Being an RA according to Wet Hot American Summer:
Being an RA feels a lot like this sometimes...
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You don't really know what you're doing with your life, and you're kind of bumbling along trying to figure it out, but your residents don't know that. You're an example of proper study habits, time management skills, and just being on top of it in general. Which you're not. So you fake it 'till you make it.
Your On-Call outfit might look something like this...
Practicality is everything. Fanny packs are cool. Be prepared for residents that run away.
You will run into almost everything they trained you for within the first week, and then things get weird...
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The problems you have as an RA are not ones you ever foresaw yourself having...you never know what you're going to run into. Like having to explain why a stripper pole isn't allowed in the dorms. After it's been installed.
The enthusiasm of the college freshmen...
This is just how I imagine they feel when they sneak that six pack and plastic vodka into the dorms.
Everything is new and exciting and every trip out of the dorm is an adventure. Free pizza can make their entire week. Everything is fun when you're living with such an upbeat group of people.
Your staff has your back 100%
There is no one else out there that knows quite what's going on in your life as an RA (including you sometimes), but your staff gets it. They accept, nay, encourage you to be your weirdest and most wonderful. They are there for you at literally at any time of day or night, and are the only people in your life that truly understand what your life is about right now. Staff meetings become the highlight of your week and you know that you'll always have someone to grab food with. They'll cover late night rounds when you have a midterm the next day, no problem. Ask for a snack in the Groupme while you're stuck at the front desk, and all the sudden 5 different snacks appear. They've seen you at your worst at 4 in the morning and still stick by you. You're so grateful for everything they do, and would do the same for them in a heartbeat.
Free food all the time
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I am currently on a free dessert streak: I have gotten free dessert everyday for 19 days straight. I want to see how long this could go, but at the same time it really can't continue.
Hell hath no fury like a parent concerned
Girls get over being "scorned". A parent on move-in day however, when things aren't running smoothly, is a force to be a reckoned with. Dealing with a particularly stressed out parent yelling at you for things you have no control over can have you feeling like this afterwards.
Your residents are everywhere
You potentially have a group of excited and loving freshman wherever you go, and its awesome. You never know when you're going to walk into a store to cheers of your own name and happy greetings. But this does mean you are constantly on display. The obvious places like the library and UU are to be expected; daily run-ins are what make the job awesome. You always have to be on your best behavior in public - oh wait, that's just part of being an adult? Ugh. Where you're going to run into your residents is kind of like a daily guessing game.
You learn to deal with rejection really well
Chances of more than 5 people showing up to your programs is slim. That's okay though, because you get to eat all the free snacks and have a blast making dream-catchers by yourself.
Also not everyone is nice when you write them up. You learn to take insults with a smile.
"Um... working as an RA is not really babysitting. It's kind of like a parent/brother/sister/tour guide/camp counselor combo. With paperwork and decorations."
Nobody really knows what you do. But that's okay, because then you get to explain your job and why its awesome and its kind of the only thing you want to talk about anyway. You have an instant connection with anyone else who's ever been an RA, because they know.
"So you're like, the chill RA right?"
This has become my least favorite sentence in the English language. We do what we can to make sure our residents are safe and happy, and that we don't get fired. We like being liked, but don't try to make us feel bad for writing people up, when it's (a small) part of our job. No one likes quiet hours until it's them that have the 8 AM midterm the next day. We don't tell you how to do your job, please reciprocate.
Getting off campus feels like this...
So, to anyone who's thinking about being an RA...
Being an RA is the best decision I ever made. This is my first year as an RA, but it's already one of my most favorite things. Coming home everyday, you're greeted by a crowd of people excited to see you, and tell you about their day. You get to help these freshmen grow and figure out the world, and you learn so much about yourself from them too. Hanging out with residents is one of my favorite things to do, and I look forward to coming home everyday.
