Thinking About Becoming An RA

[Greenday]

My roommate is transferring to another school next year since ours doesn't have a major that covers what he wants to do. I really don't have too many guy friends on campus so finding a new roommate is pretty hard and I don't want to room with someone random. Singles cost a decent amount of money. But RAs not only get a free room, it's also a single, AND they get paid.

So I guess my real question is, anyone have any advice? I could have sworn we had one person who was an RA. There's gotta be someone.

[Kusanagi]

You already have to deal with SCs. Wanna deal with Sucky Tenants?

[Greenday]

I only work a job during the summer. And even then, when people give me crap, I don't take it from them as if I can't find my own managers during the day, there's no way in hell they can.

[Broomjockey]

If the RAs there are anything like ours, run. Run fast, run hard. You're going to have to be the authority, yes. That means: no getting drunk and then being where students can see you, no hitting on anyone on your floor, having people hate you for confiscating their liquor if they're underage, etc. You already admitted you've drank underage. Are you prepared to take it from someone else? Because you'll have to, as otherwise it opens the college up to lawsuits.

Also, you'll have to organize floor activities. Our have to do 2/month. Can you come up with a wide range of activities that you may not enjoy personally, but for the entertainment of others? Can you maintain impariality? You're going to be the first one people run to when they have a problem with their roommate, and you can't play favourites. Even if someone's a whiny so-and-so. You'll probably be on call all night, so plan on getting your sleep interrupted if anything happens. Also, you may be tasked to clean up if someone coming home can't hold their liquor, as that can't be left for the cleaning staff in the morning.

That's probably the bulk of what you'll have to put up with. Again, though. That's just the ones here. Your experience may vary. If you think you can put up with that, then all the more power to you and I wish you luck.

[Greenday]

Our floor meetings only occur for the beginning of the year for everyone to get to know each other, and for holiday breaks. So far the only mandatory meetings have been the first one of the year, and the one about the dorm being closed for Thanksgiving.

The way our dorms work, there is an RA on rounds every night and it rotates each night. If there are any late night problems, that RA is the person to talk to. I think I can manage being impartial, as I already managed to go this entire semester without know any of my floormates. Yea, I've drank before, but very rarely have I done this on campus and I've never been caught so I don't have a record of any sort. The policy around here seems to be, "Don't be obvious and you won't get caught." A.k.a. don't be running halfway naked down the halls with a six-pack under each arm.

Honestly, the thought of telling someone to be quiet at 3am in the morning and have them actually have to listen seems pretty darn good.

[Broomjockey]

Like I said, you can handle it, all the more power to ya. Sounds like you've got a good handle on what the job requires, and you're pretty sure you can do it. Won't hurt to at least try. I do know stuff like this can look pretty good on a resumé, no matter what field you're going in to.

[daleduke17]

One additional thing: be nice to the University Police.

You might also want to talk with them, see if they can offer any advice to you about some of the times it might be good to call them, and what not. If your school is anything like around here, you might be speaking with them quite a bit. :-p

[Knightmare]

It's almost 6:00 a.m. I've been up for 45 minutes. I read the title and thought, "Why the hell does he want to become a nurse?"

RA
RN

Pretty damn close when you aren't fully awake yet.

Must get more coffee

[Jester]

The policy around here seems to be, "Don't be obvious and you won't get caught." A.k.a. don't be running halfway naked down the halls with a six-pack under each arm.

"Yes. Be running completely naked down the halls with a twelve-pack under one arm, a bong under the other, a blowup doll riding you piggy back, a beer funnel wrapped around you like a belt, and singing John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High," off key, at the top of your lungs."

Honestly, the thought of telling someone to be quiet at 3am in the morning and have them actually have to listen seems pretty darn good.

Yes, but don't forget that if someone ELSE is being bothered by noise at 3 am, and you are fast asleep, take a wild guess who they are going to wake up to silence the culprits? I'll give you a hint: R.A. can often stand for "Rudely Awakened."

[daleduke17]

Yes, but don't forget that if someone ELSE is being bothered by noise at 3 am, and you are fast asleep, take a wild guess who they are going to wake up to silence the culprits? I'll give you a hint: R.A. can often stand for "Rudely Awakened."

I'm trying to remember how the County Emergency Manager put it one time to all of us during a dinner. It was something like: "If it's 2am, and I'm awake....then everybody else is going to be awake as well."

[hawkchick11]

Freshman year, my RA would buy us alcohol

I'm pretty sure he wasn't an RA the next year

[Jester]

I'm trying to remember how the County Emergency Manager put it one time to all of us during a dinner. It was something like: "If it's 2am, and I'm awake....then everybody else is going to be awake as well."

Yes, but the difference is, if there is a county emergency and the CEM is awake, then everyone else SHOULD be awake.

If a dorm resident is being kept awake by some idiot being loud, and thus wakes up the RA to help with this, there is no reason for everyone else to be awake.

Just saying.

[digilight]

In college we had both on campus apartments as well as dorms. At the time all freshman and sophmores had to live in the dorms while everyone else could do the apartments. I had an apartment, they were really more like condo's. 2 upstairs and 2 downstairs in our building. Oh yeah our RA lived below us the first year. I also got my on campus job (during the summer break) on a job interview that took place at a bar in Monterey while my future boss who was also the RD (We only had one at the time) was buying me beers.

For the most part what everyone said here is true. You need to be the bastion of common sense. You may be called upon to deal with roomate issues. You may need to deal with a crying female resident at 4am who might be emotionally unstable. You may have to deal with someone on a bad acid trip.

Try talking to some of the current RA's and get their opinions both the pro's and con's of the job.

[TNT]

I'll never forget the first thing my RA said during our first dorm meeting... "Officially, I can't tell you who's dealing dope. so ask quietly."

It was that kind of school.