awesome people, just go pick up a coffee and hang out.

Free Movies
Riddle Vision is where ERAU provides ten movies, chosen by the students, to be available for streaming. It changes every month and can be found at prmovies.erau.edu.

Flow Charts

The Flowcharts are a great way to plan out how your schedules should be for your entire college career. they let you gauge progress and if you change majors what will transfer and where. The links are below.












College of Engineering

• All Engineering

College of Aviation

• AMET
• MP SE
• Helicopter
• CP SE
• BSA Non-Flight
• BSA HELO
• ATM
• BSA
• AP SE

The RCR

THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR FRESHMEN

RCR stands for Room Condition Report. This is what the Housing and Residence Life (HRL) uses to determine what state a room is when a student first moves in and when they move out.

Every resident will be handed an RCR when they arrive and check into their room. At that time we will give a verbal explanation of how to use it similar to what I am about to say, but in less detail.

The RCR will be used to determine what damages occur while a resident lives in a room. Repair of these new damages can be charged to the student. 

For the above reason it is incredibly important that residents go through their rooms with a fine toothed comb and fill out the RCR appropriately. This means look for and find anything that is remotely a damage. A crack in the shower, a chip in the paint, a sharpie stain on the counter. Record every little damage you can in your RCR so that you are not charged for it later.

The appropriate way to fill out an RCR is to fill in all of the spaces that record your name and you room information. Do not sign the back of the RCR this is for CHECKOUT ONLY (ignore the signature in Figure 3 for this post).

The interior of the RCR is a list of objects that should be in their room. You will rate each object's condition as Excellent (E), Good (G), Poor (P), and Missing (M).

There are no E's, and something is only P if it is no longer functional or completely trashy. (See Figure 1 for more details)

Most fixtures in the room will be G. But after writing that, note any marks or problems with the object and be relatively detailed. (i.e. 5 paint chips near right corner of desk, of Figure 2)

Freshmen, an RA has already gone through all of your rooms and filled out your RCR. But please check it and even add to it. After doing RCR's for 50-100 rooms over a few hours RA's can miss stuff.

It is so important to take the time to make a good RCR. It will save you money, because when you checkout of the room an RA is going to look it over in detail, and just about any damage that was not on the RCR will be marked as a new damage. The RCR is the final word so do a good job before you return it.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

This was a brief post and perhaps not detailed enough, but hopefully it showed how important RCR's are.