<p>Good, too common, etc.?</p>
<p>i would think of it as a job. you are compensated through a discount on your board and room expenses. not too sure i'd call it an EC since there is some sort of compensation involved and obligations agreed to as well. whereas a club, sport, or some sort of activity is pretty loose. you can do whatever you want essentially in any of those and it's mainly just volunteering. that's how i'd look at it anyways.</p>
<p>Okay, let's call it a job then. How is it viewed compared to various ECs and other jobs?</p>
<p>My current RA may be a bad example because he almost doesn't do ****. But most RAs seem to have a pretty big responsibility on their hands, after seeing all of the work and crap they have to do. So I was wondering if the effort, payment and possible detriment in academic activity was worth it.</p>
<p>I just went to one of the sessions and it doesn't seem like my sort of thing to be honest. To be happy with the job you have to be extremely community-orientated and positive i.e. have lived a normal life without being *<strong><em>ed in the head yet. If someone told me at 4AM in the morning that they were having suicidal thoughts I would probably tell them to *</em></strong> off, it's your business. And the time commitment (20 hours a week) doesn't seem worth the possible detriment in GPA.</p>
<p>i think being an RA can help you if you're interested in student affairs, possible human resources or any sort of counseling.</p>
<p>If you're considering being an RA for the money and benefits, it's not worth it, but it will look nice if you're going into a human services-oriented field (incl. student affairs, hr, counseling, education, etc.). It's also a major personal growth experience that could teach you personal, relational (incl. conflict management), and administrative/organizational skills that will be helpful/essential in any career you may choose.</p>
<p>I think it requires you to care about crap more than it requires you to learn administration skills. Most of what I've seen RAs do is organize random stupid events that have nothing to do with anything. And what administration skill does it require? Show up and tell the children a bed-time story, that's what. In general, it seems to lean more toward the parental type -- I guess that's why RAs consist mainly of women and gay men.</p>
<p>As far as administration goes, dealing with campus events, making sure people have access to information, needing to know the resources on campus for any problems, and also making sure all of the paperwork is taken care of. Being an RA is extremely administrative, as well as a major confrontation skill builder. The "stupid programs" as you call them are only stupid if you dont enjoy whats going on. If your an RA, do programs that you like. Last weekend, my floor and I went and played tackle football in the snow because we had 6 inches of fresh powder on the ground. Everyone loved it.</p>
<p>And as far as being an RA on a resume, I know that many businesses love hiring an RA, and several of my friends who have had interviews, much of the interviewers questions were directed at the RA experience. </p>
<p>BTW, I personally dont know any gay male RA's, most of my coworkers have girlfriends and are pretty cool guys.</p>
<p>Ha ha, you guys are so gullible. I was just joking about not being an RA and said crap about the job to see what other people would take of it. It's a great job and I like it for the most part.</p>
<p>fascinating</p>
<p>I've worked in H-R, including recruiting college students for internships and jobs after graduation.</p>
<p>Students who've been RAs are regarded highly by recruiters in many fields because the job requires a high level of maturity and responsibility.</p>