With the fall semester coming to a close, many schools, including Montclair State University, have begun their Resident Assistant application process for the 2023-2024 school year. If you’re thinking about applying to become an RA, you might wonder what the reality of the position is. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.
Resident Assistants have one of the most extensive jobs on campus, but it also comes with a lot of perks which makes the application process difficult. I was in the same position at this point last year. I applied to become an RA for one of the most popular reasons, free housing, but also for an on-campus job that’s extremely different from the rest. Luckily, I ended up getting the position and this year has been my first as an RA.
Let me just start by saying this, RA’s are assigned either a floor/wing of typically around 30-50 college students that they are responsible for. I like to consider RA’s as either big brothers or sisters for their residents as they are there to constantly provide advice, help or really anything that they need. However, being this person for that many students can become pretty stressful or overwhelming as the semester goes on.
I’m going to start with a pro of being an RA, which are the perks. At Montclair State, RA’s receive free housing for a single room and a stipend. They recently just announced that they will also be providing a free meal plan for students next year. Many RA’s can agree that this is one of the most amazing parts of the job. Living on campus is a great experience for college students, but it can also be pretty expensive. So, being able to receive free housing for an on-campus job is great. If you like having your own space, then you’d also like the experience of having a single room. One of the downsides though is that at Montclair State, the department chooses what building you’ll live in. However, for free housing, I couldn’t care less about where I would be living!
Another pro of being an RA is the experience and the connections you make throughout the job. I think being an RA is so beneficial because you get to watch all of your residents grow and succeed into the person they want to be. Most of my residents are first-year students, so witnessing their progress from the beginning of the semester until now has been something I’ve loved. I watched them come in the first weekend as mostly 18-year-olds with their first sense of freedom. However, now they are transitioning into becoming a college student rather than a recent high school graduate.
I’ve also loved the connections I’ve made so far as an RA. Your fellow RA’s will become the people you can turn on for anything, whether it regards the job or not. As an RA, you have access to a lot of personal information that you can’t run around telling people. Because of this, you will make strong connections with your fellow RAs because they are some of the only people who understand. Not only this, but the professional connections you make with your boss and the department can help you extremely in the long run. RA’s are highly respected on different applications and resumes, which can also help you once you start applying for jobs or internships.
Now, onto some of my cons of being an RA. The first is how much responsibility you’re given. One of the first things they told us during Residence Life training was that you “live in a fish bowl.” RA’s work and live in the same place, so you need to present yourself professionally at all times. You have a job that requires a lot of responsibility, and your boss will treat you like that. While you’re in your hall or anywhere else on campus, you could see residents or your colleagues at any time, so it’s easier to present yourself positively. RA’s are supposed to enforce the Residence Life policies, so if you’re caught breaking one of them, it doesn’t look good. Parties are also included in this. Even if you’re somewhere off-campus, if someone decides to snap a picture of you with a drink in your hand and post it, it can also turn out poorly for you.
Another con of being an RA is the time commitment. RA’s are just like normal college students when it comes to responsibilities. Being a Resident Assistant is a job, and while you have certain requirements, you’re not always working 24/7. However, as RA takes up a good amount of time, scheduling time for your other commitments can be pretty difficult. All RA’s will be assigned duty nights/days where they are required to stay in their building for a scheduled amount of time in case something happens. You will probably miss out on a few events that you want to go to because you’re on duty. But, if you have good relationships with your fellow RA’s, you could always cover.
Being an RA is not a job you can slack off in. Many students want to be RA’s, so as Abby Lee Miller said, “everybody’s replaceable.” If you’re thinking about being an RA next year, I would suggest doing your research and talking to RA’s from your campus to see what it’s about. While this advice is based on my experiences, someone else could have a completely different viewpoint. I recommend for all students at least apply to be an RA because of how great of a job it is but to also know what’s expected of you before doing so.