Academic Programming

Well well well your time has finally come… Muah ha ha!

Sorry, just felt like changing how I started the conversation. Anyways. Focus. Game face.

So you are about to start to planning your next All Area in academics and it has you feeling similarly to Emperor Kuzco here. 

And i'm here to tell you that the building block of Academics actually is a lot broader than a lot of people think.  Whenever we ask someone to plan a program about academics (at Ripon, at Kenyon, at Colostate, at whatever school Jill went to) the first thing that instantly comes up… we all know it; STUDY SESSION WITH PIZZA. Or some sort of variation where students can come do homework in a somewhat relaxed environment. Or maybe we instantly jump to talking about how important it is to go to class. And this isn’t to say that those things are not important to talk about. But I’m guessing it probably has your residents looking a little bit like this? 

So we want to move beyond the simplest form of academic programming and start brainstorming outside of the box. So here are some great ideas that I’ve found about academic programs that have been successful!

1.     What does a liberal arts degree even mean?

A.) See you’re now focusing on the broader context of education; you bring in Jody Roy or Prez Mez to talk about the value of a liberal arts degree.

2.     What is Grad School?

 A.)    Bring in the wonderful people from the McNairs Scholars program to learn about different graduate programs. Learn what the GRE is, how to study, when to start looking. Great program for your sophomores and juniors.

3.     What is text anxiety?

A.)  Do some research about what test anxiety is and how to work through it? You could research ways in which to combat anxiety before an exam. 

4.  Tutor hot spot during finals week

A.) Why don’t you use some of the programming budget and bring in like five                 tutors into your common lounge? During finals week students could come in and have quick access to a tutor in a variety of subjects.

5.) Syllabus planning party 

A.)  This could be a cool opportunity at the beginning of the school. You get all of          your residents together and map out all of the important dates. 

See those are just fives examples that are quick and easy. Don't pigeon hole your programming block to just a "study party," when there is SO many things you can do with this programming block.

Room Lottery 2015

Hello RAs-
When we get back from Spring Break things sort of turn into a WHIRLWIND of classes, RA obligations, and prep for next year.

Some RAs find it helpful to create a Bulletin Board about Room Lottery for their FY students who are confused about finding a room for next year or what the heck Room Lottery is and most of you have never been there either!

If you want to make that part of a passive program by using your BB and also posting information from the College's website with room dimensions and other things posted in the bathrooms or in the hallway to help your residents decide where to live- then you should! Contact Jessica Joanis for more information if you want to pick her brain.

Here is some Room Lottery info for you all!

Thanks everyone! Get geared up! It is going to be warmer soon and we will all be celebrating with sweatshirts and sandals!

Jessica 

What dogs can teach us about being RAs

There's just something about dogs. Like there really is. And this isn't just because I'm biased and my spirit animal is a dog. Like legit is. See this dog... yeah. That's me.

I mean I would love to just sleep all day, eat whatever I want, and anytime I get messy it's revered as cute instead of, "unprofessional." But it's more than that. Dogs can teach us so much about life. Sometimes it really is the little things that we take for granted. Imagine coming home from a long day and having someone so excited to see you. The only thing that matters in that moment is that their person is home. Why don't we do that to the people we love? Why don't we jump up and down when our loved one walks in the door?

I mean just look at that face. Can you really want more in your life? 

Now I think this is actually a really good lesson for how we are as Resident Assistants, Programmers, SAHD, RHDs, or Directors. Sometimes the little things can be the difference maker for your residents. Sometimes when we think of being impactful, we think of these large extravagant gestures when really that's not what it's about. That can be part of it. But the real work is in the small things. Noticing when a resident is having an off day... Remembering your residents birthday... Making sure to invite the quieter resident when you go out to dinner with a group of your residents... If you want to be a mentor or a positive influence to your residents, start with the little things. Trust me.  

I want to end with this quote from the Movie, Marley and Me, "A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water log stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if your rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his. How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?"