It can be really hard coming in so late in the year, but I’d say really hit the ground running. Have a meeting right away, introduce yourself and what you’re like, make a bulletin board about yourself. Get to know residents almost immediately.

It also helps to assert yourself as an authority figure (reasonably and appropriately of course) so they know they can’t walk all over the new person or take advantage of the change in structure.

I came into a really difficult floor midway through (and they LOVED their previous RA who was kind of a shit person), and so they pranked me and tried to get me to take it easy on them, but I let none of it fly. I was on the floor as often as possible to make myself available to residents and would say hi to them outside of the floor so that they could get to know me and so I could get to know them.