Another school year is starting, and that means a new batch of freshmen are heading to college. As freshmen, there’s a decent chance that you will live in a dorm, and that likely means having a Resident Advisor, or RA, living in close quarters. RAs are peer leaders who supervise residence halls at universities. I was an RA last year at my college, and I learned a lot, so I’m here to share my knowledge! So, without further ado, here are 10 things your RA wants you to know.

1. We’re students too!
2. We have full schedules, and many of us have extracurriculars and jobs other than being your RA. We have social lives and we’re people!
3. We put a lot of time and effort into your Door Decs. Door Decs are door decorations with each resident’s name, which RAs put up on doors. We really tried on these. Not all of us are crafty, but we all care. Please do not tear them down.
4. We appreciate it when you come to hall meetings and events.
5. We know other RAs. And we talk. We can find out what’s going on in pretty much every part of our building, and, to a lesser extent, in every residence hall on campus.
6. Few things get past us This is partly because of our network, but partly because it’s our job to pay attention. We’re in tune with the culture of our hall and building.
7. We’re there to keep you safe, not to get you in trouble. RAs aren’t sadists. We get no pleasure out of getting residents in trouble. We have to fill out paperwork, and that’s an enormous pain for us.
8. Our doors may not be open 24/7, but our inboxes are. Email us. Text us. We will get back to you as soon as we can. We’ll keep our doors open a lot, and some schools require RAs to have weekly open-door hours, when anyone can come in and talk. However, our phones are often the quickest way to get in contact with us.
9. We know that every resident wants different things out of their relationship with their RA. You may really like your RA and want to go to the dining hall with them a few times a week. You may only see them a few times a month.
10. We aren’t here to make friends, but we will. We’re not trying to be your buddy. That said, I became good friends with my freshman RA, and with a few of my residents. That’s not uncommon at all.
11. We want to know about you! We’re happy to talk about your classes or anything else. And we want to go to your events, be they swim meets or a cappella concerts.

Your RA is meant to be a resource, a bridge between you and your college’s resources. If you have any questions about college living, dorms, or life in general, don’t hesitate to reach out to them!