If you ever lived in on-campus housing, you've had an RA. And whether your RA was super cool or totally rode your ass about not blaring loud music at midnight, they were still doing a hell of a job. It's time that we took a moment to say thank you to all the amazing Resident Assistants on college campuses throughout the country.
I've lived on campus all four years while at Ball State, and in that time I've had five RAs. And while these ladies range from totally amazing and always down to have give me a pep talk to pretty distant, recently I've started to realize all that RAs do for their communities.
For one, your RA is going out of their way on the daily to get to know you. They always say hi in the bathroom and the hallway and they're hosting events all the time that they take their time to plan. They even give you free food at these events! If that wasn't enough to make you want to write a thank you letter to your RA right now, maybe you need to open up your eyes to all that a Resident Assistant does for you.
Odds are, your RA was one of the first people you met when you moved into your residence hall. They greeted you with so much energy and a bright smile. Besides that, RAs spend countless hours in training to ensure you're safe and happy in the residence hall. They spend hours looking up bulletin board ideas on Pinterest and even more hours attempting to make the bulletin board look somewhat decent. They give up their nights and weekends to go on duty rounds to ensure everyone around you is safe. They're there for you at any hour of any day if you ever want to talk about your classes or your boyfriend or literally anything. They're always attempting to get to know you, but will respect you and keep their distance if you make it clear that's the kind of RA you'd prefer.
Take into consideration all that an RA has on their plate before you call them shitty or distant. They have a lot on their shoulders, and you have to remember, they're a student too! More than that, they literally never get to leave their job. Even when all they want to do is curl up in bed and listen to their favorite music, they still are right at your disposal and willing to help. That can be super overwhelming at times I'm sure, yet your RA carries on like a superhero.
To all of the RAs I've encountered and those working throughout the country - thank you. Thank you for making residence life so much brighter.
