Thinking about being an RA?

These insider insights could let you know if the job’s for you

Though the pandemic has changed much of life at St. Kate’s, one part has stayed the same: Resident Advisors (RAs) are still a key point of contact for students who live on campus. As the interview process begins for next year’s RAs, it’s important to understand every aspect of what RAs do— both good and bad.

RAs are tasked with a lot of work. There are multiple components to the job, and you are expected to be a full-time student on top of these job responsibilities, which can be demanding at times. 

Here are some things to expect if you decide to become an RA:

Hosting Events

Hosting events can be fun! You get to meet new people, help your floor build a community and connect on a deeper level with your residents. There are some events you are required to plan, specifically at the beginning of the year. These new events can be fun, and building that deeper connection is so rewarding. However, planning is solely on your shoulders.

 Depending on your workload, it can be a struggle to plan events  all out and hope that people will attend. And, sometimes, your events will be failures. No one will attend—  or residents will walk past without making eye contact to pretend the event isn’t there.

New Friends Same Obsessions

New Friends Same Obsessions (NFSOs) are also a responsibility that has been put on RAs’ plates. These events are expected to happen every two weeks, and there are various topics that you can choose to host. You can pick a topic that has been successful in the past, or come up with something new and original. 

These  can be fun events. You get to host them and facilitate different activities that rotate around the topic. It can also be stressful, planning for an unknown number of participants for each session and sometimes having to plan the entire event yourself. Though there is a push for NFSOs to be student-led, but it does not always work that way. There is a high chance that all the responsibilities will be on your shoulders and yours alone to take care of.

On-Duty Tasks

Another task that RAs are expected to shoulder is being “on-duty,” or being on-call and patrolling the residence buildings on campus. During “on-duty” hours, you and another RA walk around the various halls to make sure everything is running smoothly and that there are no  unreported problems. 

What you’ll find or have to respond to varies, depending on the day. Sometimes it will be a quiet night, where nothing happens. Sometimes you’ll have to put in service requests because lights are out or there is a leak somewhere. Sometimes you’ll have to respond to calls about noise complaints or other issues. Duty nights can be a great way to get steps in and can be easy, but they can also be rough. On the weekends, you are expected to do rounds during the early hours of the morning. Nothing is worse than wanting to go to bed yet knowing you have to walk around campus between 1 and 3 in the morning on weekends. And if you get a call in the middle of the night, whether or not you were asleep, you are expected to respond and deal with whatever the situation might be.

So How About the Money?

Compensation for your job goes beyond the free room and board and meals. On holiday duty nights, you currently get an hourly wage for rounds done and events attended. It is a nice bonus added on to what is already provided. There are also small stipends at the end of the year. The amount varies depending on what position you are in, but it’s a helpful add-on to what is already being paid for.

Make the Dorms Feel Like Home

Bulletin boards are also a required part of an RA’s duties. These all revolve around a certain theme. If you live on campus, you’ll have seen our Black History Month boards for February or our welcome boards at the beginning of the school year. While the themes do help to guide the bulletin board, you are expected to tailor it to what your floor needs, which can be ambiguous. Boards are required monthly, and it can take a few hours to fully construct everything and hang it up. 

On top of bulletin boards, RAs are expected to make door decorations, commonly known as door decs. They are required once a semester, but you are free to make more if you want. It can be a fun way to show your creativity. Finding the right door dec can be stressful, with so many options, but it pays off once it’s done.

Training and Move-in

Before the school year begins, you are required to go through training. It is a two-week-long program, covering everything from your role and responsibilities not covered before to how to respond in crisis situations. The days are long, lasting about nine hours for those two weeks. While you do have the weekends to decompress, you will also need to get the first door decs and bulletin boards done before residents start moving onto your floor. There is a lot of information during those days, and it can be mentally exhausting with all that you are learning and are expected to remember.

Right after training comes move-in day. As an RA, you’re expected to be a part of this. There are a variety of roles, from a greeter to moving people in, and you’ll rotate throughout the day. It is another exhausting few days, as you might be expected to climb to the third floor of buildings or stand outside in the weather for several hours. While it’s a great way to get your steps in, it is also a physically demanding weekend.

WildChats

Once the residents are moved in, there are WildChats, which are biweekly check-ins with residents to see how they are doing. There are guides for suggested questions and topics, and the conversation is pretty easy-going— depending on how the two of you want it to go. 

These WildChats can be short, some might go for a long time and sometimes residents will ghost you. However, even if a resident ignores you, you are required to reach out to them three times in that week. WildChats can be a good way to connect with the community and get to know your residents more. Sometimes, they come with funny anecdotes or stories to help brighten your own day. However, WildChats can be demanding. You are supposed to watch out for concerns that will need to be addressed. Though you’re trained, watching for warning signs regarding stress and mental health can be taxing. Those concerns get reported via a form after your chat.

All in all, there is a lot that goes into being an RA. There are good days, bad days and neutral days. With the responsibility comes a lot of work, stressful nights and rewarding days. When applying to become an RA, there is a lot to take into consideration, and I hope these points made will help you decide whether or not the position is the right fit for you.