Autobahn Indoor Speedway

Got the need for speed?  Autobahn Indoor Speedway is Jacksonville’s premier go- kart race track. These go karts are so popular not just because they are fun but because each kart reaches up to 50 miles per hour. There are two Grand Prix style tracks for two completely different racing experiences. Autobahn is a great place to take your family on the weekend for a little fun. To be able to drive the go-kart you have to be 13 years old however, they provide junior karts for racers who are at least 48 inches tall. Not only does Autobahn do birthdays but, they do corporate team building exercises. These exercises are meant to help your team communicate more effectively, perform under pressure better and improve leadership skills. These events Autobahn has them do are the Grand Prix race, blind fold race and changing the tired of the go-karts. Many times in these events co-worker are paired with peers they don’t always get along with. This is so they can get closer as workers and hopefully be come friends while trying to complete the tasks. Each event ends with a podium ceremony, where everyone can see how they placed and the top three races receive a trophy or medal.

Stay-Cation

If you are looking for a little weekend get away then Saint Augustine is a great place to visit. There are so many great restaurants and bars to go to that will not break the bank and the crowd is always lively and entertaining.

Amongst all the bars and restaurants there are plenty of site seeing attractions. One of the most popular is the Castillo De San Marcos fort. Not only can you walk around the whole fort, but also you can go inside and take a tour for a small fee.

Another popular thing to do there is a ghost tour. They have many different renditions of the ghost tour ranging from a walking tour, bus tour and a combination of both. In these tours they tell you the history behind the buildings that are haunted in Saint Augustine.

If you are looking to take your pet out for the day this is the perfect place. Most of the restaurants and bars have outside seating and will even give you a water bowl for your dog.

Be sure that if you do visit, on your way out grab ice cream from Kilwin’s, they make homemade waffle cones and their ice cream is amazing.

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Jacksonville Zoo

Last weekend I went to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens where they had the Destination Dino exhibit. After paying $27.95 for a value ticket I was able to go through the stingray exhibit, watch the movie in the 4D theater as well as have unlimited train and carousel rides.

The Destination Dino exhibit was incredibly well put together with realistic looking dinosaurs that moved and made sound. The 4D movie was also great, it featured the characters from the movie Ice Age and was not only informative but funny.

If you are willing to pay a little extra for nectar, the area with the birds was one of the most interesting parts. The Zoo essentially made a large bird cage that you can walk in to and at the door you can pay for a little cup of nectar. If you hold the nectar the birds will just fly up and land on your arm to drink the nectar.

This would be a great place to take your children in  because it is very interactive, while you are in the large bird cage a worker from the zoo is walking around informing people of all the different birds flying by.

If you plan on attending the zoo make sure you have a full day, it is incredibly large and has so many fun and interesting things to look at.

Number One in The Nation

For the second time, The University of North Florida’s Physical Therapy Graduate Program has been ranked number one in the nation. This was one of only two Florida state universities listed in the rankings.

Physical therapists are healthcare professionals who work with individuals in preventing, evaluating, and treating physical dysfunction and injury. An understanding of human movement serves as the foundation for the practice of physical therapy.

This three-year program is designed to give students a deep understanding of the clinical skills and sciences needed for the practice of physical therapy.

In applying for the program UNF requires an interview for the top competitive candidates. First year student, Melissa Roberts, said the process started with students already in the program and teachers making them feel comfortable and relaxed which then led to the interview. The interviews were done in groups of five with four interviewers.

“I felt like we could all answer questions in our own ways but still provide feedback to one another,” said Roberts.

The questions asked were designed to see if the applicant would be an appropriate fit for the program.

“They asked about previous experiences in which we overcame workplace conflict and our knowledge about the current vision of the American Physical Therapy Association,” said Roberts.

Normally 30 students will be admitted into the program each year for the fall semester. The three-year graduation rate between 2012-2014 was 96.67% with a 95% employment rate within six months of licensure.

Brian Trang, a second-year student in the program said, “It’s really welcoming, the teachers that are there really want you to succeed. That’s the main selling point of it.”

“The more I learn and the more I meet students from other programs, the more I realize why were number one,” said Trang.

When the students described the amount of studying that was involved they agreed that you hardly get any down time. One student said, “You’re basically studying as much as you can because there is that much material.”

Drew Miskiv, a first-year student said, “The level of work so far in my fist year of the program is very high. The difference in the amount of studying required for this program versus my undergrad program is a world of a difference.”

Although the difficulty of the courses and content make the program very intense, Miskiv said, “It’s all very rewarding.”

Third-year student, Anil Joseph compared this year to the other two and said, “It isn’t as demanding as far as the total amount of reading and studying for practical’s that’s expected from you in the other years.”

“This year you can take extra classes, if you already know what you want to specialize in or you could chose not to and have a less intense year overall,” said Joseph.

The students all agreed that the professors in the program were always available and willing to help.

“The classes in this program are taught by an excellent core of professors who care a lot about the subject and the students in the course. If the student ever needs anything or has any question, the professors are always there and will make time to meet in order to help,” said Miskiv.

The level of intensity as well as the helpfulness of the professors in the program have been a huge asset in making the UNF Physical Therapy Program number one in the nation.