Things to do for the Arrival of your RAs
1. It is always beneficial to have something in their rooms to welcome them (small gift, welcome basket, personal welcome note). It can be placed in the night before. Door decs should be posted the night before arrival.
2. It is nice to personally meet them at a certain time and place. Help them unload their cars, if possible, and meet their parents, siblings and/or friends.
3. Survey their rooms and note any problems on RCR. Report all major problems to get taken care of ASAP.
4. Ask them if they need your help running errands (if they don't have a car) or if they have any questions that you can answer. (perhaps, plan a trip to k-mart, staples, Stop-n-Shop, and etc. for when your whole staff arrives)
5. Give them a run down of the nights events and let them settle in, say goodbye to their family and/or friends in private, and relax.
6. Make sure they have your extensions (so they can get in touch with you) and tell them that you will see them at a designated time when all the others have arrived.
7. Try not to let them see that you are stressed out. They are refreshed, excited and can easily be jaded by negative attitudes - 1st impressions are key.
8. Don't assume that they know what is expected of them, spell everything out and ask if they understand. This is the time of year we can devote to teaching them properly and doing such will take care of problems later.
9. Bond with them as much as possible now because it will get hectic shortly and if you don't build up the relationship with them now, it will be hard to do so later on.
10. Remember to make time for yourself. You will need to keep your sanity and feel energetic, so escape for at least 1 hour per day.
By
Nancy DeStefano Irving College RHD SUNY Stony Brook