Kind of Person & Resident Advisor I want to be

My passion includes continuous development. I want others to learn more, be more — but before I make an impact on others, I have to be more.

In the few weeks of being a Resident Advisor, I quickly learned that having a plan is great but everyday is different from the way you planned it to be. There’s a lot of waves that comes and goes. I do not have a concrete plan, however, I do have themes on the Resident Advisor goals I have.

Accountable

Currently, I am learning how to balance the different responsibilities I have as a student, daughter, partner and resident advisor. Even though I am dealing with these experiences differently, I want to show to my residents and colleagues that I am accountable. I make sure that my residents know I am available for them and when I say I am planning to do something, I do it. If it’s taking time and I’m not responding, I hold myself accountable and apologize if I was not able to get back to them in a timely manner. Furthermore, I make sure that my team knows what is going on with me and vice versa. Even though we deal with different things, I make sure that all of our deadlines are met, even for Bulletin Boards, Individual Connections.

Speaking of Bulletin Board:

Reflective & Creative

As I slowly unravel my writing, I realize that my thought process is almost always what is next, I barely dwell on the present. As a resident advisor, I want to be more reflective of my residents — really noting their stories and reflecting more about their growth. I want to be more hand-on about learning more and knowing details about them that will shock them. I’d love to hear reactions such as “Omg, I can’t believe you still remember that.”

Also, hearing about Shannon’s experiences and perspectives, I wanted to be more reflective of the the continuous excitement and nerve wracking part of the job — uncertainty. Understanding the roadblocks that I’ve experienced prior, even as a freshman in college, helps me a better support for my residents and my team. Having the prior knowledge of being a CA helps me understand the gaps. Being reflective of my job and my current responsibilities will help me be better for my team and residents.

Note: if you hit the link on the Shannon’s name (bolded above) — there’s a post about my interview with her!

Along with that, I want to be more creative. What are the things I can do to improve? Reflecting about the things that did not go as well as I have hoped allows me to be more creative on how to approach any situation with my residents. Being more creative in the advertising, in finding new ways to communicate. Being creative allows a bigger space for students to feed me with their new excitement, energy and ideas for what they would like their experience to be. I want to learn more a little more about my residents before planning our events. Yet, I also want them to step out their comfortability and learn more than their bubbles. I want to be creative in informing them about topics such as elections and the importance of voting. I want them to engaged while I help facilitate a program about fiscally responsible.

Genuine & Balanced

When I’ve asked my residents about what their first impressions are of me and some say, 
“You seem very bubbly ” 
“You seem so serious” 
“It’s intimidating because you’re like mom but not mom” THIS IS REAL. 
I didn’t realize the impressions I have makes a huge impact on their interaction with me.

This is where I think is going to be my biggest difficulty yet my biggest development: balancing how to always be in my RA role, but also being a genuine person to my residents and my team. I think being in this role early on, I’m having a lot of anxieties in “doing things wrong” or “not being there enough” or “being too friendly.” Also, I realize I am an RA everywhere.

It’s one thing to say I’m going to be an RA, it’s another to be in the RA role. Finding the balance and not being intimidated or consumed by the position itself, is going to be difficult. Because in reality, there’s a huge gauge on how to be a good and/or great RA. It’s just knowing how to be genuine with your residents and team.

I feel like once I find that balance of like being a genuine older sister to my younger brother, where he can tell me his school, the things he’s going through BUT if he does something bad, I’m telling my mom. I feel as though that would be the RA I want to be.