Ever since I took this RA job head on, I find myself being more and more responsible, behaving in ways that would have seemed completely out of character a year ago. I find myself staying in on Saturday night to study, cleaning my room on a regular basis, going to bed at a reasonable hour, even eating healthier. I go out with my “North Campus friends,� only to find myself checking the clock to make sure I’m back in time for the 2:30 am curfew, or earlier, since I know residents will be returning home from parties. Turning everything into a social “get-to-know-you� event has actually become my job, which last year was something I avoided like the Plague. I started the year off peacefully watching “Grey’s Anatomy� alone in my room, my happy hour of solitude. But as of yesterday it has become a weekly social program, where I provide food, learn the names of people from other floors, and make sure everyone is happy. I’ve turned my hour of solitude into another hour on the job. The fact of the matter is, I’m always on the clock, 24/7. Whether I choice to believe it or not, I’m a role model now, and my actions speak louder than my words. I actually have an affect on the people around me. They are actually important aspects to consider in my life decisions. I don’t simply have the convenience to do whatever I want anymore.
And I love every minute of it.
Change, my friend, is unavoidable and can hit you before you even see it coming. But I took my hit with open arms, and I’ve never been happier.