![Nelson Hall Resident Director Kendall Engelke Davis looks over to see what Resident Assistant Chloe Smith paints. For her weekly 8 p.m. staff development meeting in Nelson Shack April 16, Engelke Davis held a watercolor event to relieve stress. “It’s a unique opportunity to get to really invest and be in [RAs’] lives,” Engelke Davis said, “which I consider such a privilege.”](http://thebuclarion.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/041624_KendallEngelkeDavis_Holland_05-1200x800.jpg)
A senior’s perspective on small talk.
Danny Schmitz | Multimedia Editor
The first week of college is stressful for several reasons. Adjusting to dorm life, feeding yourself, remembering everyone’s name, balancing bedtimes and not to mention your 16 credits worth of homework. But all of these stressors pale in comparison to the myriad of small talk we suffer through. After 48 hours we are able to recite our name, major and our hometown in our sleep. But what does it take to go beyond the small talk script? What questions should we ask? What answers should we have prepared? Here are a few questions to help us survive the first few weeks of school small talk:
Beyond the basics
The first week of college is stressful for several reasons. Adjusting to dorm life, feeding yourself, remembering everyone’s name, balancing bedtimes and not to mention your 16 credits worth of homework. But all of these stressors pale in comparison to the myriad of small talk we suffer through. After 48 hours we are able to recite our name, major and our hometown in our sleep. But what does it take to go beyond the small talk script? What questions should we ask? What answers should we have prepared? Here are a few questions to help us survive the first few weeks of school small talk:
Why did you decide to go to Bethel?
Could you drink milk through a straw for the rest of your life?
Describe yourself in three words.
What is your first memory?
Getting a little more intimate
What do you like best about yourself?
What is your family life like?
When was the first time you farted audibly in public?
Tell me about a time you were proud of yourself.
Lets get weird
Your friends catch you singing karaoke. What are you singing and why?
How much cheese is too much cheese?
You sneeze and get a booger on your sleeve. What do you do?
What part of your body sweats the most?
Bringing it home
What are you looking forward to?
Are you more like your mom or your dad?
What are you passionate about?
What makes you different?
This is by no means an exhaustive list of questions, but hopefully they are enough to get us talking or laughing uncomfortably. And who knows, we may even make a few friends in the process.