“Sacrificing” your college experience to be a RA (resident assistant) is one that isn’t ideal for most college students. But for someone who absolutely cannot live with a complete stranger for basically 10 months (after many failed attempts at trying to be satisfied with roommates), I decided to sign up for the RA position after moving rooms in the span of 2 months. Plus, I love to keep myself busy and as a social work major, I figured that being a RA could benefit my resume. But what sophomore me did not expect was the amount of weird, disgusting, funny, and almost traumatizing experiences I would face. Seriously, I really think that I added 5 more years to my mental age just by being a RA.
To commemorate my last year as an RA, I will be revealing 3 experiences that changed my brain chemistry.
The On Call Phone Ringtone
There were a lot of experiences being on call that could most definitely be in this list, but the one thing that I know has changed for life are these ringtones on Apple products: opening and old phone. I know what you’re thinking, really? Phone ringtones? But imagine being an RA during COVID, with 6 RA’s in your 12-floored building, and overseeing 2 buildings with 1 phone. You are the only person that is on call for these 2 buildings. This means that any lockouts, emergencies, fire alarms, or policy breaking is on you.
There would be times while I was on call when fire alarms go off at 2 am, then again at 3 am. There were times when I would get calls, with the phone in full volume, at 1 am and 4 am. Sometimes, it would feel like calls were just coming back to back. Hearing those same ringtones while asleep with the volume blasted, truly caused me to be scared to hear in public. I kid you not, when someone has any of those two ringtones, I jump and have to remind myself that I’m off the clock.
I truly believe that those two ringtones will always have this effect on me.
Fall 22-Spring 23 RA Banquet: The Aftermath
At the end of every school year, the RA’s get together to celebrate the work we have done and give out rewards based on the staff’s voting (which I will continue talking about later). After the banquet ended, my staff at the time threw a get-together to spend a last bonding moment with each other and had a karaoke night in our fancy clothes on the roof lounge of our building. It was truly an experience that made me feel happy, and one I won’t forget. It was so much fun being all dolled up while also singing our hearts out to songs we like. It was a memorable moment and one that I’ll take away from being a RA.
Getting an Award for “The Most Congenial” and Resident Appreciation Messages
Speaking of the RA Banquet and the awards that were given to RA’s, I really did not expect to receive one. But then, I did. I received an award for the most congenial, as in the RA that makes everyone smile. I felt really appreciated getting this award. It was so unexpected. Then this school year, all RA’s were given appreciation messages from residents and other RA’s too. The messages I got were so kind. I will never forget the impact I made on people’s lives or the things I learned from this job. It was a love-hate experience, but at the end of it all, I knew that I was right for the job and that I did the most with what I had to do.
Therefore, be an RA. It will not only help you to learn how to be responsible but it will also teach you a lot about yourself and your limits. It was an amazing experience, and I don’t regret having this job for as long as I had it.