Resident Assistant Job In College

Becoming a resident assistant, also known as resident adviser or RA, while in college is a great way to build personal and professional skills and save money, too. Most RAs get free or discounted housing in exchange for taking on the role of monitoring and supporting undergraduates in college campus housing, such as a dormitory. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2016, nearly 11,000 students were employed as RAs at colleges, universities and professional schools, at an average wage of $15.04 per hour or $31,290 per year.

Being an RA is about more than saving money, though; it also entails serving as a role model for your peers and incoming students. This guide will help you to better understand what it takes to be successful as an RA and provide tips on how to thrive in this demanding and important role.

Overall, your job is to create a comfortable, safe and supportive atmosphere for the residents in student housing, as well as to help them interact well with their dorm mates and adjust to campus life overall. This encompasses a long list of expected and unexpected responsibilities, including:

RAs are the centerpiece of the residence hall experience, and it’s one of the most rewarding jobs you can have during your college career. But as your heart becomes set on being an RA, you should know that the path to becoming one usually requires showing that you are a good fit for the job through an extensive and competitive application process. So make sure you are ready, willing and able to sell yourself first.

Once you land the job, you’ll also have to make it through the training process, which can also be very intensive. On the bright side, RAs get to stand out as campus leaders and role models who also serve as important liaisons between students and administrators. It also is a great opportunity for you to provide important peer-to-peer support in a wide range of circumstances, such as mental health issues, relationship problems, academic and financial challenges, as well as self-esteem problems and substance abuse.

There are advantages and disadvantages to any job, and being an RA is no different. The most obvious — not to mention the most well-known — perk is receiving free or discounted room and board in exchange for fulfilling your duties. Some campuses also offer stipends, hourly pay and discounted meal plans too. “For me that has meant having more money in my pocket to buy books and other necessities,” asserts Alexius Sims, a resident assistant at Talladega College in Talladega, Alabama, and a social work major who plans to attend graduate school. “The money I save, I eventually spend on [things I need for] school, and the extra money I use to spoil myself now and then.”

Although saving money — perhaps even thousands of dollars — may sound like a pretty great reason to become an RA, both campus housing experts and former RAs agree you shouldn’t jump into this role solely for the financial benefits. A lot goes into becoming a residential assistant, including having to work odd hours (including those coveted weekends and nights), training commitments and occasionally having to be “the bad guy” from time to time. Needless to say, if you don’t have a sincere passion for the work and a willingness to deal with those less appealing aspects of the job, you will probably find life as an RA miserable.

Living where you work also means little to no separation between the two, which can be especially taxing when you’re juggling your own schoolwork and adjusting to college life, too. Most RAs do have designated work hours, but there likely will be plenty of times when your expected free time will be interrupted by unexpected issues that you’ll have to handle. On a weekly basis, that could entail anything from comforting a homesick freshman and hosting a resident event to refereeing a dispute between roommates, supporting a student with a mental health crisis or even addressing a maintenance problem in your building.

Make sure that it is something you really want to do and that you are willing to give your all; a lot of times that’ll mean limiting your own extracurricular activities,” Sims says. “You’ll have to be aware of unexpected situations. At some point, you become ‘the FBI’ [investigating the residents] in order to avoid issues later. But all in all, you get to have fun while meeting and getting to know other students.

Remember, your overarching job is to enforce the rules for residents, many of whom may be close to your own age, and that can be tricky. Disciplining your peers can be pretty awkward and likely won’t earn you any cool points.

The good news is that being an RA can yield countless personal, professional and financial benefits. Though it may occasionally seem like a burden too heavy to bear, many of the responsibilities you’ll handle will provide you with great, real-world experiences that can help you grow as a person.

“I became a resident assistant at the start of my junior year, and I’m now I’m in my second semester. It’s been a really interesting experience.”

“Room checks, sitting at the desk or lobby for more than six hours. I have to go into a room if a student is breaking a school rule. Calling the campus police for any suspicious activities in the hall. Making sure opposite-sex students are not in the hall after visitation hours. Meeting weekly with the resident director and vice president of student affairs. And the RAs have to host three programs throughout the semester. Basically, you have to always be available.”

“Because it paid for my housing as well as it allowed me to meet freshmen girls and guide them on their new journey. When I first started as an RA, I was extremely nervous and anxious; I thought no one would respect me or listen to me. As time went on, I grew a strong bond with many of the girls; now they always come to me for advice related to school or personal life situations.”

“Of course, the biggest perk is that your housing is paid for; you get to have a dorm room to yourself, and you get a sneak peek of every event before the entire student body knows. In my opinion, there are not any disadvantages to being an RA because everything that an RA does impacts the dormitory.”

“One morning a freshmen girl who lived next door to my room was complaining about not feeling well, so I drove her to our school nurse. Her blood pressure was so high that she got excused from classes for the rest of the day. Later that night, she texted me about having the same pain from earlier that day. The minute I made it to her room, she fainted and was out for about 30 minutes. The resident center manager on duty had to call the paramedics. After the girl was admitted to the hospital, they notified us later that she had suffered a drug overdose.”

“One weekend, visitation was not allowed, so a few of the girls hosted a party in the basement of the dorm. The rumor had gone around the hall in a split second; they went shopping for food and (non-alcoholic) drinks, and they ended up having a great time. I thought that was creative and another great way for the girls to bond and get to know one another.”

“I have enhanced a few skills since taking on my position as an RA. I am able to multitask better, I react faster to surprise situations and my networking skills have also improved. I have also done a better job of managing my duties while staying on top of school assignments.”

“Being a resident assistant in college means a lot to me because it means that parents trust you to take care of their children while they are away from home. Also, I feel like a proud parent when on one the students I have bonded with accomplishes a goal or has undergone positive changes over the school year.”

“I was hired as a resident assistant at USM in 2002. I worked in Scott Hall, a housing unit for female upperclassmen, for two years. I even won an Eagle of Excellence Award my senior year.”

“It was something that I felt compelled to do, and I was good at it due to a genuine desire to make an impact. I sincerely enjoyed being a resource for my residents. I loved celebrating their successes and supporting them through difficult times. Creating a home away from home for them was important to me. I grew as a person by getting out of my comfort zone and giving of myself to approximately 40 women as they navigated a new course in their lives. It was transformative for me. I learned so much about “my girls” and my capabilities. I really loved them and the whole RA experience. I couldn’t imagine my college experience without being a part of residence life.”

“The list is so long: patience, empathy, sympathy and a desire to understand others. I also learned how to be a better listener, how to lead, the importance of transparency, how to be creative and how to be a leader and set expectations, all while building and maintaining a solid rapport with my team.”

“That there was a curfew,” Lassiter laughs. “But in all seriousness, I felt really prepared [by the RA training]. USM had an outstanding residence life director who gave us a comprehensive view of what we were about to encounter.”

“Of course, there are the financial benefits; at USM, we each received a room and board scholarship for being an RA, and that was great. We also got [paid] to work extra hours of desk duty, which was gold as a college student. What I think stands out the most is the bonds you form. You really get to make an impact on [the lives of] your residents and fellow RAs. I still have former residents who reach out to me about our time in Scott Hall at USM. And, yes, they still refer to me as their RA. There’s also so much to be said about your own personal development and the skills you learn, working with all types of personalities, temperaments, work ethics, scholastic efforts and [even people with different] hopes and dreams. The RA is the glue that holds it all together. It’s true what they say: The skills you learn as an RA will be with you forever.”

“I honestly had a problem with having a curfew; I felt like if I was responsible enough to be an RA, I didn’t need a curfew. I felt restricted by that. Balancing time can also be a major challenge with your own studies and personal life and extracurricular activities. It got really tricky for me as a senior, which was my second year as an RA. I was busy: I was a McNair Scholar and was working on research, a new initiative in my sorority, serving as yearbook executive editor … I was also in a few honor societies and applying for grad school. I was stretched thin but worked hard to balance my responsibilities as an RA while simultaneously making the most of my senior year.”

“I did end up finding the balance because I did not want to disappoint my residents. It can also be tough balancing friendships while an RA, too. I had to be careful about my social interactions with friends since they were technically residents. As an RA, you are a representative of the university and have to be responsible at all times. It had its challenges, but overall I loved being an RA!”