When I first accepted my offer to become an RA (Residence Advisor), a lot of my friends, along with saying congratulations, offered the same commentary:
“You’re a narc now. You’re the bad guy.”
Initially, I just laughed this off. Part of my job, sometimes, is to be the “fun-police.” I would sound naïve if I didn’t admit this. But there is so much of the job that people don’t see. Being an RA goes way beyond wearing a purple shirt, and here’s why:
1. Duty is the Surface of the Iceberg.
When people think of RA’s, you likely think of the scary people in the purple shirts patrolling the building (throwback to first year). Yes, this is a small fraction of our job, but, believe it or not, it’s not the reason why people sign up to be an RA. In fact, it takes a few times to muster up the confidence to confront a room full of (sometimes obnoxious) first years to turn down their music and shut down their game of beer pong. Beyond duty is where the real work happens. We plan and run bi-weekly meetings for our floors to keep them updated and on-track with school and life in general. We run programs to increase their social awareness on various issues such as sexual assault. We are an influential figure in our student’s lives. We have the ability to change how they think about certain topics, and we have a responsibility to keep them safe. This is why I signed up for the job.
2. We Are Always Working.
As an RA, I feel as though I am always working— which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The training we take part in teaches us to become hyper-aware of our surroundings. There is never a time when I am not thinking about what I can do for my floor, or noticing if someone seems a little bit off. Even in public, if something sets the alarm off in my head, I go into “rez-staff” mode. Being an RA is more of a lifestyle than a part-time job. It’s an all-day-every-day type of thing. Metaphorically, the purple shirt never comes off. Is it exhausting sometimes? Yes. However, knowing I can handle myself under pressure is 100% worth it.
3. We Live Where We Work.
The separation between my work and my home is approximately a one-inch metal door. Behind the door is my hurricane-stricken (aka messy as hell) room, so the chaos really never ends. Separating work life, school life, and social life is a giant mountain I’m still trying to climb. In traditional residences, there is minimal privacy and it’s difficult to set boundaries. Consequently, if you don’t, it feels like first year’s forget that RA’s are students too. RA’s have homework and exams and relationship problems just like them. We want to be seen as people, not straight up authority figures. Then again, how much “human” do we show our students without losing respect? How do we stay approachable, but also enforce the rules our job requires us to enforce? These are the questions that bounce through an RA’s head all the time, and we have other aspects of our lives to handle too.
4. We Deal With Tough Stuff.
Our training does a fair job at preparing us for difficult situations. From mental health crises, to full on brawls, we are aware of most of the possible challenging situations that can occur in residence. But there’s nothing like it actually happening. In the moment of the event, something else takes over. Professionalism? Adrenaline? Instinct? Whatever it is, it eventually wears off, and reality sets in. The aftermath can be hard to bounce back from, but if it means helping a student, we’d do it again in a heartbeat.
5. We Really Do Love Our Job.
No one forced us to become RA’s. Yes, we encounter unforeseeable challenges, but does that mean we don’t love what we do? No. We know what we signed up for, and at the end of the day we show up to work because we want to make a positive difference in student’s lives. End of story.