Working as a Resident Advisor in a First- Year building, I have seen so many students start off being neutral; college is a brand new experience filled with fear, anxiety, and excitement, and each person I encounter expresses all of these emotions and many more in different ways.
As an RA, my job is to create community on my floor. Taking the time to get to know my residents in the first few weeks has allowed them to feel more comfortable with me and in their living community. Successful floor programs help students to stop being neutral and gets them involved with others on the floor that they live on. Tying in with that, because I am a member of the Student Programming Board here at Le Moyne, I know what events are happening and always urge my residents to attend the events as a floor!
Some students react extremely well to my efforts of getting them involved, while others are hesitant. It’s a mixed pot of reactions, but I don’t expect everyone to dive in head first; I still count it as a success if people dip their feet in the water by taking baby steps to getting involved. The students I have interacted with are involved in athletics, both Collegiate and Intramural, some have joined the Student Programming Board, others Student Government, and some have even taken an interest in becoming Resident Advisors!!
This post was written by Henry Eisloeffel IV, a student at Le Moyne College. He’s a Biology major, a Resident Assistant and a Social Media Chair on the Student Programming Board.
