<p>I heard there are many perks to being an RA, one of them being free room and board in some colleges. However, I don't really consider myself the leader type, and I feel like this would be a challenge for me personally. Is it hard to be an RA? I don't want to underestimate myself and miss out on an opportunity. What does an RA go through on a daily (or weekly) basis? Are there things I have to learn before becoming one? I won't be living on campus in the near future, but this is something I would like to know about.</p>
<p>I’m thinking of applying to be a RA at my school for Spring semester. Also wanted to know how challenging it would be too.</p>
<p>I think students and parents underestimate the demands of being a good RA because they are so eager for the free room and board. RA’s often have crazy hours (need to cover buildings overnight), frequently have to deal with drunk and disorderly students (check your college crime log - most calls for over-intoxicated students start with an RA finding them), need excellent people skills (will be called upon to resolve roommate issues on a regular basis), and need to be committed to doing the job (not just committed to getting something for nothing). If you are seriously interested in this type of position because you will find it rewarding then go ahead - if you just want to get a free room - leave it to somebody else. BTW at least at my daughter’s school the selection process is intense and just applying does not guarantee getting the position.</p>
<p>The best way to find out the workload might be to ask the RAs at your school. At my school, the workload for the RAs varied on the residential facility they were in and the different colleges in my school had different requirements. There are also different responsibilities based on the time of the year, what events are going on, perhaps over breaks, etc. It’ll vary by school and by how dedicated you are. I know an RA who did barely anything (he was on duty when required, and then just give his residents ice cream every once in a while), but I’m sure other RAs are very involved and dedicated. It might also depend on who your residents are–second years might be more low maintenance than first years, transfer or international students might be more low maintenance than second years (but, of course, there might be other problems that you have to respond to in different living arrangements).</p>
<p>Ok well I had a pretty close relationship with the RA at my school and I can say that you don’t necessarily need to have a leadership badge on your shirt. All you really have to do is assert the power you’re given early (this won’t be hard because you’ll already be titled the RA and with that at least “some” respect will be given to you). </p>
<p>I would suggest you to just be a regular student, don’t power trip and don’t be undermined by the residents. It’s almost like the “enemies are the best friends” effect – once you have their respect and converse with them on a general level, they’ll give you the utmost respect.</p>
<p>At the most you’ll have to:</p>
<ul>
<li>Deal with high residents (nothing to really deal with at all)</li>
<li>Deal with drunk residents (a whole different story lol)</li>
<li>Clean up after some residents (things left in the bathroom, outside of the garbage, outside of the room)</li>
<li>Rally up the floor for floor meetings / dorm meetings</li>
<li>Schedule events for the dorm</li>
<li>Put up bulletins</li>
<li>Work around the dorm at night (front desk, lobby, longue area, etc.) (This is probably the hardest part until you get used to it)</li>
<li>Make sure everything is orderly</li>
<li>Stay for breaks</li>
</ul>
<p>Sometimes people make this job seem so hard when it really isn’t. All you really need is people skills, patience,</p>
<p>I am about to enter my second year of being an RA. Although the perks are great (now getting a free ride basically), it is a challenging job. There are definitely sacrifices that you have to make for this position. Apart from staying up late when you are on duty, and dealing with drunk residents and drama, there is also the social aspect that a lot of people forget.</p>
<p>At my school, since there are so many students, the RAs are really put in the spotlight (literally we are basically like celebrities on a small scale) and it can be hard to escape it. Partying with residents at my school is totally not okay and it can be challenging trying to balance a normal college social life while at the same time being a role model to the residents that stay in the residence halls.</p>
<p>Definitely think about it and get really good information on the position because you don’t want to end up being that RA who gets the job and then quits halfway during the year.</p>
<p>Also, the list that 908kiddo put up is pretty spot on, sounds like its from a real RA. </p>
<p>One last thing, only do the job if you actually want to get to know residents and help them. Even college freshmen can easily tell when their RA is just there for the perks and not there to benefit them at all, and no one likes that RA either.</p>
<p>Thanks for the insight, everyone! Although I am still thinking about becoming one, I definitely won’t be doing it the first year I’m there. I want to at least know my way around and know which halls are good and bad before I try to take control of one, haha. I do love helping people and I think being an RA would be interesting and add to my college experience.</p>
<p>I was good friends with all the RA’s in my hall the past year so I can tell you what its going to be like. This is how it worked at my college so your mileage may vary, but I’d like to think this is an accurate depiction of what its like to be an RA for most schools</p>
<ol>
<li><p>You will be expected to prioritize your RA duties over school work. This is contrary to what they tell you beforehand and if you have a demanding major then now is a time to practice time management</p></li>
<li><p>On weekdays, you work desk in 4 hour shifts. On weekends, I think they are 6 hour shifts and end at 1 AM. Sometimes you will have to fill in for your fellow RA’s if they can’t make their shifts, but it evens out in the end. </p></li>
<li><p>Sometimes you have to be the bad guy. But please be hard on the rules or else no one will care about enforcing them. My RA was a pushover and since I lived in the “party hall”, I had to live through some ridiculous and disgusting living conditions. </p></li>
<li><p>Depending on your hall, your residents may or may not want to socialize with you. It varies because generally people are nice but the more socially awkward students in the quiet halls won’t even say hi back to you.</p></li>
<li><p>You will have a lot of mandatory meetings to attend - one once a week plus a monthly one plus you have a quota of one program(event) to throw for the residents per month. It’s easy to BS programs but its depressing to put in a lot of effort and see not that many people show up.</p></li>
<li><p>Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Spring Break first half, Spring Break second half. For one of these vacations you will have to stay & monitor the hall, which may be empty and boring. </p></li>
<li><p>Be prepared for residents to randomly go up to you and ask for school or life advice, whether or not you are busy atm or have any advice to give.</p></li>
<li><p>You have to write up EVERYBODY for alcohol, and while you can be lenient if nobody is watching, don’t let it be a habit. If you see a resident drunk you have to write them up and then walk them back to their room. If a drunk resident throws up and you hear about it, you have to call an ambulance because it is policy, so if the student is in a serious condition the dorms can’t be sued for doing nothing about it. Even if you know its not serious you still have to call them. </p></li>
<li><p>You can’t go to a party if there is even one reason to believe underage drinking is present, and if you are under 21 then you pretty much can’t go to parties period if there is alcohol. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>I’ve been told RA’ing is really rewarding but it’s a massive commitment to make. A lot of people are interested just because you get a double room to yourself and free food but the application process weeds out the people not suitable for the position. You might also be required to take a Leadership class before or while applying, and if this is your first year I would recommend just volunteering in your dorm’s resident government because to get the job you have to be known as a team player</p>
<p>If you want to do it just for the free room and board then become a PSA (public safety assistant). Basically you work late night shifts as security but most of the time you walk around in empty hallways, hanging out with your partner PSA, and tell students to be quiet and respond to any reports. You still have to attend meetings and work desk but it’s not nearly as demanding.</p>
<p>I’ll see how demanding my workload is once I start living at school (won’t be there til junior year of college) and I’ll make my decision then. Thanks for all the advice!</p>
<p>It greatly depends on the assignment. Freshman dorms are horrible! My school also had parts of dorms for athletes only, which is a pain, too.</p>
<p>You should talk with your own RA and see if it would be a good fit for you.</p>
<p>I think I’ll get a regular job on campus, lol. Being an RA seems a little bit too demanding for me, especially since I’m be (possibly) having a full load this year, and I’m just getting used to the “college experience”.</p>
<p>I was an RA in college, and I supervised RAs for 2 years as a hall director.</p>
<p>There are two main components to an RA’s job - duty/crisis management/helping students and planning programs.</p>
<p>Different colleges have different requirements when it comes to programming; my university program required 1 program a month. My undergrad required 6 programs a semester. With the help of your hall director and maybe some other RAs, you put together events that are designed to help your residents relax, learn, and enjoy life in their own residence halls. We’ve had movie screenings, nighttime bike rides, picnics, mystery dinners, sexual health parties, internship/career panels, etc.</p>
<p>The other part is helping residents. Many of my RAs would hold “office hours” once a week or twice a month where their door was open for residents to come by and chat. Often residents will just knock on your door when they have a problem and want to talk, and you’ll have to deal then. Sometimes your hall director will email you and ask you to check in with a student or handle some issue. And then there is of course being on duty. When you’re on duty you can deal with anything from a roommate conflict to a suicidal student. You never know what you’re going to get on the phone. Sometimes your hall director will call you for support in a situation. You can be on duty anywhere from once a week to several times a semester.</p>
<p>There are also some administrative duties. RAs have to turn in financial forms when they purchase things for programs; they have to attend meetings (usually weekly) as well as one-on-one meetings with their hall director (mine were biweekly, with some flexibility for exams and stuff).</p>
<p>It’s very true that most intox calls begin with an RA! Freshman dorms aren’t horrible - it really depends on your personality. Some people (like me in college) really like working with freshman because they have tons of questions and need a lot of work, and they are more likely to come to your programs. As a hall director, I enjoyed upperclassmen more because they were more hands-off and really only needed my assistance in serious situations, and I was very cool under pressure.</p>
<p>Honestly, if you want it for the free room and board it’s simply not worth it. My RAs who did it for the money savings were miserable.</p>
<p>You don’t need to be a leader in the traditional sense. Rather, you need to be able to connect with people. When I was a hall director I made a point to hire all different kinds of RAs on my staff. The loud, first-one-to-talk style doesn’t work with every resident; some residents are more comfortable with quiet and reserved people. Some of my most committed RAs were a bit withdrawn - until they started interacting with their residents, when they were warm and friendly.</p>
<p>There are many things to learn before you become an RA, but they are taught to you. RA training is typically an intense week-long orientation. It’s a lot of fun (I love training!) but it’s very exhausting!</p>
<p>RAs at my university are not expected to clean up after their residents. You’re an RA, not a maid. You may have to ask people to remove their own belongings though. RAs at my school also did not stay for breaks unless they volunteered to be on duty, and there were no RAs on duty during winter break.</p>
<p>I loved being an RA and I loved being a hall director, too. I will miss it - I am only leaving because I got married and need to write my dissertation now. Res life is really awesome and the people are like 90% fantastic.</p>
<p>Being an RA was the best preparation for me to become a physician. It prepared me more than any research, shadowing or volunteering opportunities. I was awarded Resident Assistant of The Year twice. Juillet is accurate and I think every potential RA should read that post. But to be a successful RA, you have to lead by example. I didn’t drink, didn’t party, and took a genuine interest in my resident. I became an RA at 18 during my sophomore year (the school was desperate and had to replace an RA who transferred). But after my 5th semester, I was burned out and had to quit the job. It wasn’t worth the room and board when the grades suffered.</p>