College Being

The following is a guest post by our friend Max Carter from Tales from Your Favorite RA. We personally love his style of a novel-esc writing so be sure to check his blog out!

My name is Max Carter and I am an RA at a small college in Maine. I am often asked by parents what my role is as an RA. What do you do, they ask me. Well, not much. But sometimes I have to clean up messes, break up fights, and even *gasp* write people up for being naughty. (We are not allowed to spank… yet. But I hear that’s one of Obama’s top priorities for 2009. RA spanking: yes we can!) So, how can you make your RA’s life easier? Here are some ways:

Don’t smoke pot…

Don’t smoke pot and try to bunk your beds. If you want to bunk your beds, ask your RA and he or she can get the proper materials for you. In fact, don’t smoke pot in the dorms at all, or the pot-sniffing dogs will sniff you out.

If you are not feeling well…

If you are not feeling well and are able to get to the bathroom, you should be able to make it to the toilet. Seriously. Vomit is one thing; diarrhea is inexcusable.

Don’t try to pick a fight…

Don’t try to pick a fight with anyone within earshot unless you’re really big and strong. Or on PCP. You’re invariably going to get the snot beaten out of you. In fact, don’t try to pick a fight regardless of your size. It just creates a lot of paperwork for your RA and a black eye for you.

Be quiet…

Be quiet after quiet hours start. It’s very simple. If quiet hours start at 10pm on your floor, you probably shouldn’t be banging nails into your walls at 3:30am. And when you’ve waken up all of your neighbors and your RA asks you if it’s you making all the noise, don’t deny it. The hammer in your hand gives you away.

Don’t ask…

Don’t ask your brand new RA if he or she can remind you each morning to take your meds. This is not going to end well for you, your hall mates, or the school. And it puts your RA in an awkward position. And after weeks of not taking said meds, mumbling the phrase “al Queda” while pacing the halls alone is probably going to scare some people.

Keeping your RA is simple. Be respectful of other people and their backgrounds. Colleges – even in Maine – are very diverse. Follow the rules. Clean up after yourself. Break your party up after quiet hours. Seems simple, but a lot of people forget the rules and pay the price. I have two residents right now who are going through AA and doing community service because they got drunk and were too belligerant. Most important rule of all: don’t be stupid.

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by James (The Hippie)
on November 4th, 2024
Posted in Life Lessons
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The Flu to Not in 24 Hours!

Image credit Leonid Mamchenkov

It is flu season again. This is how I cured the flu in 24 hours:

Multivitamins

Take one multivitamin in the morning and if you are regularly taking multivitamins also half of one at night. Being deprived of vitamins will not help you get any better and vitamin C has been shown to make your immune system stronger. Keep your immunities high. Be sure to eat at least a little bit before taking your multivitamins so that your body can process all the vitamins.

Eat

When we are sick, we usually do not have much of an appetite. It is important to eat however in order to get nutrients and vitamins to help you get better. Some foods that always taste good even when I am sick are organic apples, apples sauce, soy milk and granola, rice and beans, bananas, pasta, and tomato soup. Soy milk also always makes my throat feel better if it was feeling dry and scratchy and rice and beans contain all the protein you need during the day without having to eat tough foods.

Drink

I don’t mean alcohol here. You will want to stay away from things with alcohol and caffeine as they will dehydrate you. Make sure to drink plenty of water. You should be getting more than the 8 cups you are normally supposed to get in a day—and even more if you are having stomach problems. Also, tea is a great choice and will bring some flavor to your water.

Sleep

Take a day off. Skip school and work if you can either make up the work or if the class just sucks. Sometimes even a fraction of your Physics attendance percentage point lost is worth it if you get better quicker. All you should be worried about is getting better. Plus you do not want to make other people sick like that girl you made out with last night made you sick.

Watch TV

TV is a big time-waster and generally it is good to stay away from it unless it is Monday night at 9pm and you are watching Heroes on NBC or unless you are trying to get over your cold. Watching a lot of TV will make that horrible time of running noses and headaches pass quicker. Plus, TV usually helps some people fall asleep. Just be sure to go outside.

Go Outside

Be sure to spend at least 15 to 30 minutes outside even when you are sick. If you do not your body will not be able to process that vitamin D from the multivitamin you took in the morning. Also going outside is a great way to get some fresh non-stuffy air unlike the air inside your closed-window apartment.

Be Healthy

You know how to be healthy. Just make sure to wash your hands, eat healthy foods, take a shower, get some fresh air, etc. You will be better in no time. Let me know in the comments below if you know of any secret methods to get over a cold or the flu.

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