Although this is only my third month of being a Community Assistant (or Resident Assistant as they call it in other schools) I have learned quite a few things, both good and bad.

I first learned that being a CA is not really hard, however, it is mentally draining. You have to have good judgement and be well aware of your surroundings. You also have to be aware of any changes in policies that happen. Technically, you only have to have this mentality when you’re on duty, but you’ll soon realize that you cannot stop thinking this way. Part of the reason why is because you’ll get used to taking care of your building and residents. It requires you to be on alert all the time.

The second thing I learned is that there’s not an exact way to become a good CA. Everyone has their own personalities. Everyone takes different approaches to situations that could be similar or opposite to yours. Don’t ever think that there is a definite answer because there isn’t one. You can learn from watching and asking other CA’s but in the end, the approach, decisions, and way of thinking will be totally your own.

The third thing I learned is that you’re not on your own, even if you’re on duty by yourself.(You’re never truly by yourself, since there will also be a Professional Staff member on duty with you. When I say this, I just mean that you are the only CA on duty). I was on duty by myself last week actually for the first time ever. Somehow, one of my co-workers found out and she didn’t hesitate to text me and say that I could come to her if I needed anything. While the weekdays are usually calm, you never know what could happen. So I was glad to know that I had that extra support if I needed it.

The fourth thing I learned that you ALWAYS have that extra support. While this was always at the back of my head, I never truly realized it until last week. It was last week, when I was on duty by myself that a big incident broke out. Naturally, the RC had to help me, but it was better once the Director of Residence and another CA came out and helped. Unfortunately, something happened during the incident that really shook me up, but I had to remain calm so I didn’t let it bother me. However, after the incident was over, the director of Residence Life and I began to talk over the incident, that I began to cry. I apologized to her, thinking that I shouldn’t be crying if I was to be a CA. Instead she said, “It’s fine. Let it all out, I understand why you feel that way.” It truly made me feel better. The next day, the assistant director of Residence Life saw me. He told me that he read my report and asked if I was okay. I explained my concern and he said it was okay. That as I long as I felt better it was all that mattered. Later on, one of my co-workers said she heard about the incident and congratulated me for handling it well. It made my day!

The fifth thing I learned is that it’s okay if you make mistakes. There’s always a way to fix them. Nobody expects you to be perfect.

Last but not least, that whether you’re CA for your entire college career, or a lot less than that, you won’t ever, EVER, regret it!