Right before spring break, the RAs of your building grab their clipboards and master keys, and go through the building for fire safety checks. The only thing standing between us and our spring breaks is about 100 rooms and a handful of confiscation notices. However, if you work with a staff you love like I do, it feels like no time has gone by at all by the time you finish. It seems stressful to go through all the rooms, but once you're done dealing with the ridiculousness that is other people's bedrooms, you will probably look back on it and laugh.
1. "Brace yourself."
Before starting the fire safety checks, RAs must emotionally prepare themselves for what is ahead. We love our residents dearly, but going through everyone's room is one of the less glamorous parts of the job.
2. "RA! RA! RA keying in." *Knocks on the doors until hand turns red*
Different RAs have different styles of knocking on doors. Some are softer and more subtle.
Some are more firm and assertive.
3. "Noooo, not another Yankee candle."
Apple Pie? More like Apple BYE. But to be fair, there are some students who have great taste in candles.
4. "Boys stink sometimes."
This needs no explanation. We all know just by walking down a hallway that there's a stark contrast between the boys' wing and the girls' wing.
5. *Sees alcohol* "Please, please, please be 21."
Nothing feels better than that sigh of relief when you see leftover red cups but check your roster and realize someone is actually of age.
6. "Did we confiscate this last time too?"
Some people never learn from the first time. But perhaps, from the perspective of a resident, that one decoration was really worth the fine.
7. "When are they going to throw out that food?"
Sometimes being an RA is a little bit like being a parent because usually, you're proud of your residents, but you also really want to either tell them to clean up or just clean up for them — because those old chicken nuggets look petrified.
8. "Yeah, sorry, we can come back when you're ready."
When you knock three times but no one answers so you think they left but then they're in there and terrified because you just barged in...
9. "Wait, this room is so cute, why didn't I arrange my room like this?"
Sometimes fire safety checks are a hassle, but every once in awhile, you find those rooms that you swear belong to HGTV home experts.
10. "Is that couch from the lounge?"
*Sweats nervously*
11. "These string lights look so cute... but they're a violation."
If they weren't a fire hazard, I'd be all about them.
12. "Is my room even fire hazard-free?"
All this time spent checking on our residents, we can't forget to check ourselves, too. Most of us are too invested in this job to break the rules.
