New Residents?

It's the end of the Semester, and that means a potential shift in residents. I had my final hall meeting of the semester last night, and found out that 2 of my residents are moving out (wow! 2!)

This also means new residents moving in. So, how do you introduce people to your already-established community?

By now, you're probably somewhat of a pro at community building (or, at least it feels that way to you) so maybe you feel like this won't be a problem at all. But, maybe it will be.

New residents means:

- Possible new roommate conflicts

- Possible lonely resident(s)

- Encouraging resident to leave room and join the others

- Spending extra time getting to know the new resident(s)

- Spending extra time getting the resident(s) to know your other residents

And all of this, on top of finals and a new semester? Yikes!

My tips for new residents is to always spend a little extra time talking to them, just like you would at the beginning of the semester. I also suggest bringing them to the common room with you when you're on duty, or having a movie night/game night and inviting them, pushing them into the community in the hopes that they meet some people in the hall.

New residents can be scary!! But can also be fun. Make sure you're welcoming your new residents with a big smile and a friendly attitude!