Resident assistants, every college has them, a few of us are them. There are a lot of assumptions about who we are and what we do. We are constantly under a magnifying glass, in the spotlight, and being criticized. But, we still manage to come back year after year, with one common goal; build a community. Here are a few things we want you to know.
1. We’ve seen it all.
The good, the bad, and the ugly. The job never gets any easier, we just get better at it with experience. So trust me, anything you’re not sure about telling us, there’s a 99% chance we’ve heard it before. You wouldn’t believe some of the things we’ve seen. Trust us when we tell you there’s very little we can’t handle.
2. If you lock yourself out at 3AM, please call campo.
I’m rolling out of bed, blind without my glasses, and stumbling to the door in the dark, panicking that someone is sick or hurt, all to find out that you forgot your key. Campus safety is on call 24/7, call them, or at least make the effort to find the RA that is actually on duty. I’m going back to sleep.
3. I can tell you’re lying, but I’m going to smile and nod anyway.
I won’t judge. I’ll just sit there and watch you struggle more and more with your story until your sentences start to lead with “Well, maybe it didn’t happen exactly like that.” I know it didn’t. We are going to find out the truth eventually so you might as well just quit while you’re ahead.
4. We aren’t out to get you.
Surprise! We actually don’t want to get you in trouble. Writing you up means staring at my computer screen doing paperwork until 3 in the morning trying to recall every detail of what happened when we could be sleeping. We want you to have fun, just do it safely!
5. No, I cannot take the extra furniture from your room nor can I fix your thermostat.
Sorry, I am not maintenance. I’m not a handyman, and I’m really not sure what you think I can do with that extra furniture anyway. And no, putting it out in the hallway is not okay and is only going to delay the process. BUT, I would be glad to direct you to someone who can and put a work order in for you.
6. If you rip down my bulletin board, you rip out a little piece of my heart.
I spent hours sitting on my bedroom floor doing arts and crafts instead of my ten page paper to try and make something you guys might actually like looking at. I don’t have time to make another one and you’re killing trees. Keep your hands to yourselves kids.
7. We are people too.
I know! Crazy, right?! We have papers, projects, and even social lives just like you. We are always here for you, but don’t think we don’t care when we don’t answer the door every time you knock. Another surprise for some residents, you’re RA doesn’t spend every second in their resident hall. We go out and do things too! I have a whiteboard on my door for a reason.
8. I don’t make the rules.
I’m here to enforce them, please respect that. We don’t always agree with them either, but it is what it is and the more respect you have for us and the rules the more respect we will have for you. However, if you are going to break the rules, please just try and be somewhat sneaky about it. Chances are we know what you are up to.
9. I’m not your mother.
I will love you like my own, but I will not clean up after you. Clean up after yourself.
10. We really do care.
We want to be proud of you, and most of the time we are, but sometimes you need to be set straight. Everything we do for you is for the best. When you mess up we just want to pick you up, brush you off, and move on. We took this job for a reason and we love it, even when you make us want to pull our hair out. Don’t be afraid to get to know us, we can be a friend and I promise we don’t bite. We are here to make your college experience the best and safest it can be. Nothing makes us happier than seeing you succeed.
