ResEdChat Ep 116: Staying Connected to Your Work! with Bernard Nichols

In student affairs, especially Housing and Residence Life, we do what I like to call "shadow work"—outside the classroom, in late-night conversations, in the spaces where students grow into themselves. In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, Host Jasmine Nettles and guest Bernard Nichols talk about understanding "why" we do what we do, what keeps us going, and how our personal values and lived experiences have shaped the way we show up for students.

April 24, 2025

Your (Academic and Beyond) Year of YES!

Yes, I know there is a whole book about saying yes to new adventures, experiences, opportunities, people, jobs, you name it…find a way to say yes to it. Now, I never read that book but the title basically summed it up for me. This is my last blog post for my year of writing and... Continue Reading →

April 1, 2025

2+0+2+5

Regardless of when this blog is posted, I can still say Happy New Year to you! I hope the new year is off to the start that you were hoping for. If it's not, there is still time to turn things around (fingers crossed). A new year brings new possibilities, new adventures, new challenges, new... Continue Reading →

January 21, 2025

Thankful and Grateful: Taking Time for Gratitude as a Res Life and Housing Pro

An attitude of gratitude. I often have to remind my son, being grateful for what you have should never be taken for granted. The world does not owe anyone anything. So I try my hardest to have an attitude of gratitude. I personally celebrate Thanksgiving so when November rolls around each year, I get extra... Continue Reading →

November 26, 2024

Happy New (Academic) Year!

Why is it August already?!? Like, who authorized this? It was just May two seconds ago but now it’s August and in my case our students are headed back to campus. Now, your new academic year may not start until September but either way… Happy New (Academic) Year to us all! It seems only fitting... Continue Reading →

August 13, 2024

Hall Director Down: What I Learned From Balancing Health & Housing

Housing professionals are well accustomed to the process of handling a crisis. When your work involves maintaining the everyday homeostasis and safety of an unpredictable community, your ability to maintain calm and handle a situation can become almost uncanny. In our roles, we encounter a variety of urgent issues, from the most ridiculous of situations... Continue Reading →

April 9, 2024

4 Reasons Blogging Brightened My Year

A little over a year ago, I left my “covid institution” and transitioned into a role that allowed me to get back to the things that excited me about higher education. I was able to learn and flex new skills, I was shaping the student experience through systems and policies, and I generally felt that... Continue Reading →

March 19, 2024

If You Give a College Student a Cookie: Be Prepared For Anything

I was recently taking a moment to tidy up my office and came across the children’s classic, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" by Laura Joffe Numeroff, staring back at me from my bookcase. This book was gifted to me by my partner many years ago and has been a wholesome story I have... Continue Reading →

February 6, 2024

Cruisin’ Through College: What Residence Halls Can Learn from Cruise Ships

My undergraduate friends and I decided it was time for a reunion this winter break. Since graduating in 2021 and 2022, our crew had been experiencing the inevitable scatter that comes with leaving college life behind. No more meet-ups at dining halls. No more easy, late-night walks. Pre-funded and pre-organised events obviously became obsolete as... Continue Reading →

January 23, 2024

Navigating the Homecoming: Challenges College Students May Face Returning Home (Part 2)

The transition from the bustling independence of college life and a new place to lay one’s head in the residence halls to the familiar comfort of "home-home" can be a bittersweet experience for college students. While the prospect of reuniting with loved ones and reconnecting with childhood roots holds immense appeal and nostalgia for some,... Continue Reading →

December 12, 2023

The Many Ways of Defining “Home” in College and University Residence Life (Part 1)

As we enter fall and winter break season and many of our students may soon depart their residence halls and apartments to travel back to spend time with beloved family, friends, and pets, I wanted to dig a little deeper into the concept of “home” and what that means, both from a physical and philosophical... Continue Reading →

December 5, 2023

Public or Private? Where I found my fit in Residence Life

When it comes to finding your fit in Residence Life, it seems the differences in working at a private or public institution are not often discussed. Perhaps this stems from a tendency for professionals to stay within a certain institution type throughout their career or maybe it suggests that institution type is not a key... Continue Reading →

November 14, 2023

If You’re a K-Pop Fan, You Should Become a Hall Director

I first embarked upon my journey into the realm of ResLife in August of 2022. Having worked in just about every facet of my previous institution besides Housing, the culture shift was most certainly an adjustment. The acceptance of late night phone calls and last minute improvisation both became new and helpful additions to my... Continue Reading →

August 1, 2023

Sashay Away: A Long Time On-Campus Housing Professional Packs His Bags

I wasn’t supposed to live on campus originally. I had checked a box when I applied to the state institution 15 minutes down the road from my parents as a senior in high school. That checkmark could have very well shaped the next two decades of my life. Little did I know that by checking... Continue Reading →

June 6, 2023

A Love Letter to College Student Housing

As I sat down to author my final blog submission for this yearlong reflection through writing, my relationship with the profession kept coming up. If you add up my first experience of on-campus housing as a first-generation freshman, elected as hall president in my mostly male residence hall, I am wrapping up my 21st year... Continue Reading →

March 28, 2023

Stuff We Say in College Student Housing

In our field, there are a lot of buzz words that we use. While some are helpful, some dictate how we move about in the work. I want to explore some of those sayings and how they land for me. As you read through, think of a time when you have used or heard these... Continue Reading →

March 14, 2023

Surviving or Thriving in Housing? Maybe Both!

I remember the first time I heard the saying: surviving or thriving. I was an Assistant Director at a school in Northern California and we would talk about the importance of our students thriving and not just surviving. There was an urgency and a passion and I totally bought into it! In my opinion, surviving... Continue Reading →

February 14, 2023

ResLife, Rest, and Reflection. Looking ahead to 2023.

Sunrise illuminating the sky over rolling hills

The end of the semester comes at us like the down track on a rollercoaster. We’ve climbed and persisted up the track and hit some peaks this fall. As we gleefully enjoyed a winter break, it went by so quickly. Before we can fully catch a breath we’re ascending another climb into spring opening. As... Continue Reading →

January 17, 2023

Tag: Topic Reflections