Notes to RAs

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Notes to RAs

• Just replace Terps with your school mascot.
• Put your room number on the last slide of text
• The pictures at the end correspond to key phrases
  in the text slides
• Order does not matter

• Thank you!
• Teddy Powers
• RA, The University of Maryland
• Questions? tpowers_at_umd.edu

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Tips on Being a Leader of Terps
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Figure out what youre good at, and then get
better at it. Richard Bach said, Ask yourself
the secret of your success. Listen to your
answer, and practice it.
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Be a role model. A leader is one who does not
only lead in certain situations but lives his or
her life as an example of strength, dedication,
and purpose.
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Live with passion. People are attracted to people
with emotional vitality, and will want to follow
you. People run away from fires but toward people
whose hearts are on fire.
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Do not give in to negativity. If something is
wrong, work to fix it. The world is a mix of good
and bad. Leaders accentuate the good and strive
to reduce the bad.
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Work harder than anyone else. Thomas Edison said,
Genius is one percent inspiration and
ninety-nine percent perspiration.
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Maintain an unwavering sense of conviction.
Believe in what you say. Say what you believe.
Never be afraid to do the right thing, even if it
is unpopular or difficult. The Bible says, And
let us not grow weary while doing good, for in
due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
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Listen to others and try to block out your
thoughts when actively listening to others.
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Tell the truth. Dishonesty is a sign of weakness.
You are not weak.
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Be willing to start at the bottom in a student
organization. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
said, If life makes you a street sweeper, be the
best street sweeper you can be."
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Stay humble. When you are successful, give
yourself a self-five in private, but never
broadcast your ego to others.
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Be confident. Look the part by keeping your head
up and shoulders back. Act the part by believing
in what you do and where you are going.
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Acknowledge and encourage others successes. Let
others know when they are doing well, and urge
them on when they are struggling. The Dalai Lama
said, If you want others to be happy, practice
compassion. If you want to be happy, practice
compassion.
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Do not use curse words. When you are in true
pain, swear words have been proven to reduce your
pain. Otherwise, cussing only lessen others
respect for you.
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Figure out what your weaknesses are so that you
can consciously improve on them. The Koran says,
"If you don't have the capacity to change
yourself and your attitudes, then nothing around
you can be changed."
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Follow through with what you say. A Jewish
proverb says, Do not be wise in words be wise
in deeds.
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Do not be afraid to fail. Imperfection breeds
improvement. Confucius said, "Our greatest glory
is not in never falling but in rising every time
we fall."
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Fill yourself and those around you with
self-fulfilling prophecies about future
successes. Saying goals aloud will help make them
so.
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Have a sense of urgency. While the length of your
life is unknown (but finite), your (insert school
name) experience will likely only be four years.
You do not have any days to waste in life and
especially in college.
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Consciously try to put yourself in unfamiliar
situations to learn about people different from
you. A leader is someone who can lead not only
those who look and act like him or her, but
everyone.
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Stop by (YOUR ROOM ) to talk about what
organizations might be good for you, and ways to
maximize your successes in any group. I want to
see everyone succeed, and I want to help you get
there.
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Role model
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Heart on fire
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Good and bad in world
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perspiration
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Sense of conviction
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listen
Dont swear
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Tell the truth
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Dr. Martin Luther King
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Stand up straight
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weakness
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confucius
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Unfamiliar situations
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The University of Maryland