London: I support them by being consistently present. My residents always know when, where, and how to reach me. And because I check in with each of them often, if they share a concern or worry, I can offer them support through on-campus resources. Most of my residents struggle with the same things, they just don’t know it. Because of this, I encourage community between my residents so they have a support group within the building.
Ashton: Every student has unique needs, and because of that, I need to learn about what they need for support. Therefore, I make it a point to individually get to know as many of my residents as possible, so that I can notice the little things and point them to the support and resources they need on an individual level.
London: Every resident advisor is required to host monthly events in the building, and I use this as a great opportunity for students to physically come together. My event for this month is called “Sip and Slime.” I will be making mocktails for the residents as they make slime. It’s a fun way to destress with finals right around the corner. They get a tasty drink, a take-home favor, and the opportunity to connect with others on their floor.
Ashton: Remember as a first-year student, everyone is in the same boat as you. Everyone is new, nervous, and hopeful to make friends. You are not alone, and you have a whole new life ahead of you. Be excited for this next chapter with OU!
London: As an RA, I try to stay consistently active on my floor and have an intentional moment with a least one of my residents every single day. But one moment that really sticks out to me is when I had a resident who was struggling with her mental health. I was decorating my floor’s board when my resident walked down the hallway. I saw the opportunity to connect with her when she passed me, so I asked how she was. At first, she was brief, but then, she started to open up. She sat next to me and told me so many stories, and I was excited because this meant she felt comfortable enough to speak freely with me! We spoke for two hours about life, family, school, stress, and mental health. When I decided to reach out to her that day in the hallway, it allowed me to connect with her as a peer, and she walked away knowing there was one person just down her hallway who was willing to listen.
Ashton: Yes! One of my favorite memories is when one of my residents gave me a haircut on a random Thursday. A few residents were dying their hair in the student lounge on our floor, and they almost convinced me to color my hair pink. I thought better of it and decided on a trim instead.
London: Our resident advisors are selected because they have time to invest in freshman students. Every RA I know goes above and beyond to create unique experiences for their residents. We were once in the same position of being overwhelmed freshmen, so it’s our goal to ease any stress that our residents may face. OU has set high standards for their RAs and truly only the best of the best are selected for these positions.
Ashton: When conflicts happen, I remember that I am the resident advisor for everyone on the floor, and that I need to support each resident equally. Sometimes, that means having individual conversations with each person so they know I am on everyone’s side. Communicating with my residents has really proven to be key to mitigating the occasional conflicts that can happen on a floor.
