Hello current/future/past freshman,
We all know that RAs are the people everyone loves to hate. It’s really easy, too. A student barely a year older than me is going to tell me what to do and get me in trouble?! BLASPHEMY. However, you rarely get to hear what goes on from the other side (99% because we’re not supposed to tell you). So, here are some common misconceptions and myths concerning Resident Advisors:
No, we don’t enjoy writing you up. No, it does not give us some sick sense of pleasure. We actually dread it because documenting you means we just lost ourselves almost an hour of our lives because we now have to write a report about you.
Yes, we know you went to a party. Yes, we know you pre-gamed in your room. Yes, we know you are currently intoxicated, despite your weak attempts to conceal it. But if you don’t cause a problem, we really don’t care. As long as we don’t see it, it’s as if it never even happened.
No, we didn’t just do this for the “free” food and housing. I mean, yeah, they’re definitely a major plus, but they’re not enough to keep us from going insane. You’ve been to the Dining Commons, you know.
We know that our programs and socials suck sometimes, and we’re sorry about that. We wish we could put on exciting programs with snacks galore, but we really can’t. Trust me, I want unlimited pizza and ice cream socials just as much as the next gal, but it’s just not allowed.
Like you, we’re just ordinary students trying to survive college. Just like you may have a job and/or certain responsibilities, this is our job. Except it’s different because we live where we work and can never call in sick.
We’re sorry when we check the bathrooms while you’re doing your business and accidentally press on your stall door. Trust me, we die a little inside too.
And why do we check all the bathrooms, you ask? We don’t really know. We’re told it’s to make sure no one is dying and that nothing is broken. But mostly, we just find unflushed waste in the toilets and clumps of hair in the showers.
I’m not going to lie; we do have favorites. And there are some of you that we just can’t stand – I’m sorry, we’re human. But despite this, and despite all of the ups and downs we experience throughout the year, we really do become attached to you all. And we’re going to miss you; definitely not all of you, but a good handful.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the UC Davis Student Housing Administration.