In lieu of my return to URI and getting back on that Resident Advisor saddle, I figured it was obligatory to write something about the things that I love about this job. Being an RA is the most giving job experience that I have had so far in my life, from the lessons I’ve learned and the people that I have met. I’d like to share these lessons with you.
Being an RA has taught me...
1. That I am fortunate for everything that I have in my life and that I got to experience before college.
Being an RA comes with being a friend or a voice of reason for the residents that may not have any. In my time being an RA I have learned to appreciate the things that many students do not have the opportunity to have. You meet a range of students, some with parents, some without, some with families in dangerous areas and some that grow up in the craziest of circumstances. And with every adversity story I am told, my heart grows a bit more for the things I am grateful for in my life.
2. That you can find amazing friends even if you have that solid crew from home.
When I applied for the job, I was out for an experience that could help me grow. But, little did I know it was the people I interacted with on the daily that were the reasons that I could achieve that. I love the friends that I have made through this process and I know I’ll spend a lifetime with them.
3. That you are more of a leader than you think.
I applied as a wimpy college freshman. When presented with the question by my boss, “What makes you a leader?” I failed to come up with the answer. Even now, I wouldn’t be able to distinguish what exactly makes me a leader but I know I can call myself one. When you choose to take on this job you grow into a new person without even noticing. And you won’t notice until you deal with a crazy situation with a resident and realize you handled it perfectly. (And then you feel like Queen Bey after she finishes a perfect set.)
4. That you have to cherish the time you have with yourself.
You will always have someone knocking on your door. Trust me, you can’t pretend like you are not in the room because your residents ALWAYS somehow know. And, let’s face it, it’s not like residents think their RA’s have a life anyways. So you always have to take time to just sit with yourself and appreciate it because, most often than not, some residents will want to hang out with you in your office hours. But who wouldn’t want to, BECAUSE WE ARE DOPE.
5. You feel more and more thankful for your parents.
As much as your residents are your friends, they are also like your pseudo children. You don’t want to see them make mistakes and no matter how many times you try to give them some advice, they will make the mistake anyway. Which brings me to my next point.
6. …And more and more understanding of all the times your parents told you not to do something.
If I had a dollar for every time I gave advice to my residents. Well, I’d probably have zero dollars because I swear they act like I never even warned them in the first place. I guess your children need to find out the hard way sometimes. (Sorry Mom and Dad).
7. That humor can always make any situation lighter.
We never want to write any resident up but when I do I try to make the situation a bit lighter by cracking jokes. It helps the residents get over the fact that I am writing them up and they don’t hate my guts the day after. Not only does humor help the kiddos feel like I am not their personal Satan, it also entertains us RA’s during our rounds and on-calls. And that’s when you actually find out how weird your colleagues are and, of course, what makes you both even closer.
8. That communication is EVERYTHING.
Communication is EVERYTHING. So many situations in this job are prefaced with miscommunication. You need to be real your residents, your boss and colleagues. It’s pivotal to making any relationship work work work werk work!
9. That you always need to be on your toes.
Weird things will happen. You have to expect them. Always be ready for some s*** to go down. And sometimes it could be as literal as that. (It’s happened before, s/o to the Phantom Pooper of Butterfield Hall).
10. That you will never expect that your residents will become some of your closest friends.
You guys know who you are and I am so grateful for you all. You make this job so amazing. Thank you for making my heart full.
