Second Year RA

This blog is a collection of thoughts and ideas from my 1st and now 2nd year as an RA.

[tastefullyoffensive]

[animal-factbook]

Hi! My name’s Rick. I’ll be your RA this semester. 

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ADVICE WANTED!

So I’ve been placed in an upperclassman hall with apartment style living. I’m supper excited to diversify my experience as a staff member. ANYWAY, some questions:

What are some ideas you have seen work well in upperclassmen halls?

What are some ideas you have seen work well in apartment style living?

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RA Letters

The three people I’m closest with on the floor all got placements! Two of them will be working with someone I encouraged to apply last year and I’m just so excited to see everyone grow. I’m gushing.

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Giving Tours

There was legitimately a guy on my tour who did his best to find the trash room in every building, so that he could walk inside of it and say things like “Oh look my new home.” or “Here’s my room!” Best tour group I’ve had.

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I forgot to mention

I'm doing an ACUHOI internship at Northwestern University as a Residential Teaching Assistant!

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Placement

The pro staff here really has my back. Everyone keeps asking where I want to be placed as a senior staff member, and it's a great feeling to know that's because they want to support my wishes when they do assignments.

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RA interview care package for our residents. We included candy, mints, juice, tea, etc. This was a great way to see them off when we couldn't in person since we had to leave early for the process!

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Got the senior staff position!

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I am so lucky to have an amazing staff and an amazing group of residents this year.

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Interviews

Tomorrow I have a Senior RA interview, last week, this week, and next week I have ACUHO-i interviews. I should know in my February where I stand with both. It’s exciting!

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Applying for ACUHO-i internships

Listening to: "Welcome to New York" by Taylor Swift

[selchieproductions]

Two non-offensive alternatives to the term "spirit animal"

Daemon - The only one you’re appropriating is Pullman and by appropriating Pullman you’re upsetting no-one, save possibly the Pope.

Patronus - Wizards everywhere are more than willing to lend you this term and the geekiness is an added bonus. I just read that geeks are sexy, or so the Metro, so, there you go, a patronus is clearly your next ascribed accessory. 

[glompcat]

I will reblog this over and over till everyone on my dash switches to one of these.

[strawberreli]

yupp. I use patronus.

If you are non-NDN, you shouldn’t be using the term “spirit animal.”

[theraoncall]

The morning after a crappy on-call

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Connections

A resident came home with a full sized trash bag worth of Starbucks pastries from his work. On 12:30 rounds we knocked awkwardly on his door. Now I have a large box of lemon scones. Score.

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This job hits you hard sometimes...

Sometimes in the best of ways. It's the flower my resident stapled outside my door. It's the resident that said maybe, and actually came. It's the "White tiles are lava" sign my neighbors put up in my hallway. It's the resident that says thank you for listening and doing something about it. It's the resident that stays up late and laughs with you. It's the moment you feel a room open up to you. It's the look of gratitude a stranger gives you when they realize someone cares. It's the sideways glance and smile that a used-to-be-quiet resident gives you when he knows you understand. It's the moment your resident says "It's like we are a big family." It's the moment when someone smiles just because you bothered to remember their name. If I want you to take away anything away from this my 4th floor family, it's that the smallest things do matter. I wish you the best.

[untitledalsounknown]

Residence Life from the inside, for people who are on the outside.

writing about what residence life is like for me, a third year Ra

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OH MY GOSH I JUST REALIZED THAT WE BOTH WENT TO NRAP. I've been following you forever, I'm from csumb, and saw your post about gender inclusive bathrooms at university of Nevada, and I was like "i wonder if they went to NRAP?!" OH MY GOSSHHHH. okay anyways have a great day (:

I hope you have a great day as well! Thank you so much for messaging and good luck with your ressies. 😊