If you know Kira, then you know I am the queen of complaining. I’ll complain about things that don’t even negatively affect me because why the heck not? Seriously, I feel like if I don’t complain about something at least once a day, my universes will collide and explode into oblivion.
I was hired as a resident advisor for the Spring 2020 semester this past fall. Although I applied for both semesters in the summer, I unfortunately didn’t get the job for fall semester, but I was put in an “alternate position pool” and was finally chosen to join the Sandhills (a residential community) staff. I was super excited because:
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Housing would be free and my meal plan would be waived
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I’d make more friends
Although I knew the position of an RA could be a little strenuous, I needed this position to help me financially so I was willing to complain and work through it all.
My community coordinator was an amazing help from the start. He was always enthusiastic and had a smile on his face. Every day of RA training he made sure I was okay or if I had any questions. Whenever everything happened in January, he made sure to check-in on me and constantly asked if I needed anything. I couldn’t appreciate him any more than I possibly could right now and I’m going to miss him tons.
I’m going to also miss the other members of the Sandhills staff. Everyone was extremely nice and honest about the job. They always kept it real with me about certain things and I always found myself laughing whenever we had staff meetings. So to Myriana, Cam, Amber, Jurnee, Jake, Joey, Alexa and thou who decided not to be named (love ya bud haha) thank you for all the laughs and shared frustrations.
Although I was an RA for about two months and a week, this job has taught me so much about students and their needs. My residents were all wonderful and different in their own ways, always speaking whenever they saw me and expressing their needs appropriately. My position made me realize that although some resident advisors take their jobs extremely too seriously, it also taught me that they’re exactly like their residents but they’re just given the task of being the “mother hen”.
However, my senior year is cut short due to COVID-19 and I definitely shed some tears because of it. Not being able to finish the rest of my undergraduate career due to circumstances I can’t control has been extremely saddening. I most likely won’t be able to see some of the people I’ve gotten extremely close to in the last few months ever again and that also breaks my heart. I’m just overall a mess.
This pandemic has definitely been a wild ride, and although the rest of my undergraduate career has been cut short, I’m unemployed and only have 3 outfits currently with me, I couldn’t help but to miss being an RA. If you’re still in college and live in university housing, I’d highly consider it!!!!