Let’s talk about move-in day. Imagine moving across the country and arriving at your campus as a new student. You may be nervous. You may not know anyone. You may be anxious about what the year brings, or you may wonder what this new community you’re entering into may be like. Will they be accepting? Will you find new friends? All of these kinds of hopes, doubts, and fears are completely normal.
This is where bulletin boards and door decs come into play. They’re your opportunity, as a community leader, to…
- Start developing community.
- Set the tone and seed the culture for what your community will be.
- Make your residents feel welcome and included.
- Help your residents get to know one another and learn each other’s names.
- Provide helpful information to set your residents up for success.
There are even more outcomes than we list here, but by showing a little intentionality, showing your residents that you put in some time and care to make them feel welcome, you’re starting off on the right foot.
Now let’s get real, in reality, are students critically analyzing your bulletin boards and door decs the moment they get to campus? Probably not. However, quality bulletin boards and door decs will be noticed. One thing you must balance as a student staff member is the amount of time and effort you put into these. Is a door dec that took 5 hours to make going to have a bigger impact than one that took 1 hour? Probably not. Remember to balance and pace yourself with your time management. Think through the goals of your bulletin boards and door decs, and craft ones that fit that purpose. If you’re not a particularly “crafty” person. That’s okay! A clean presentation done with intentionality is what matters.
The key takeaway is that as an RA/student staff member, there are little acts you can do to make your community feel welcomed. Not every grand gesture needs to be you planning a huge program. Instead, take a moment and truly reflect on how you can be intentional. Intentionality: done on purpose; deliberate. Meaningful Door decs and bulletin boards are one way you can develop and flex this skill.
Check out our Door Dec and Bulletin Board Design and Ideas pages for some inspiration.
Reflection Questions:
- What are your goals for your door decs and bulletin boards?
- How can you accomplish your goals with an eye towards time management?
- How can you be more intentional in your efforts?
