At some point or another, you had a community assistant (CA). You were, or are now, a freshman moving into the residence halls and the CAs were there to welcome you with open arms. You went to upper campus and the CAs were more of a mentor to guide you through apartment-style living. Even when you moved off-campus or commuted, you still had some type of tutor or guide that helped you through—that is the goal of a CA. We are here to make your campus living, academic and social life thrive as you pass through BU. We are those mentors, tutors and guides that aid you through the years and hope that you make the best of them. You may have left your CA behind, or you just got a new one a couple weeks back, but here is some advice from one CA to you on how to make this semester the best you can.
Get involved with your living community
If you are living in a residence hall, you have a great opportunity to attend weekly programs and meet a group of neighbors right next door. Go and talk to them. Over my years as a CA, students have told me that some of their closest friends have been made in the residence halls and that was their favorite part of freshman year. Be that person that goes door to door and introduces yourself. Go to the programs that the CAs put together and meet someone new. Use the social areas, such as the lobby and lounges, and play some games. There are so many opportunities for you.
If you’re on upper campus, there is so much space for social events. While the weather is nice, bring your charcoal grill and roast some food with neighbors (they have to be 50 feet away from any building). Go to the volleyball net at MPA and play some sports. Use the intramural fields for picnics, a quick game of soccer or just to lay out in the sun while it is nice. At the end of the day, watch the sunset: upper campus has some outstanding views.
Get involved in clubs and organizations
College is not just books and grades; there is a wide world of different clubs and organizations that BU has to offer. Do you like swimming? Do you like golf? How about Pokémon? There is a club for just about everything, and it is only a couple clicks away. Use HuskySync, the campus’s BOLT-style application made for clubs, to see what is available for you. If we don’t have a club that interests you, then start your own!
Get involved off-campus
Bloomsburg is rich with opportunities that happen off-campus. If you want to see a play or musical, head to the Alvina Krause Theatre downtown and enjoy their live performances. If you are looking to donate some of your spare time, head to the United Way of Columbia County and help out with some community service.
Ask for help when needed
CAs can’t tell you what to do in terms of when to study, what time to go to bed and what major you should be in. We are meant to be guides to help you through your hardships. If you need a hand, don’t be afraid to reach out. Along with that, don’t wait around for a CA either. Reach out to a friend, a professor or some of our resources on campus so we can provide you with all the help we can give. Our campus community is huge—take advantage of what we can provide you!
Have fun, but be smart
Our goal as CAs is not to take away any part of your college experience. We want you to have the best experience that you can have and only you can provide that for yourself. That being said, we want to provide you with ways to be safe and smart when you participate in your extra activities off-campus. Many of our programs focus on consent, safe sex practices and the risks that come from drinking. We want you to be the best Husky you can be and being safe and being smart is a part of that.
Keep a positive attitude
As the semester comes to a close, assignments keep piling up. More and more events are happening in your individual clubs and organizations. The list goes on and on, but you continue to only be one person. Times get tough, but the only way to keep moving is with a positive attitude. CAs try hard to keep spirits high and provide that bit of positive energy to keep you going, but the only way to really get the gears turning is by giving yourself that positive energy. Go to the gym and relieve some of that stress through exercises like yoga. Get a free massage from the CGA sponsored event that happens at the end of the year. Take an hour and play some video games with your friends. Discover what keeps you positive. That energy is what is going to keep your grades up and your spirits high as you make this Fall semester the best one yet.