As a Resident Advisor, I’m well aware of a few secrets that every RA wants residents to know. A lot of people who live in residence halls avoid the RA at all costs out of fear of getting in trouble. However, a few residents take the time out of the day to befriend an RA. If you’re one of those individuals, Resident Advisors all over the country thank you for realizing that RAs are indeed human beings. That actually brings me to the first secret.
1. Resident Advisor: A human being who is not scary and who is totally willing to have conversations.
Plenty of my residents look at me like I’m an alien whenever I say “hello” to them. This isn’t because they’re unaware that I’m an RA, but more because it’s apparently awkward to talk to an RA. The Resident Advisor's job is one that alienates the RA from the residents and it takes both the RA and the resident’s cooperation to turn mechanical conversations into a friendship. The one tidbit that I wish all of my residents knew is that they can talk to me just for fun or if they actually need something from me.
2. Documentation: The hardest part of the job.
Nobody likes to face a situation that will most likely end badly. Resident Advisors have to face these situations head-on knowing that there is going to be a ton of paperwork afterward and that people will not be happy. This is the hardest part of the job because no RA wants to document people. Holding people accountable to the rules is part of the job description and, unfortunately, it doesn’t always help you make friends. While the actual paperwork part takes a lot of time, the worst part is disappointing or upsetting a resident. In this situation, RAs have to try to mend the resident relationship while still keeping the rules in place as a solid boundary.
3. Accurate: Not Locator Boards, LOL.
College students and Resident Advisors alike are familiar with the locator boards that we all put up outside of our doors. While some Resident Advisors religiously update these boards, not everyone does. In fact, I promise you that most of the time my locator board stays at “on campus” unless I’m actually gone for a break (i.e. Thanksgiving, Winter, Spring). The best bet is really to knock on your RA’s door no matter where their locator board says they are. RAs get lazy too.
4. Programming: An activity that normally has food. Where RA’s encourage residents to take food so RA’s don’t gain 10 pounds eating the leftovers.
Whenever residents don’t come to events or a Resident Advisor over prepares for programming, the leftovers have to go somewhere. If something isn’t opened, it can be placed back in an office, but for taco dinners there tends to be a dilemma when it comes to leftover food. Too often I’ve had to take two open sodas and leftover food to my room because residents did not want it or left before I could offer it. We’re all college students here! Next time your RA has a program, ask about leftover food at the end of the program. They will happily give it to you.
5. Anxiety: What happens every time the duty phone rings.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve jumped or gasped whenever the duty phone started ringing. The anxiety from that little phone comes not from the ring itself, but from the mystery of what is on the other line. Simply put, RAs never know what situation they’re walking into and getting duty calls is a source of anxiety. As the year goes on, there is almost a sense of trauma every time an RA hears the duty phone ring. At this point, if any phone aside from mine rings, while I have the duty phone, I jump and frantically reach for it. As if that isn’t enough, being a heavy sleeper isn’t an option. I constantly worry that I’ll sleep through calls or I’ll answer them in my sleep and say really weird things. In fact, earlier this year a resident called me just after I fell asleep and I answered the phone with gibberish. To this day, I look back and just pat myself on the back for answering it and eventually remembering how to speak.
Resident Advisors aren’t scary people who need to be avoided. They are students just like you who have the potential to make friends, get anxious, and make mistakes. Long story short, take the time to get to know your RA and I’m sure you’ll enjoy finding out more about them.
