Last on Campus

Prior to this very finals week, I have never before stayed through the entire period of alternating reading days and exam days. As an English major, generally papers substitute the traditional sit-down exams, so I have not had an exam that keeps me on-campus for finals time. However, this semester is different, not because I have exams that force me to be on campus. No, I still mainly have take-homes and papers. I will be here to the very last second of semester, after 12pm on the 21st when everyone else is meant to be gone, because I am a Resident Adviser.

Being an RA this semester has been probably one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life so far (admittedly, 19 years is not really a long period of time). From my daily interactions with residents to fire alarms and lock-outs, from loads of paper work to incidents that make you just want to bawl your eyes out, everyday brings something new. I have learned more about myself and other people than I ever thought I could in a job. It is admittedly sometimes a difficult job, but I feel so well-suited to it that it has become a part of me. Part of it means sacrificing somethings, like time with my family and the ability to leave before the very last second, but it also means infinite rewards. So in the season that is all about giving, I will leave you with this:  I have seen the returns tenfold of giving a little bit of my time each day.