Being A Residence Assistant

The college lifestyle brings many amazing opportunities to any student that is willing to take advantage of what Curry College has to offer. Along with these new chances also comes some rather difficult obstacles that can be easily over come with the help of a friend or the guidance of a leader. In most cases that leader is the person right down the hall, the Residence Assistant. As I have learned from my personal experience that entering college, as a freshman can be a very scary experience for many reasons. First of all there is a major shift from the home centered family lifestyle to dorm based communal living. This can pose a problem for new students because it takes quite a bit of adjusting to get used to their new surroundings and ways of living. There is also the challenge of getting used to living with a complete stran

ger in cramped room with not much personal space. Many students are faced with the issue of finding friends who the actually like and want to spend their time with. The academic pressures and demands in college are also different than they are in high school and even the most scholarly students must find themselves in a state of confusion at some point. In that way we could truly develop a sense of community. This stress can create many problems and sometimes students tend to look to the wrong things, drugs and alcohol, for help. By establishing a friendly relationship with all members of my hall no person would feel awkward about coming to me with their problems. My relationship with the people of my hallway would allow me to assist them with whatever problems life at Curry College would bring to them. My experience this semester as a freshman would give my a very good sense of what the incoming class of next year would have to deal with and I would do my best to make them feel comfortable in their new home. Making friends, having relationships and involvement in outside the classroom activities is a great way to relax and have fun but it doesn"tmt come without problems. Finding a quiet comfortable place to study is quite a challenge, never mind having the self-discipline to get oneself there and actually be productive. As a residence assistant I would be one of the "right things" to turn to for help. Finally, finding time for a healthy social life is of critical importance to Penn State students. Students at Curry College must get to know new teachers and new methods of learning while taking classes that they might have had no previous background in. Just as my residents would learn to lean on me I would have to learn to lean on others too.