Personal Narrative: My Experience As A Resident Assistant

I anticipate that the most challenging aspect of the CLS Program will be the limited downtime to recharge and de-stress. However, my experiences as a Resident Assistant (RA) make me confident in my ability to adapt to these challenges and thrive in the CLS environment.

Being an RA is a time intensive role, as it requires constant daily interaction with residents, and the ability to immediately respond to crises that arise within the residence halls. In addition to being an RA I am a full time student carrying 18 credit hours and working a part time job. For my RA position, I have received training on individual coping mechanisms for managing stress such as breathing exercises and group based games for dealing with stress. I will use this training to cope with my own personal stress during the CLS Program and to help my fellow colleagues manage their stress.
For the past year, I studied Arabic intensively resulting in me attaining a score of intermediate high on all aspects of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages scale. I take full advantage of all language opportunities at the University of Maryland including participating in weekly speaking sessions with native Arabic speakers. I am at a point in my Arabic studies where I have gained the language confidence to fully benefit from the immersive linguistic experience offered by the CLS