One Step at a Time

This week, I noticed some small tendencies within the residents. Instead of being as active and fun-filled, the residents really seemed to have a calmer weekend. Most of them stayed at the dorms to complete homework,  decorate their rooms for Halloween, and they rested. Now, I was a little worried when I was  noticing a lot of the residents were not doing anything.. But I realized that they might just be tired and need the recuperation from school, work, and life. I feel that some of the residents were definitely feeling more homesick this weekend than any other weekend. They just had their parents here last weekend and I think that they are hitting the stage of a OS!M that they are really on their own in terms of taking care of themselves as they transition into the adult world.

I talked to one of my resident's about how she was feeling at the moment with almost being half way through the semester. She told me that it has been interesting road with a lot of flat ground and a lot of mountains that she had to climb. Something stuck with me though. She stated " I have just been putting one foot in front of the other, taking one step at a time." I definitely think that the last part about "one step at a time" reflected what this week and weekend was about. This was a week to gather their thoughts and actions to a more meaningful relaxation and pondering of what they really want from their college experience. I had been sitting in on a conversation between a few of my residents and they were talking about their classes. Some of them were questioning why they were taking those classes and how they would help them in their education or with their future lifestyles. One of the students in particular was upset with his English 101 teacher because he felt that he was not giving him the feedback that he needed to grow as a writer. He talked with his professor and solved the problem. It was great to see that they were able to analyze what was going on and then to act upon what they needed help with!

"One Step at a Time" could seem like an over stated quote, but in all honesty, I feel that it fit the moment that the community was having this past week. In a way, it reflects what my bulletin board has on it. It shows the "Finding Nemo" characters and way to "De- stress your life." But what I am thinking about now is Dory saying "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming."