res·i·dent ad·vis·er (n)- A student that sacrifices their sleep, grades, and mental health in order to assist and supervise other students who live in the same residence hall; they are often under-appreciated and underpaid for all they do.
Here are 11 reasons you should thank your RA, past or present.
1. Training
They spent 2 weeks sitting in a freezing cold room watching PowerPoints for 8 hours a day so that they could learn how to resolve all your roommate conflicts.
2. Decorating the Halls
They planned all summer for what their hall theme will be, spent all their money getting all the necessary supplies, and stayed up all night decorating for you.
3. Door Decs
Door decs go perfectly with the theme of the hall and the RA had to make 70 when there are only 50 residents because they want every letter to be perfect.
4. Move In
The most hectic time of the year is check in. 300 residents are all coming to move in to the residence hall all at the same time. The RA has to get 50 people to sign 4 different forms, give them a key to their room, be rudely questioned by parents, and deal with everyone that believes that their problem is the most important and has to be fixed first.
6. Loss of Social Life
The NEED to be constantly available for their residents makes a huge impact on their social life. Their friends miss them, their family is worried about their well-being, and their face may or may not be on a milk carton because they haven't left the dorm in days.
7. Getting Attacked
Residents with no home training will yell and cuss at their RA for no reason. They get in the RA's face and CUSS AT THEM for very simple things; probably because the resident lost their room key.
8. Lock Outs
Speaking of lost keys... RA's are called at all hours of the day (even when they are in class) to come let a resident back in their room because that resident can't be a responsible adult and keep up with their own stuff.
9. Emergency Situations
Fire, Tornado, Earthquake. No matter the situation, the RA has to stay calm. They want to be scared and freak out just as much as everyone else, but they can't.
10. Roommate Conflicts
Roommates fight over anything and everything, like, literally everything. Residents have been know to brawl over a pack of oreos even. The RA has to figure out a way to resolve the issue before it moves to a more dangerous situation.
11. Programs
RA's have to throw 3 programs a month on top of everything else they have going on. These programs are designed to make the resident a better person. The RA spends weeks planning and coming up with ways to make the programs fun and helpful, and usually have a turn out of 3 residents.
When you move in this Fall, please thank your RA.
