Article by Amusement Park Enthusiast and Community Director, Tamarah Humphreys
A school year being a student leader in Residence Life is a lot like riding a rollercoaster. Let’s climb in, securely fasten those seatbelts, and get ready for a wild ride of a school year as a Student Leader.
Waiting in Line – You’ve got your ticket to the ride! Applying for the job, interviewing, getting hired, and then waiting…for several months. It’s a lot like having your ticket for the rollercoaster ride, but then seeing that the line goes on and on and on. I have always loved a rollercoaster, but oftentimes I don’t even want to go to an adventure park because the lines to get onto the rides are too long and they take too much time. As an impatient person, it feels like a lot to put up with. The anticipation can be a lot to manage, but eventually, you get to the front of the line.
Boarding the coaster and beginning “the upward climb” – You finally got to the coaster! Yay! Now for that slow climb up the hill as the ride begins. The Residence Life professional staff team is making sure that your seatbelt is securely fashioned and that you’re prepared for your adventure. Training can feel a lot like the upward climb on a rollercoaster…it seems to go on and on. There’s so much to think about and the training days just keep piling on more and more information. It is simultaneously boring and nerve wracking all at once.
The first big drop – The students arrive. All that anticipation has led to this moment! It’s normal to be a bit nervous. Focus on what you’re doing and how you want the rest of the year to be set up. The first drop on a rollercoaster is the biggest, it sets up the rest of the ride. Use this time to your advantage and to gain momentum for the year ahead!
Leveling out – The first weeks go by and you get into your flow, you’re having fun and getting used to it.
The Loop-D-Loop – You might be thrown for a loop-d-loop at some point along the ride…er…em, school year. Maybe your supervisor leaves, maybe a fellow student leader isn’t doing their job and you need to talk with your supervisor about it, maybe you had Fall Break plans that couldn’t happen because of duty schedules…sometimes we get thrown for a loop. Focus on what is within your control.
Bumps Along the Way – There will inevitably be bumps along the way on the rollercoaster that is serving as a student leader. These bumps could include a myriad of things from submitting a report that you didn’t write as clearly as you should have to hosting a program that only a few residents attend. Try your best to deal with the bumps, but if you fear the cart is about to go off the track, take some time to communicate with your supervisor.
Along the rollercoaster of your time as a student leader in Residents Life, there will be lots of ups and downs. There will be some super fun parts and some parts that you may find a little scary. The good news is that your start of the year training, although not always the most exciting, will help get you prepared for this rollercoaster ride!
Eventually, all rides come to an end, and come May or June, all riders get off the rollercoaster that is being a student leader in Residence Life. Sometimes when you’re on a ride it’s a joy to make it to the end, while other times you wish the ride could go on forever. There may be an opportunity to get back in line or you may get to go out into the world using what you experienced on the rollercoaster as a point of nostalgia and hopefully propel you forward into even bigger adventures!
