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AUGUST
IS HERE!! That
means that most of you are currently (or will soon be)
training and opening your residence halls, and welcoming
the students you will be serving this year!
This
edition of the ResidentAssistant.com newsletter is dedicated
to helping you get off to a great start!
Getting
your year off on the right foot is CRITICAL for success
in building your community.
Here
are seven tips for you to make this a great year for you
and your residents:
1.
Be Available - As you likely heard during training,
the beginning of the school year is CRITICAL for building
community. While it's always important for an RA to be
avialable, it is especially true during the first few
days and weeks. Stop by rooms, keep your door open., and
make your presence known!
2.
Plan - Your goal is to create a dynamic community
conducive to academic and personal growth for your students.
How will you do this (and continue to be a successful
student yourself)? Planning is key. Work with your supervisor
and fellow RAs to plan out your semester. Use slow times
to prepare things like next month's bulletin board. Manage
your time and responsibilities wisely, so that you aren't
caught off guard when last minute issues come up.
3.
Learn Names - Dale Carenegie wrote "A person’s
first name is, to that person, the sweetest sound on earth."
"Hey, you" just won't cut it. You need to learn
names. When you have 30-100 names to learn, this isn't
an easy task! One tip is to repeat their name in conversation
as you speak with them. You can also come up with an association
for their name. As an RA, I found it helpful to take pictures
of everyone for a community bulletin board. I then secretly
made doubles and kept them in my room as flashcards.
4.
Assess Your Residents - The community you are helping
to build is your residents' community. Find out what they
want. Find out what they are interested in, and what they
need. This should be done both formally (through an interest
survey) and informally (through conversation and observation).
You should be able to justify any program you plan based
on resident needs or interests. (see calendar of student
issues and needs for example)
5.
Have FUN! - Don't forget to step back and enjoy what
you are doing. This job should be FUN! Enjoy the time
you are spending with your residents. When you need to,
get off campus for a break. Spend time with your fellow
staff members. If you don't enjoy what you are doing,
you are missing out!
6.
Be Consistent - It is critical that you are consistent
with your residents from the beginning. If they sense
inconsistency or favoratism as you enforce policy or in
other ways, you will lose their respect, and lose your
effectiveness.
7.
Set the Tone - You can always "lower the bar,"
but it's difficult to raise expectations if you start
them low. Set your expectations high from the beginning.
This applies not just to behavior, but to the expectation
of a great community! Tell your residents that you want
your floor/area to be the best one on campus. Set an expectation
for great relationships, great programming, and a lot
of fun. Set the tone now; you'll be thankful later!
Related
resources:
The
ABCs for RAs - 26 Tips for Success
The
ABCs of Programming - It's as easy as P.I.E.
Common
RA Mistakes to Avoid
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