Everyone knows who these people are. If you ever lived on a college campus then chances are you had a Resident Assistant or Resident Advisor. Maybe you have even wanted to be a Resident Assistant. I have been an RA for a year now and am beginning my second year on staff. Here are just a few reasons why I enjoy serving as an RA.
1. You are friends with EVERYONE.
You have your friends that you met your freshman year. You then have all your RA friends who you feel like you only see during RA meetings. You also have all the friends who live in your dorm. Some of them might sit with you in the common area when you are on duty. Some of your dorm friends might leave candy outside your door. Some might just pass by you on your way to class and they might tell you that you are rad. Then you have the residents in your dorm who only want to be your friend when they are locked out of their room. It is OK because you love them anyways.
2. You are allowed to drink large quantities of coffee and no one judges you for it.
In general, college students drink major amounts of coffee or any other product that is loaded with caffeine. If you are a Resident Assistant, it becomes even more acceptable by society that you always have a coffee cup in your hand. Let's be honest for a second. Most RAs complain because we have to stay up for designated on-duty times, but even when we are not on duty, we still stay up late and use being a Resident Assistant as the excuse for why we always have coffee in our hands.
3. You help build community in your residence halls.
As an RA, it is your job to set the mood for what you want the year to look like for your residents. If you want them to be involved in things that go on campus, you encourage them to participate while leading by example and participating yourself. You also should encourage your residents to pursue healthy study habits. You also want to be available to your residents and let them know that you can help them with whatever they need.
4. You have some of the best stories to tell so long as you do not break your confidentiality agreement.
Everyone meet Amber. During our first week of class, I fell down and skinned my knee and leg pretty badly. Two days later, she showed up at my door having done the same exact thing. Who would have guessed she would have followed in my footsteps in real life?
5. You make a "framily."
Framily: friends who are like family. That is what being a Resident Assistant has given me. I am constantly surrounded be people who support me and people who I pour into. I can't imagine what my college experience would be like had I not been a Resident Assistant.
