I have been attending New Jersey City University for four years working towards a

bachelor’s degree in Marketing. Along with taking fourteen credits this semester, and I am

beginning to get involved on campus in many different ways.

I am the editor of the Opinion / Editorial section of The Gothic Times, a Rising Knight

Peer Mentor, and Vice President of Advertising and Promotion for NJCU’s Collegiate Chapter of

the American Marketing Association / Business Society. As much as I am on campus, and the

workload I took on this semester, you would probably assume that I am a dorm resident.

I actually live with my parents and little brother exactly twenty minutes away from the

university. This has become my downfall because I don’t have the opportunity to interact with

other students who live on campus. In addition, I am not learning how to live independently by

living with my parents.

I heard certain students say that they are Resident Assistants (RA) in the Co-Op, Vodra

Hall, and 2040 dormitories. I never thought of the reasons why they chose to have those

positions, and I also didn’t know the benefits of living on this campus.

However, after looking at videos and pictures on Instagram and Snapchat of the activities

that take place in the dorms, I became interested in becoming an RA because of the freedom and

responsibility I will gain by having that position.

According to the Director of Residence Life, Tamar Lawson-McPherson, there are 207

resident students: 103 in Vodra Hall and 104 within Co-Op Hall, including seven RAs. In

addition, there are currently three RAs and fifty-eight students living in the dormitory at 2040

Kennedy Boulevard.

Next semester, I plan on becoming an RA to provide students with a positive living

experience during their time at NJCU. Prior to attending NJCU, I spent a semester at a university

in Bridgeport, Connecticut as a dorm resident. I established a good relationship with my

roommate at the beginning, but later on it got complicated.

We didn’t see eye to eye with certain things, such as her asking me to wake her up so she

could do her laundry—as if I was her mother. She liked sleeping with the television on, and I

didn’t. I kept my side of the room clean and organized, while her side was always messy. I took

my time getting ready for class. She woke up, and went straight to class.

I couldn’t tolerate living with her, and I put in a request to live with another student.

After I moved in with the other student, the situation got worse. My new roommate allowed her

friends and random people to come in her room whenever they wanted to, without considering

the fact that I was there.

They were rude, loud, and randomly talked about me while I was sleeping. She never told

them to stop or try to defend me in that situation. At that time, I wanted to go home, and stay

there because I didn’t fit in with the other students who were living on campus.

I would like to prevent this from happening to other students by using my experience of

how I was living. I don’t want any student to be in that situation, and make the decision to

transfer out of NJCU.

As students of NJCU, we all need to get involved on campus – whether we are a

commuter or dorm resident. For example, a commuter can go to an event prior to going to an

evening class to enjoy themselves, or attend to a black-and-white formal as a reward for working

so hard in the semester. A dorm resident can attend events during the day without being late for

their class, and have fun.

Being involved on campus is important for everyone because it can open up a lot of

networking gateways with other students, as well as faculty and staff. The connections you have

while you’re in college can help you get your foot in the door when you’re starting your career,

and be ahead of everyone else.

Even if I become a part of dorm life or not, I will continue to take steps to be involved in

the NJCU community. How about you?