If you are in college or was at some point, you are familiar with the term Resident Advisor. Now these people may or may not have had a positive impact on you, but for the most part they hold some of the most important roles on campus: taking care of you. I feel as though there is almost this norm towards people not wanting to become RA’s because they think that they are either not going to have a social life, or do not want to have to be the bad guy all the time. I do not believe this to be true though. In the short time that I have become an RA, not only have I learned some of the most valuable tools for when I go out into the real world, but I have also made so many new friendships with people very similar to me. Not to mention the huge chunk of change that being an RA saves you off your tuition. Now with all the good that RA’s do, it is hard for me to understand why anyone would not want to be one!
I am going into my second week of training as an RA and I can tell you, it has been a crazy and busy week. I have had the opportunities to learn so many new life skills, meet the most amazing people and have some of the most fun days of my whole summer. Sure, I had to go back to school two weeks early, but with the fun I am having, I would much rather be here than back home! I am not going to lie, it has already been such hard work to get all my door tags, bulletin boards and room inventory sheets done before everyone gets to school, and I am sure it will only get crazier as the school year begins. Some people may think that this commitment is something that would get in the way of all of their other plans, but I believe that it is only going to help me manage my time better and create a solid schedule that I can follow.
I have met some people this past week that I may have not encountered if it was for the RA training, and I am so fortunate to have gotten the chance to meet them. The upperclassmen have helped me to learn what I should do when tough situations arise and they have also been a shoulder I can lean on when I need help. It is so relieving when you have concerns about becoming an RA, and people who were in your shoes can tell you how they handled tough situations and got through them.
It has also been so awesome to get more of an insight on campus. I have learned more about the crazy amount of programs offered on campus and how to use my resources more which is really awesome. Pinterest has already become my best friend because it has helped me make both my bulletin board and door tags for the beginning of the year. I also have learned how it works when people are on duty and how to actually use a walkie talkie, and not gonna lie it was pretty cool to learn about how people actually stay up until 2 in the morning (this is going to be a huge transition for me since I usually go to bed so early).
With everything I have learned in just a week of training, it is hard to understand why anyone would not want to be an RA. I think it is one of the coolest jobs to have while in college, and not to mention you get your own room! I am serious when I say that if you are ever interested in becoming a Resident Advisor, just go for it because you may regret it if you do not.
