When I started seeing flyers about becoming a resident assistant around campus last semester, the idea of applying stuck with me. It seemed like a position I could fill well for lots of reasons.
I've always been the listener, the advice giver, the good friend, the one who looks out for everyone, and the creative one. So, I figured becoming an RA would be the perfect fit for me. And when I got the job, I was ecstatic. I was really looking forward to being a role model and go-to person for a group of freshman girls.
But it didn't seem like other people felt the same way.
I would tell my friends and classmates I was going to be an RA and their reactions weren't all that great. I could sense a bit of judgment in their voices and could see a bit of disapproval through their expressions.
"Why would you want to be an RA?"
"You don't get to go out... you know that right?"
"Are you going to like... actually write people up?"
"You have to be on duty all the time. That sucks."
"Are you just doing it for your own room?"
"RAs ruin all the fun."
"RAs are like... pretty lame."
Being a resident assistant isn't about busting people for breaking rules or staying in your room 24/7. Yes, we may stop some of the fun, but it's only to keep people safe. It's part of our job to make sure nobody gets hurt. And if that means breaking up some fights or stepping in during disagreements, then yes we will do it. But we don't do it to be mean or to abuse our power.
Being a resident assistant isn't about not going out. We're allowed to have fun, too. But we are responsible enough to know right from wrong and are trusted to be mature. And if that means missing a few nights out on the town with our friends to stay in and put on an event for our residents who don't want to go out, then yes we will do it. That's part of the reason we wanted to become RAs — to make every resident feel included and like they belong in our community.
Being a resident assistant isn't about the room to ourselves or the cut to our tuition bill. If you hear an RA say they only took the job for the money, then they don't embody what a resident assistant stands for. We took this job because we want to be mentors, we want to be leaders and we want to be friends. It's not about our financial benefit. It's rewarding enough to know we're changing the lives of younger college students.
Being a resident assistant is about helping, setting foundations for college living, creating a positive environment, and bringing people together (and being a little artsy because door decorations are important too). There shouldn't be any negative predispositions about RAs because we are only there for good. Becoming an RA is a decision each one of us made because we want to give back not take away.
So don't call us lame. We're pretty cool if you ask me.
