First-Year Student Journals : Katie : Journal 7

Top Five Things to Do on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Wake up early. Then go back to sleep and stay in this state for at least three more hours.

Plan to catch up on all that reading that you’ve had every good intention of doing, you just never got around to.

Hang out with your friends.

Enjoy the beautiful day outside… and if it’s not beautiful, enjoy the beautiful inside of your dorm room.

Enjoy the beautiful back of your eyelids (yes, go back to sleep, don’t wake up until dinner).

Becoming a Resident Assistant (RA) (Or, Learning to Wait)

While this is not a particularly interesting topic to most of you, I’m sure, I know it’s something that you really start considering early on in your college career if you think that you’re ever going to do it.

Why?

Well, because the deadlines will sneak up on you like the days between now and then don’t even exist.

Anyway, I know most of you are concerned with just getting accepted right now, but at least all the applications are done, or turned in and all you have to do is wait…and wait…

And wait.

The process for becoming an RA is similar.

First, you fill out an application sometime early in November. When you first hear about it, you’re thinking to yourself, “Whoa, an RA? Me? Goodness, I’m still adjusting to this whole college life thing and they expect me to be thinking about next year already!”

Yes. The truth of the matter is that the people who end up with the best apartments (the nicest ones, the ones closest to campus, etc.) already have a lease signed in October. “But wait!” you’re thinking, “School’s only been in session for two months! What’s going on?”

Well, like all things in life, the early bird gets the worm. And in college, you sometimes need to be unusually early because college passes in the blink of an eye. If you don’t believe me, you will when you’ve been through a semester. Trust me, one semester flashes by in what seems like a week and you will have trouble putting events into a timeline because it will have gone by so fast. And when you look back and think, “Wow, that was three months ago,” you will follow that thought with “Wow, that seems like just yesterday.”

But I digress.

You have to start thinking about being an RA pretty early on. You fill out and turn in your application.

Then wait.

And wait some more.

Then, sometime shortly before winter break, amidst all the turmoil of your first set of finals, you will receive a letter. The letter will either have information on when and where your interviews for the next phase are going to be held or letting you know that you will not be in the next phase. In the case of the latter, return to life as normal.

In the first case, you will stick this letter somewhere in your dorm, backpack or purse and most likely let its memory seep into the back of your mind and forget about it until shortly before you return from break. The thought process will go something like this: “Oh cool, I made it. Great. (While stuffing letter into backpack.) Time to study for XYZ final.” Take XYZ final, pack for home, leave for home, get home, enjoy home. Pack to come back to Austin, think “Hmm… I wonder whatever happened to that RA letter.” (See how it resurfaces at the oddest moments?) Spend five hours looking for said letter, forget to search backpack, freak out, calm down, return to school. Get to school, remember “Oh yeah, I wonder if that RA letter is here?” Spend five hours looking for aforementioned letter in tiny dorm room, again forget backpack, give up search, sigh that you tried and give yourself up to the idea that you’re an idiot. (Flash forward to stroke of genius.) Search backpack, inhale deeply and quickly with mixed surprise and shock as you find the letter. Set three alarms, the first of which goes off three hours before the first interview, the next two coming in 30-minute intervals. You are determined not to miss these.

Go to the interviews, show up at least 15 minutes early, calm nerves and drink lots of water (BIG mistake…). When they call you in, give them your biggest and brightest smile and pretend that you’re not nervous. Then you notice the itch in your bladder. Oh no, too much water and now you have to use the restroom. Pretend that you don’t, cover your pained expression as best you can. Go into interview, smile, be friendly, VERY friendly. Answer their questions, then thank them profusely and shake their hands. Pretend that you’re not doing the potty dance and that you’re not running wildly out of the room. As soon as you’re out of eye shot, run to the nearest restroom. Review the interview in your head, hope that they liked you and that the interview went well. Calm your nerves with the knowledge that the interviews come in a question/answer format and that they wrote a lot and that the spaces of silence were not awkward.

Return to your dorm room and sit and wait. Rinse. Repeat above for the second interview.

When your interviews are done, debrief yourself. Talk to your friends and obsess. They’ll tell you that you’re wonderful and that of course they’re going to want you as an RA. (Everyone loves compliments, even fished-for ones…hehe…little joke.) You will then wait.

And wait.

And wait, until the day on which you will find out whether or not they selected you as an RA. Spend this time reflecting and hoping and praying that they like you and that the interviews went well.

And then wait some more.

Currently, I’m in the waiting-some-more phase. Wish me luck!

Oh, keep the e-mails coming!



	Katie \| Profile \| Reflections \| Journal 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Fall 2002 \| Home
	Top Five Things to Do on Martin Luther King Jr. Day Wake up early. Then go back to sleep and stay in this state for at least three more hours. Plan to catch up on all that reading that you’ve had every good intention of doing, you just never got around to. Hang out with your friends. Enjoy the beautiful day outside… and if it’s not beautiful, enjoy the beautiful inside of your dorm room. Enjoy the beautiful back of your eyelids (yes, go back to sleep, don’t wake up until dinner). Becoming a Resident Assistant (RA) (Or, Learning to Wait) While this is not a particularly interesting topic to most of you, I’m sure, I know it’s something that you really start considering early on in your college career if you think that you’re ever going to do it. Why? Well, because the deadlines will sneak up on you like the days between now and then don’t even exist. Anyway, I know most of you are concerned with just getting accepted right now, but at least all the applications are done, or turned in and all you have to do is wait…and wait… And wait. The process for becoming an RA is similar. First, you fill out an application sometime early in November. When you first hear about it, you’re thinking to yourself, “Whoa, an RA? Me? Goodness, I’m still adjusting to this whole college life thing and they expect me to be thinking about next year already!” Yes. The truth of the matter is that the people who end up with the best apartments (the nicest ones, the ones closest to campus, etc.) already have a lease signed in October. “But wait!” you’re thinking, “School’s only been in session for two months! What’s going on?” Well, like all things in life, the early bird gets the worm. And in college, you sometimes need to be unusually early because college passes in the blink of an eye. If you don’t believe me, you will when you’ve been through a semester. Trust me, one semester flashes by in what seems like a week and you will have trouble putting events into a timeline because it will have gone by so fast. And when you look back and think, “Wow, that was three months ago,” you will follow that thought with “Wow, that seems like just yesterday.” But I digress. You have to start thinking about being an RA pretty early on. You fill out and turn in your application. Then wait. And wait some more. Then, sometime shortly before winter break, amidst all the turmoil of your first set of finals, you will receive a letter. The letter will either have information on when and where your interviews for the next phase are going to be held or letting you know that you will not be in the next phase. In the case of the latter, return to life as normal. In the first case, you will stick this letter somewhere in your dorm, backpack or purse and most likely let its memory seep into the back of your mind and forget about it until shortly before you return from break. The thought process will go something like this: “Oh cool, I made it. Great. (While stuffing letter into backpack.) Time to study for XYZ final.” Take XYZ final, pack for home, leave for home, get home, enjoy home. Pack to come back to Austin, think “Hmm… I wonder whatever happened to that RA letter.” (See how it resurfaces at the oddest moments?) Spend five hours looking for said letter, forget to search backpack, freak out, calm down, return to school. Get to school, remember “Oh yeah, I wonder if that RA letter is here?” Spend five hours looking for aforementioned letter in tiny dorm room, again forget backpack, give up search, sigh that you tried and give yourself up to the idea that you’re an idiot. (Flash forward to stroke of genius.) Search backpack, inhale deeply and quickly with mixed surprise and shock as you find the letter. Set three alarms, the first of which goes off three hours before the first interview, the next two coming in 30-minute intervals. You are determined not to miss these. Go to the interviews, show up at least 15 minutes early, calm nerves and drink lots of water (BIG mistake…). When they call you in, give them your biggest and brightest smile and pretend that you’re not nervous. Then you notice the itch in your bladder. Oh no, too much water and now you have to use the restroom. Pretend that you don’t, cover your pained expression as best you can. Go into interview, smile, be friendly, VERY friendly. Answer their questions, then thank them profusely and shake their hands. Pretend that you’re not doing the potty dance and that you’re not running wildly out of the room. As soon as you’re out of eye shot, run to the nearest restroom. Review the interview in your head, hope that they liked you and that the interview went well. Calm your nerves with the knowledge that the interviews come in a question/answer format and that they wrote a lot and that the spaces of silence were not awkward. Return to your dorm room and sit and wait. Rinse. Repeat above for the second interview. When your interviews are done, debrief yourself. Talk to your friends and obsess. They’ll tell you that you’re wonderful and that of course they’re going to want you as an RA. (Everyone loves compliments, even fished-for ones…hehe…little joke.) You will then wait. And wait. And wait, until the day on which you will find out whether or not they selected you as an RA. Spend this time reflecting and hoping and praying that they like you and that the interviews went well. And then wait some more. Currently, I’m in the waiting-some-more phase. Wish me luck! Oh, keep the e-mails coming!