Duty calls

You're on your way home from a party, trying to get back to your dorm without anyone seeing, and acting a ~natural~ as possible. The only thing you didn't count on was that your arrival home coincides with your Resident Assistant's (aka the RA) duty round. Panic sets in as you fumble with your keys. Before you know it, the RA is upon you and you can tell you're about to be written up. That's when they quickly walk passed you and act as if nothing has happened. You're confused but grateful. This is just one of the many scenarios I faced as a resident and later as a Resident Assistant. Below are just a few things you might want to know before the next time you complain about your RA:

1. We're not out to get you

This is the biggest thing. Yes, there are a few RAs that ARE out to get you but for the most part... we're not. We have more important things than trying to catch you in a moment of weakness or writing you up. We hate paperwork and every time we write someone up, we have to include a report and follow it up with a meeting and ain't nobody got time for that.

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2. We're not doing this for fun

This is probably one of the biggest misconceptions I've heard from residents and parents and well... pretty much everyone around me. Being an RA isn't all fun and games. Yes it CAN be fun and if you're doing it right, it is but it's not just for fun. Personally I was an RA because I went to a private college and it was hella expensive to live on campus and as an RA you got free room and board. Others do it as a resumé builder and still others might do it as a power trip but those don't usually last long.

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3. We're human

We have lives. We also have feelings. We also have better things to do than babysit you BUT we will if necessary. When out at a party, we don't want to be a buzzkill and I almost always would peace when I saw one of my residents. Maybe get the chance to know your RA. We have a wealth of knowledge that we're ready to share at a moment's notice whether it be what professor's to take, where the best food on campus is, or the best study spots. Depending upon what other extracurricular your RA is in, they can give advice on joining a sorority, fraternity, or any number of campus clubs. Also, we always remember the residents that are dicks to us and are much more likely to be sticklers when it comes to rules.

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4. We hate our programs just as much as you do

We get it. You think our programs are lame. No one wants to go chill with their RA and do a few thousand icebreakers. It's not like we want to do them either. My first year as an RA, I went all out on a program only to have 1 person show up. It's part of our expectations that we do one every week (or once a month depending on the contract). What do you have to lose? There's almost ALWAYS free food and sometimes even free swag. Plus if you show up consistently to your RAs programs, they're much more likely to let you slide should something happen.

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5. Our bulletin boards are our babies

WE PUT SO MUCH EFFORT INTO THESE! Depending upon your school, your RA may only need to do one a semester. We had to do ONE A MONTH at mine. I hated doing them but hated it even more when residents destroyed the bulletin board I worked hard on because that just meant I had to redo the damn thing. So please, don't vandalize the bulletin boards. You're basically an adult at this point. WHY TEAR IT DOWN?!

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