A photograph of the Fond du Lac lighthouse, taken by Jim Bauer. (flickr)
I'm a biology major, mostly out of interest in health and healthcare. I'm graduating this year and will be headed to medical school in the fall. It's exciting to start looking towards the next chapter in my education. Before you ask: nope, I'm not set on a particular specialty just yet. I've got a "keep my doors open" philosophy about the whole thing, and I get the feeling that I'd be happy in a number of fields.
As the title to this post suggests, I work as a resident adviser (RA) in Cate Center, specifically in David L. Boren Hall. I love the job because I get to talk to other students and make friendships as part of my workday. It's always neat to see someone on campus who used to be a resident on my floor; I'm always happy to learn what they've been up to since. The residents on my floor this year are very active as a community which is a gift and a curse: sometimes reigning them in means being the bad guy (but hey, that's seldom!).
As far as hobbies go, I play video games when I find the time, and like to go running when I work up the motivation (so far this new year's resolution is falling flat). Every weekend, my pals and I play Dungeons and Dragons, which I swear isn't nearly as nerdy as it gets a rep for being. I get the feeling actually that there are a lot of similarities between DnD and this class! Both are exercises in storytelling, just in different ways.
Hey Dakota! I think it's super cool that you're an RA. Some of my best friends are RAs and they absolutely love it! Have you RAed for more than just this year? I bet you have some great stories! I look forward to reading your (along with everyone else's) blogs throughout this semester.
ReplyDeleteYES, Dakota: Dungeons and Dragons! I played it back in the day, and I mean BACK in the day (1970s) when it was still a new thing. And that is an absolutely perfect intersection with this class: if you want to do a D&D-inspired project for this class, I think that would be wonderful! You might be interested in this article: Therapists Are Using Dungeons & Dragons To Get Kids To Open Up ... and here's a fun cartoon: Role-Playing: Then and Now :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Dakota! First of all, congratulations on getting into medical school! That is an amazing accomplishment and I wish you the best in med school. Also, its pretty cool that you are an RA at cate, I enjoyed my year in the dorms, but was ready to go after my year. I look forward to reading other posts you have this semester.
ReplyDeleteAh, another DnD nerd. It's good to know there's a few of us (one of the other people I commented on was also a DnD players), and I agree - although it definitely depends on your group as to how much of an exercise in storytelling it really ends up being.
ReplyDeleteAs for your major and career path, all I can say is that I don't think I could ever do it. I always hear 'horror stories' about med school and how tough it is, so anyone willing to go through it has my respect!
Hey Dakota! Being a biology major sounds super cool! I used to be a bio major with plans to study genetics and focus my life on that but things change and I digress. Congratulations on finishing up and graduating this semester! As for being an RA, I have a few RA friends and from what I’ve heard it’s a really rewarding experience, and it sounds like you agree. I feel like we have multiple DnD players in our class this semester. I feel like it’s really been on the rise lately, haha. And you are so right about the storytelling overlaps between this class and playing!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on getting into medical school. As a (possible) pre-Med student and Chemical Biosciences major, I know how tough that path is, so it's awesome that you got in! Hope your last semester isn't too bad and I wish you all the best this year with medical school. I'm sure you'll figure out the perfect specialty for you!
ReplyDeleteHey Dakota! Congrats on getting into medical school! That is so exciting! I am also a Pre-Med student who is not set on a specific specialty just yet, so I completely understand your mindset of keeping the options open. I think it's really cool that you are also an RA because I have lots of friends that are RA's and they all love it! Good luck with the rest of the semester!
ReplyDeleteDakota,
ReplyDeleteI actually know a few RA's in DLB, and I know that you all create a really awesome environment for your students! I also love that you play DnD... I've just started getting in to it and I really enjoy the storytelling aspect and chance to place yourself in the character's shoes. It seems that a lot more people are playing it lately, which is really exciting.
Hey Dakota! I loved Wisconsin when I visited, people are definitely proud of the cheese there! I admire the fact that you're an RA, I don't think I could have the patience for that job sometimes. You certainly sound like you really enjoy it and all of the people you've met through it. I'm sure as an out-of-state student, that's a great way to meet all kinds of people! I also liked your reference to DnD! Very cool! Good luck this semester!
ReplyDeleteHi, Dakota!
ReplyDeleteIt was so exciting to see that you had commented on my blog, and cool to know that we're both taking this class! We'll have to chat about it sometime when we're both in the RA office. I also love running into past residents on campus, and am sad to think that won't happen much longer!
Thank you for your feedback on Yellowstone! Have you visited any parks other than the Grand Canyon? Are there any national parks in or near Wisconsin?
Hi Dakota! First of all, congratulations on getting into medical school! That is an amazing accomplishment and I wish you the best in med school, and I hope to see you there soon! That's really cool that you play dungeon and dragons! I've always wanted to try it but have never really had the time to put into it. good luck with the class!
ReplyDeleteHi Dakota!! How fun that you're an RA! I loved my RA when I lived in the dorms, so it's fun to see how you're impacting others' lives. Congrats on medical school, that's a huge accomplishment and something to be proud of! I have only been to Wisconsin when I was really young, but I think it's time I go back. Hope you've liked Oklahoma! Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteHi Dakota!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations for getting accepting in medical school! That is such an incredible achievement. I have hopes to get into medical school in the next few years, but I am looking into becoming a neonatologist. But I am with you, I think I would be interested in several different fields.
I have never been to Wisconsin, and pretty much all I know about it is that it gets crazy cold! I have a friend that attends school at Oshkosh, and she loves it there.
Good luck with your future in medicine!
Hi Dakota! Congratulations on getting into med school. I think it's cool that you're an RA. That seems like the type of job that could get frustrating sometimes, but would mostly be fun. I loved my RAs when I lived in the dorms. I also think DnD sounds like a lot of fun. I've been meaning to play myself, but I've had some trouble getting a group together.
ReplyDeleteHi Dakota! Nice to meet you. I am so amazed that you are going to med school! I considered it, but I just couldn't handle the prerequisite coursework. I can relate to the whole keeping your options open kind of mantra. I am a bit indecisive so I totally understand. Is being an RA really that awesome? I kind of considered it, but I never did end up going for it. Maybe I should have. Anyways, I can't wait to read your stuff since you clearly have some storytelling experience.
ReplyDeleteHey Dakota! It is nice to meet you. That is cool to know that you grew up in Wisconsin, and I am glad you ended up in Oklahoma. That is awesome that you want to go to med school! Where will you be studying medicine? My sister is in her fourth year at OU Medical School, so that is why I am curious! Good luck with your future endeavors!
ReplyDeleteHi Dakota! Very nice to meet you! Congrats on getting in to med school! Im very jealous as thats my goal as well! With regards to what speciality, I get asked that all the time and share a similar mentality. The DnD part of your introduction made me laugh because I know exactly what you are talking about as I was very skeptical about the game myself. However, one summer a couple friends got me to play and got super into it! Would love to play again if given the opportunity!
ReplyDeleteHey Dakota! It must be fun but a big responsibility to be a resident advisor. I thought about being one my freshman year, but descried not to because of the time commitment. I am impressed by anyone who can be any type of science major. I'm your friendly art history major, the likes of which you have probably never seen on campus.
ReplyDeleteHey Dakota! Nice to meet you. Congratulations on getting into medical school, that is a huge honor and I am sure you worked very hard to get in. My sister is in her third year of medical school right now and she absolutely loves it. Also, I have thought about being a RA. I feel like it would be awesome to interact with all of the students. I hope your semester is going great and I wish you the best in the future!
ReplyDeleteHey Dakota! You seem like a fun and chill dude, so I bet your residents love you. My freshman RA was super fun and laid back and it made the experience much better than what some of my friends had. Congrats on medical school! I wish you the best of luck with it. My brother graduates from OU's med school this May and he just matched to a surgical residency. The past four years I've seen him put in a lot of hard work into his studies, but he always felt like he wasn't doing as good as he could have been. On Match Day, he found out he matched to his number one pick, so just remember that it is possible to achieve what you want, even when it feels like the classes are beating you. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh Dakota, I literally laughed when I read your post. I am starting med school next fall too, and have no idea what specialty I want to do either. People are literally so disappointed when I cannot tell them exactly what kind of doctor I want to be, even other doctors! But congratulations I know how hard you have worked for that and I know the excitement is building up, you deserve it!
ReplyDeleteHey Dakota! It is great to meet you! Congrats on being a senior!! I am also preparing for graduation. It is such an exciting time in our lives, I still have one semester to go because I delayed. The lighthouse from your hometown looks so nice. I love being by the water so much. Good luck with the remaining weeks of the semester.
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