When I got to college, I decided that I wanted my time in school to mean more than just the grades on my transcript. I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to do something that made a huge impact in both my own life, and also hopefully to make an impact on other lives. One of the ways to do that for me was to apply for a Residential Life position on my campus.
Res Life is a big and important job at my school. Having only so many spots, but twice as many people applying for the job, it gets pretty nerve racking and competitive. But by God's grace, I was offered the position and I am very thankful for it. Although, my first semester I wanted to quit--I didn't think I could do as well as somebody else could, and thought that they made a huge mistake hiring me. I pushed through and am so glad I did.
To be apart of Res Life, you have to have the right maturity level and mindset. On top of that, you have to have the desire to keep doing the job. You have to be up for the challenge. Making this job one of your top priorities is sometimes a lot harder than it seems. The huge time commitments including staff meetings, one-on-ones, working the desk, and being present and available on your floor is difficult. Plus, doing homework and being a part of other organizations on campus while still having time for yourself and time to relax is overwhelming. Sometimes it feels like your bosses forget you're also a full-time student and you then get annoyed and start to wish you had more time for yourself. But the pros outweigh the cons.
Res Life is scary and intimidating, but it is also a learning and rewarding experience. We are more than just the people who enforce policies; we are people for the freshmen (or any resident) to look up to and learn from. Someone to make sure they feel safe and comfortable in the building, someone to be their friend when they think they have no one else to turn to, someone to give them encouragement and support when they are struggling, to lead them to help when they need it or help them ourselves if that is what's best.
With Res Life, you are a part of a building staff and your staff is like a new family for you. You see your co-workers everyday, and you let them in on what is going on in your life and what is going wrong. Then all they want to do is help you by either making you laugh until you're in a better mood or let you know that we're all in that same boat and it is OK to be annoyed, sad, upset, tired, or stressed. Everyone helps each other out and we put up with each other, even when we don't want to, because they put up with us. Through your staff, you can meet your best friends, your biggest supporters, and your own role models.
Yes, free room-and-board is nice, but that's not why we do it. Okay, that may be a little why we do it, but that's not the main reason. We do it because it feels good to know that we are doing something important in whether it is our own lives or our co-worker's, boss's, or residents' lives. We are helping others grow and we are growing ourselves. We are all learning, and most of all we love our job.
That's the truth about being a part of Residential Life and I would recommend anyone who is thinking about applying at your school to do so. It is a great opportunity and experience.
