1. Hallway Decorations Are Your Heart and Soul
Although it may not look like much, cutting out block posters, putting up flyers and, last but not least, making door decorations takes an RA’s heart, soul and a lifetime. So if anything gets torn down, you with feel the wrath of your RA.
2. The Dreaded Phone Call
When on duty, the duty phone feels like a black hole in your pocket. Once it rings the happiness and positive energy is sucked away leaving you with all the negative thoughts as to what the calls is about.
a. “I hope it’s just a broken AC…”
3. Staff Family Withdrawals
After an intense two week training and being with them practically 24/7, your staff members become family. They are your family that you never knew you needed and can’t live without. So a day without seeing them seems like eternity.
a.“OMG! I missed you so much!”
b.“OMG me too! I can’t believe I haven’t seen you for a whole day!”
4. B-List Celebrity Status
Once you are an RA you feel like a home-town celebrity. Everybody seems to know your name: your residents, your resident’s friends and even some other random people. But the key to maintain a positive celebrity status is to remember each and every one of their names.
a.“Hey! What’s your name? I’m an RA here and my name is…”
5. House Keepers Are Your New BFF
Not only are they excellent at up-keeping the residential halls, but they are the sweetest people you will ever meet. They always greet you with the biggest smile which wipes away any worries or doubts that you had. Plus, they are your eyes and ears when you aren’t around.
6. Fire Drills Are Your Thrills
As an RA you not only know when the drill will occur but get to pull the alarm as well. You feel the biggest rebel in the world, being able to shake-up your residents when they least expected it. It’s the one day that you can let them feel the terror that you get on a weekly basis during duty. If you’re lucky you might get some residents running out of the shower in a towel.
7. Dining Halls Are Your Sanctuary.
Dining halls are places that allow you to get away from all of your duties and responsibilities while enjoying a meal with others. Once you enter, without a doubt, you WILL find someone that you know that will eat with you. As 30 minutes turns into an hour, the number of people sitting with you will double or even triple.
a.“Come sit with us! I’ll go grab a couple of chairs and a table.”
8. You Become A University Expert
Where do you go to get tutoring for calculus? What are the most enjoyable electives to take for the spring semester? When is the best time to schedule an advisor appointment? You know how to answer all of these questions and more. You’re like a library of university information. If there’s something you don’t know, it’s your mission to find it out ASAP.
9. Struggling to Find a Balance Between Friend and RA
Yes, we can watch movies with you, eat with you and even have deep talks with you, but there is a fine line that cannot be crossed. Once drugs, violence or any misconduct is involved, the RA role is in full gear and it’s time to break out the notebook and start documenting. Although you want to be their friend, you are essentially an RA first.
10. You Live and Breathe the Residential Curriculum.
When you are in your bio class and someone say “you guys” you immediately think “that person isn’t using inclusive language.” When you see a classmate or friend falling asleep or cramming for an exam, you immediately pull up your ingrained study tips and embedded healthy lifestyle choices and start to present them. Last but not least, you are able to spin any event or activity into some kind of educational program.
a. “Play Just Dance to learn how wellness can be fun!”