Every college student has a different opinion of the resident advisors, or RAs, on campus. Some students develop close friendships with them that will last a lifetime, while other students grow a hatred towards them—probably because at least one RA has had to write them up or issue them a fine. (I know it sucks dude, but come on. They’re just doing their job.) Some students see their RA as an older brother or sister. Some only look to their hall advisors when they are in need of help. Of course, there are also students who will develop a crush on an RA or two as well. However, in my opinion, the luckiest guys and gals on campus are the ones who have the privilege of dating one.
If you’re one of those lucky few, like me, then these 12 signs point straight to you.
1. You Come Back to Your College Town Earlier Than Everyone Else.
If you and your significant other are attached at the hip, like me and my boyfriend are, you go where they go. So when it’s time for RA’s to report for duty a week or more before school starts, your summer or vacation is cut short too. On the bright side, if you live in a college town, it will be almost empty until the semester starts and traffic or crowded stores will not be an issue.
2. You always have to help finish door decs at the last minute.
3. And then you must run to get the door decs hung up before 5 p.m.
Once you've agreed to help your RA boyfriend/girlfriend finish their door decs, they will proceed to tell you that they not only have to be complete by 5 p.m., but they must all be hung on the proper door by 5 p.m. as well (of course, this is all happening at 4 o'clock!). It will feel like they're expecting you to accomplish an impossible task, but with the help of each other, and a lot of glue, you always find a way to get it done.
4. A few times a month, you're trapped in his dorm room all night.
RA's aren't allowed to leave their building while they are on duty, so if you want to see them, you're forced to go there (and being there usually means struggling to cuddle and watch Netflix on a twin-size mattress for hours).
5. You've become his/her personal delivery driver.
If you aren’t roped into spending the entire night in their room with them while they are on duty, you end up becoming their delivery driver for the night instead. They will ask, “Will you bring me food?” or, "Can you bring me something to drink?" or, "Did I leave my laptop charger at your apartment? Will you bring it to me?" (There will always be another delivery needed in a few hours too.)
6. You're attending events for residence halls you don't even live at.
Not only are RA's required to go to all of their own residence hall's events, they often feel obligated to attend other RA's events as well. Which means you're attending most of these events with them (even if you live off of campus). Hey -- at least there is usually free food or free t-shirts right?
7. You often get stuck sitting with them during their office hours.
If you're dating a resident advisor, you know that they have scheduled hours they must spend in the front office of their building every week. They always ask you to swing by, because let’s face it -- they are bored and probably miss you. Most of the time, there is almost nothing for them to do, let alone anything for you to do or help with. So, you usually end up sitting in the chair across from them twiddling your thumbs for two hours. On the bright side, it guarantee’s a couple quiet hours together to catch up and talk every week.
8. Parents love your boyfriend/girlfriend.
Part of their job as an RA is to make sure that the parents of their residents feel comfortable dropping them off every semester. They are professionals at gaining the trust of parents. So, when it is time to introduce your boyfriend or girlfriend to yours, you know you won’t have anything to worry about. They have had plenty of practice, after all.
9. You have a free designated nap area on campus.
College students probably need naps more than kindergartners do, and having an RA as a significant other means having your own personal nap paradise on campus to use between classes. RA's often do not have roommates, and have larger rooms -- having a nap with your boo thing all that more enjoyable. If you do not live on campus, this is an even bigger advantage. You just added 30 minutes to the duration of your nap by not having to leave campus, deal with traffic, or struggle with school parking lots. Congratulations!
10. Freshmen swoon over your boyfriend or girlfriend.
It’s not uncommon for freshmen to develop a crush on their RA’s. When they’ve moved to a new town, and are feeling lost on a big campus, their RA can become a source of comfort. It's easy to see how a freshman (or any resident really) could confuse a caring or friendly RA for something a little more. Do not worry, you will learn to just laugh about it.
11. You now have more RA friends than non-RA friends.
Resident advisors spend a lot of time with their fellow RAs, and they often form very close friendships with one another. Since you are always with your significant other, and they are always with their RA buddies, you grow to love them all too. Before you know it, over half of your friends will be other RAs. You're perfectly OK with it though, because let's face it -- they're all awesome.
12. You've learned how to love them just a little bit harder.
Despite the chaos and additional stress that having an RA boyfriend or girlfriend can bring, you know that you wouldn’t have it any other way. You’ve seen your significant other learn about responsibility, get in touch with their creativity, take care of complete strangers, play a leadership role on campus, participate in campus events, work as a team player, volunteer for community service, and more. Seeing these things have simply allowed you to respect and love your partner even more than you thought was possible.
