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Ever thought about becoming an RA, but didn’t know if the RA lifestyle suited you? Well, you’ve come to the right place because your RA lifestyle questions will be answered. Here are some of the top experiences that all RA’s will have and you may need to prepare yourself for if you plan are becoming an RA.
You will get woken up in the middle of the night
Part of the Resident Assistant position is answering emergency calls from the duty phone. These calls can come from residents, security or even your supervisor. It sucks having to wake up out of bed at 3 a.m. because a resident’s toilet clogged and is flooding the hallway, but someone has to do it.
You will become well known on campus
This one has it’s downsides and upsides. The upside is that you will become a little popular and meet a ton of cool people. You will be seen as a leader on campus. The downside is that students will start to get scrutinized on your every move, especially if you are on a smaller campus. You are now a role model, so you will need to act like one.
You will have super awkward moments when you spot your residents at parties
Nothing is more awkward and annoying than seeing your underage resident at a 21+ party. Having to balance having a good time, acting like you don’t see them, and keeping an eye on them is draining. And yes, as an RA you always on the clock, if they get drunk and something happens to them, they can always say that you were there and didn’t do anything when they were dragged away by a creepy guy.
You will do a lot more desk work than you think
I’ve talked to other RA’s on other campuses and everyone has some sort of paper work they have to complete. Weather that be incident reports or weekly floor updates reports, or even filling out work orders for when there are issues in the room. You may not have to do all three, but at least one will probably be apart of your week. You might also have to desk sit too, in the lobby of your residence hall and check people in.
You will have to make door decs and bulletin boards
Door decs and bulletin boards get old really fast. Door decs are like nameplates for the door that are handmade by the RA, and usually, RA’s get put in charge of putting together a bulletin board for their residents. Each gets changed out numerous times throughout the year by the RA. It’s fun the first time and then gets tedious, especially when your residence tear them down after you spent a week making them for your 40+ residents.
You pay will suck, and you will most likely be broke.
The RA position comes with one great perk that makes people apply for the job and that’s the free housing, and or meal plan. Some school provides both, while others only provide free housing. On top of that, you get paid. RA pay sucks, and will most likely have you living paycheck to paycheck. Some schools allow you to get a job on top of the RA position while others don’t.
You will impact lives
The RA position is a thankless position. No one will ever say thank you to you, but just because you aren’t outwardly thanked doesn’t mean you aren’t appreciated. Everybody remembers their first RA and their first door dec. Your residents will remember you for years to come and the impact you made on their lives. You get to decide whether that impact is negative or positive. You are their confidant, their friend, their den mother/father, and one of the first friendly faces they see.
Now that you learned a little bit more about the RA lifestyle do you think the job is for you? It’s definitely not for everyone, but it can become a fun an impactful position, one where you end up meeting the most amazing people.
