<p>OK so I'm a freshman and everyone's talking about where they wanna live next year. I wanna live in a nice typical sophomore dorm at my college. However, I have a full ride, so I was thinking of RA-ing, which would mean I'd get room and board paid on top of my scholarship, which would pay for my summer and semester travels which I otherwise dont have the money for and would have to do all loans.</p>
<p>BUT I'm thinking it would take away from the fun of college life due to having to live with all freshman in a crappy dorm, have to be home every night by 2am and not drink, and not have a roomie. I've gone back and forth on this so much...it seems that a couple grand would outweigh the costs...or should I wait til junior year when everyones moving off campus and then it wouldnt matter as much where i lived on campus anyway...</p>
<p>agh! any thoughts...experiences?</p>
<p>You really need to talk to some RAs at your school. They will have a good idea of your school's policies. I know for mine, a lot of the RAs got fed up with the management, and also got stuck with a lot of duties they were not told up front. There are a lot of nights they got scheduled to do rounds and be "on duty." With all the paperwork, and also dealing with any problems that arise, they lose out on sleep and actually do a lot of work for the pay in room&board. The food at my school really sucks, so that might play into it. They would end up buying groceries and eating out anyways, so it wasn't a huge cost savings.</p>
<p>If this would make your life a lot easier (not having to get loans), or if this is a coveted and popular thing to do at your school, then find out more info. If you find out that they have a hard time filling the positions every year and the people aren't happy, there are other ways. There are other options for living to cut costs. In my area, living off campus is cheaper than the dorms, especially if you don't mind sharing a room again. Living in a large house with many other people may cut your costs way down, and you can even shop in bulk with your roommates.</p>
<p>Don't be an RA; it would be unfair to your residents. You've stated that you're only in it for the money, and that being with freshmen and not being allowed out past 2am would suck. Okay, that's fine, but please keep in mind that the transition from HS to college is a difficult one, and some freshman need an RA to help them through the first few weeks, or months in some cases. There is nothing worse for freshmen who are having trouble adjusting then an RA who doesn't give a crap.</p>
<p>~A freshman who is extremely grateful for her wonderful RA</p>
<p>I am an RA who honestly is only in it for the money (although I do enjoy the job, but the money was the real reason I applied), but I did have the courtesy specifically NOT TO DO FRESHMAN. It would not be fair to them. I neither have the time nor patience to be a freshman RA, although it would be more rewarding. Being an RA isn't all that much work. I have duty every week (which means i have to be in my building from 5 pm to 8:00 am) on a week day and then about 6 weekend days a semester. I get paid $300/month on top of my housing so it is a good deal. </p>
<p>Be an upperclassman RA, because you don't owe your residents a ton, because they are just grateful to be left alone.</p>