Back in Action

Wow! It's been a long week! I flew into little Rock last Saturday night. On Sunday after church I drove to Monticello and moved into the dorms then found my new co-workers and got to know them. Then began the week of RA training. We've done everything from CPR training to Drug ID classes. We did a class on suicide and alcohol and we learned how to write people up. We also did a ropes course on Wednesday. We've also been preparing our building for what I have lovingly termed the attack of the freshmen. Today is the BIG day! It's move in day. In two hours I'll be sitting in the lobby checking in around 150 girls a bunch of them (probably 70%) are first time freshmen. This is a fun day because I get to meet so many new people it's such a blast!! Anyway I just wanted to get on here and post to say hello to everyone and let you all know that I am doing great. Continue to pray for me that my year will be a good one in which I can do a work for God.

Love you guys!!

Yvonne

Us College Kids an our digital camera's. . . the results of boredom in a dorm room. . . .or a. . crosswalk.

I was browsing facebook earlier and I found myself laughing at some of the crazy pictures me and some of my friends have taken. Most of us have digital camera's and we often find ourselves playing with them to ease our boredom. One would think that us intelligent college kids could find something better to do. Anyway I thought I might share a few of my favorite silly pictures.

The RA's like to have fun with the camera at the end of the year!

So hanging out the windows of the dorm is so against the rules but I wasn't there so. . .

We had a snow day!!!!! (in the middle of March!)

I wasn't there I have nooo idea what she was thinking

I made a pretty snow angel!!!!

The RA's enjoying Christmas break!

She thinks her name is Wendy!!

We had 80's week in the dorms. Yes I put pink in my hair! I even went to Wal-mart like that LOL!!

I was trying for sexy? LoL we took one of me standing in front of a poster that said Bodacious but I liked this one better.

I think we are in Wendys here and I was bein retarded.

All the residents moved out that day we were happy!!!

Well I hope y'all enjoyed my crazy pictures! I'm looking forward to another year full of them!!! I'll be sure and share!!

Love you!!!

Yvonne

Almost time for another year. RA Training, Move in Day and the First Day of Classes

This summer has gone by so fast! I got to go to Scotland which was absolutely amazing! I've had such a wonderful time in California with my mom it just went by too fast!!!!!!! I fly back to Arkansas on the 9th of August and I have to be back in the dorms on Sunday the 10th. From there it's a week of R.A. training. I'm excited because I'll be working with 3 brand new R.A's and it's going to be such an awesome year. RA training is basically a time when all the RA's (there are about 20 in all) get together for classes in things like CPR, recognizing the signs of drug and alcohol abuse, how to properly write someone up, that sort of thing. We also do a day of team building exercises in which we go out to some camp and do all of those crazy rope climbing exercises as a team it's pretty fun! During this week we also have to do RCR's (Room Condition Reports) on ALLL the rooms in our halls. Meaning we have to go through each room and document it's condition. This consists of counting burns on bookshelves checking to make sure the sinks aren't clogged and the lights all work. This way a resident doesn't get charged at the end of the year for damage that was already there. Use to it was a really slow process for me as it is for any new R.A. but now I can do a room in about 5 minutes but there are 75 or 80 rooms in the hall that I work in so yeah that's a lot of paperwork for four girls especially when 3 of them are brand new LOL. We also have to decorate our halls and do bulletin boards during that week and everything has to be ready by Saturday night because that Sunday is MOVE IN DAY!!!! Move in day is so awesome. All the campus organizations like the Baptist Collegiate ministry and Missionary Baptist Student Fellowship send out members to help people move in. The RA's are stuck in the lobby all day long checking people in explaining the gazillion forms the residents have to sign before we give them their keys. It sounds like a lot of work but it's actually kind of festive. Unless of course you get snotty freshman! One year we saw a freshmen girl slap her mother it was freaky!!! After check in on Sunday morning and afternoon comes the infamous first hall meetings. We have 3 meetings from 7-9 that are for each floor. At these meetings the RA's have to act all rough and tough but still come across as halfway caring while we explain all the rules and conditions of living a residence hall setting. Being an RA has greatly improved my leadership skills because I have to be the authority on many issues it's a real learning experience. It's not always easy to balance enforcing the rules and being friendly with your residents. If you're in a dorm life situation look into becoming an RA! Most Res Life departments have great stipend packages. My school pays all my room and board my meal plan and 12 hours of my tuition and fees it's pretty awesome! I don't know what I would do without it!!!! Anyway once Move in Day is over comes the first week of classes. Monday and Tuesday are just registration days for incoming Freshmen and the first actual class day is Wednesday. I'm going to try something new for the incoming freshmen on my hall. I can remember being a Freshmen and not knowing where ANYTHING was! Even if you go on one of those guided tours with the Ambassadors or whatever it's usually really brief and you forget where everything is by the time classes start because you usually do those tours in the middle of summer or the end of your senor year in high school. So this year on the day before classes start I'm going to offer a little service to the incoming Freshmen in my Dorm. I'm going to have those that want to meet me in my room with a copy of their schedules. Then I am going to show them where their classes are. Not only will it help them not feel so lost on their first day of classes but it will be a great way for me to get to know my residents!

This is Royer Hall where I live and Work

Have you ever lived in a dorm? Even if you haven't what are some things that I as an RA might be able to do to make dorm life more fun for the girls in my hall? I'm always open for suggestions and comments.







Love you guys!!!!!!!!