Nicole Gersh, a freshman at Indiana University-Bloomington, is one of the many students aspiring to be a resident advisor. “My RA, Cassie, influenced me to apply for an RA position because her dedication and ability to lead the floor made me realize that I want to be a leader for future incoming freshman as well,” Gersh stated.

At IU, becoming a RA at the residence halls requires responsibility, training, and effective social and communication skills. With hundreds of applications for each resident hall, and only 25 RA’s per hall, the resident advisor manager’s must selectively choose the top candidates for the job.

“There are about 300 RA’s on campus, with about 25 RA’s per resident hall and approximately 50 residents on each floor” Sarah Casares, the Resident Advisor Manager of the Foster Residence Hall, stated.

Responsibility

As an RA, you have many responsibilities and obligations that you must uphold, and the way in which you approach these responsibilities and obligations is crucial to being a good RA.

You are required to interact with your residents daily, post monthly bulletin boards, program floor meetings, work at the desk for four hours a week, and go on rounds twice a week- all while balancing a social life and academics.

“On an average week I probably work about 45 hours,” said Precious Price, a current RA at the Mcnutt Residence Hall.

Although the life of an RA seems tedious, stressful, and difficult, according to Julian Batts, a previous RA at the Spruce Resident Hall, “the experiences that I have had were worth every second of it.”

Other responsibilities for being a good RA include time management, leading others, and being flexible with your schedule. “We look for leadership, the ability to relate and converse with others, professionalism, friendliness, and flexibility,” Casares stated.

As an RA and a student at IU, there are a plethora of obligations and requirments that need to be accomplished. Not only do you have to worry about your life, but also the lives of your residents.

“No matter how busy you are, always make yourself accessible and available,” Price stated. Even if you just got back from a long day of classes or just finished a hard test, if a resident asks to speak with you, you must put aside your personal obligations and tend to the resident’s needs.

“It is essential to be selfless and put the students first if someone wants to become an RA,” Batts stated.

Training

Influencing fellow peers and positively impacting other peoples’ lives are some of the many opportunities and responsibilities that a resident advisor has. But, to become a RA, one must go through a process of interviews, enroll and complete a required class, and submit an application, which consists of an essay and requires two recommendations.

“First you must attend an information session, which includes information about the application process and how to apply,” Casares stated. “Then, after submitting and passing the first round of applications, you must enroll in and complete EDUC-U450, which is an eight-week course for aspiring RA’s.”

Once enrolled in the class, students must go through a round of interviews. At the end of the course, only a selected group of students in the class are offered the job.

“You need to make sure that you are willing to go through training and are willing to expand your horizons and do different things instead of being stuck in your same old mold,” Price said.

To qualify for the position you must be a sophomore or a higher class standing, maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher, have no judicial records or significant past due bills with the Office of the Bursar, and have previously lived in an resident hall for at least two semesters, according to the RPS IU Website.

The compensation for an RA includes a single room, RPS meal plan, laundry stipend, and a stipend of $1,500, which is paid biweekly during the academic year (RPS IU Website). But other than free board and food, becoming an RA provides an abundance of opportunities and skills that can be utilized outside of IU.

Social and Communication Skills

Communicating with your residents is the most crucial and important task of being an RA. “You have to communicate and have a very open minded personality, meaning, you have to be aware of others and their perspectives,” stated Batts.

Interacting, communicating, and listening to others are key factors of being an RA. “It is important to be yourself and interact with your residents on a daily basis and have the ability to influence them,” Price stated.

Effectively, positively, and successfully impacting your residents is an important accomplishment for any RA. “Being a good role model and leader for the residents helps them acclimate to their new environment and influences them to openly and confidently communicate with others,” Price stated.

“RA’s are there to facilitate students through their freshman year at IU,” stated Casares. They will answer any questions or concerns that residents might have, and are there to be a confiding resource for residents 24/7.

RA’s are given the opportunities to enhance the lives of others as well as themselves. “My awareness, communication skills, and team building skills have improved due to becoming an RA,” Price said.

“This job teaches you so many things outside of your given major that you might not get in your classroom setting,” Batts stated.

“While being an RA, you develop numerous skills like networking with others, programming events, and effectively using time management,” Casares voiced.

The RPS IU website also states that skills developed from becoming an RA include administration and communication methods, emergency response skills, assertiveness, conflict mediation, facilitation, budget planning, and cross-cultural communication.

Students are influenced and encouraged to become an RA for numerous reasons. “My RA made me want to become an RA, but more so in a negative aspect because my RA was not really present, so I knew I wanted to be a better RA for future students,” Price said.

Contrastingly Batts said, “My RA really invested in me my freshman year, and I wanted to be able to do that for other people. I also had a lot of people suggest and encourage me to apply for the position.”

Becoming an RA gives you a new perspective on students and the experience of college. Not only do you enter the RA job with previous experiences and qualifications, but you also exit the job with so much more.

“The best part of being an RA is seeing the growth of the residents from the beginning of the year to the end,” Price stated.

As an RA, you get to see others grow and experience growth yourself. “Becoming an RA has helped me grow as an individual- personally, professional, morally, and holistically,” said Batts.

Gersh is in the process of becoming an RA. She has spoken to her RA and the Resident Manager of Briscoe Residence Hall and has started the application process. She is hoping to be an RA for the Learning Community Center (LLC) in the Briscoe Residence Hall.

“I want to become and RA because I believe it will be good practice for my future career in social work. I want to work with kids in tough situations, whether it’s finding a solution to a personal problem or helping people feel comfortable and welcomed in their new surroundings,” Gersh said.