Resident Assistant, Community Assistant, Graduate Assistant; whatever we are, we're all working toward the same cause: building community, and hopefully keeping our area from tearing itself apart for an entire school year. There are a lot of assumptions about RAs: what type of people we are, what we do as our job, and how we conduct ourselves. We live in a fishbowl, constantly under the spotlight and a critical eye, but somehow, we all manage to survive, year after year. Here are a few things your RA wants you to know.
1. I don't spend my whole life on duty.
Duty is only about 20% of being an RA. Every single time I see certain residents, they ask me, "Are you on duty?" On a staff of eight RAs, no, I am not on duty every day. I'm wearing my ResLife sweatshirt because it's cold and I haven't done laundry in a week, so it's my only clean outerwear. Not because I'm on duty.
2. I'm not trying to get you in trouble.
When you break policy, that requires me to do paperwork. At 2:00 a.m., usually. Believe me, the last thing I want to do is catch you breaking policy, because that usually involves me staring at my computer screen and starting every sentence with, "Wait, so what time did we leave for that round?"
3. When you rip down my bulletin boards and door tags, I cry a little, and then I get heated.
Every time an arts and crafts project gets taken down off of the walls in a Res Hall, a piece of an RA's heart dies. I spent 10 hours of my life that could have been devoted to Netflix sitting on my floor, cutting and gluing little circles to make you the coolest "Monsters Inc." door tags ever. Please, just leave them where I put them.
4. I carry the walkie-talkie because I have to, not to make me look cool.
Although I do feel like the coolest person ever when I successfully make a radio call without stuttering, the radio pulls my pants down every time I take a step, so I would prefer not to carry it, but I have to. No, it's not to intimidate you. No, you can't play with it.
5. I don't believe you, but I'm smiling because I'm good at conflict resolution.
If I continue to stand here and ask you to tell me the truth for five minutes, I know you will eventually. I'm not going to judge you. I'm just going to sit here and twiddle my thumbs until you start your next sentence with, "Well, okay, so this is what happened."
6. I will put on cool programs if you start showing up to them.
I know how to bait you: "Program at 8:30! FREE FOOD!"
7. I cannot unlock your door.
It's 3:00 a.m., I am wearing my PJs, I can't find my glasses, and I stubbed my toe trying to get out of bed when I heard the knock on my door because I was afraid somebody was seriously hurt or sick. I DO NOT HAVE A KEY TO YOUR ROOM. Call Campus Police. You're welcome.
8. I knock so hard that my knuckles hurt sometimes. I don't understand how you don't hear it.
Health, Fire & Safety checks got us like: *knocks so hard knuckles turn red* "RESLIFE!" *waits three to five seconds* *knocks again and winces because my hand is sore from doing this 60 times* "RESLIFE KEYING IN!" But yet, somehow, somebody always manages to sleep through all of that. If you think a HFS check hasn't been conducted while you were napping in your bed right in front of us, you're wrong.
9. Most common phrases used:
- ResLife!
- Keying in!
- RA on duty!
- *groans when Control or the RD calls to your area over the radio between rounds, because that means you have to get up*
- What time did we leave for that round?
- Do you even go here?
- He doesn't even go here
- Have you actually talked to your roommate about this?
- Do you have a cleaning schedule?
- Let me check my Pinterest board for ideas
- Are you okay?
10. 99% of the time, I love my job.
But sometimes I want to pull my hair out.
11. I love my residents.
My residents are awesome. I affectionately refer to them as "one of mine" sometimes when I see them doing something I'm proud of them for. I go to their sports games when they ask, I high-five them when they get an A on a test and tell me about it. Nothing makes me happier than seeing them happy and doing well!
I'll just leave you with this:
