Resident Assistant, Resident Advisor, or whatever else you may call it: they are one of the most underrated groups of people on college campuses. They work to help new students fall in love with a school and make them want to stay. They teach you the ways of college, where your classes are, what events you can attend, and where you can find any other information you may need.

But what do people really think when it comes to the RA? They think of the annoying person that tries to make you go to events, and are for some reason are always happy. They think of that buzzkill that gets you in trouble for being too loud or drinking in your room. But have you ever stopped to think about what an RA is and what an RA does? Here are a few reasons why RAs are underrated.

1. RAs are always RAs. Have you ever heard of the “fishbowl effect”? If you haven’t, just think of it as exactly how it sounds. You’re in a fishbowl where everyone can always see you. As an RA, you can never stop being an RA: everywhere you go, you are referred to as the RA. Always. It’s inevitable.

2. They are great listeners. They will listen if you go to them crying your eyes out over your ex. They will listen to you until no end while you’re complaining about your roommate. They will listen as you drunkenly yell at them for no reason. They are practically underpaid therapists.

3. They are always working. RAs work 28-hour workweeks and are full time students. With that, on top of homework and any other extracurricular activities, RAs have no conception of “free time.” It’s nonstop. After a long day of work or class, you can go back to the comfort and isolation of your room. After a long day for an RA, they live where they work. They can never escape.

4. They are not that different from you. More than likely, the only difference between you and your RA is the fact that they were smart enough to get their room and board paid for. Get to know your RA. I promise if you get to know them and realize they are just people, you would have a totally different view.

5. They are constantly bombarded with paperwork and deadlines. Check in and out forms happen more than you would think. When you’re too stubborn to fix problems with your roommate and you chose to run away, they have to fill out the paperwork. Check ins, check outs, room changes, safety concerns, academic progress...there is paperwork for all of that, and more.

6. Parents treat them as babysitters. You may not know this, but chances are when you moved in, your parents practically quizzed the RA. They ask for the RA’s phone number, and asked for the RA to constantly check up on you. Before you know it, the RA gets a call at 3 a.m. on a Tuesday from a panicking parent because you haven’t called them in four days.

7. RAs have to constantly keep their sh*t together. Being an RA is a constant struggle. Staying cool and collected 24/7 is the hardest thing you will never have to do. No, RAs aren’t always happy, but they have to pretend to be. They have to have an emotionally stable façade to be a role model for you, all day, every day.

8. They miss part of their college experience. They don’t get to go out every night with their friends because they have duty, and when they do go out they still have a curfew. Staying out until the break of day is not an option. While you’re enjoying the full college experience getting drunk, they are busy cleaning up the bodily fluids you left in the community bathroom. But, on the off chance an RA does decide to go out and have a little fun, they have the constant paranoia of having a resident see something that they really shouldn’t see.

9. They spend time planning events that no one comes to. Pizza, candy, movies games—sounds like a blast—and yet no one shows up. They take time and effort out of their lives to hang out with you and you don’t bother to even stop by and say hi.

10. They aren’t out to get you. People always think RAs are out to get them, but they aren’t. They are paid to enforce the policies of the residence halls, but if they can avoid writing you up for breaking those policies, they will. Enforcing policies is the smallest fraction of the job. RAs are so much more than just the stickler you think they are. Next time an RA comes knocking on your door for policy violations, try to take a step back and understand they probably don’t want to be getting you in trouble.

RAs are people, too, and they do so much more than what you see. So cut them a little slack, because they are just college students trying to get by.