Resident Assistants (RAs) are college students who supervise dormitory residents, plan activities, and act as liaisons between students and administration. The job requires maturity and leadership skills, and can benefit RAs in their future careers.
Resident Assistants (ARs) are college students, usually upper class, who take responsibility for living in dormitories or residence halls with students and acting as student supervisors. Resident assistants are assigned a floor or section of a floor in a hall of residence, with a defined number of student residents under their charge. Resident assistants often take their position as a part-time job or to help with tuition fees, but the job isn’t for everyone. Resident Assistants have specific duties, including but not limited to supervising dormitory residents, supervising activities, advising and encouraging residents, enforcing rules and curfews, encouraging cleanliness and peacekeeping, managing crises and order among residents. Resident assistants are sometimes given derogatory nicknames such as “dorm police” or “fairy tales,” so the job requires a certain level of maturity and thick skin.
Resident assistants are also known as student assistants, residence assistants, resident advisers, community advisers, and even housemates. Resident assistants often act as the liaison between the student body and college or university administration. Although resident assistants often impose unpopular policies on residents, they can also explain to students rules and regulations that administration may never take the time to.
Resident assistants are often called upon to plan activities that enhance the college experience for the residents under their charge. They can plan community service or volunteer projects on campus or in the local town, or they can simply plan regular pizza and video nights. Many resident helpers find that these events encourage community and friendship among residents, which ultimately benefits everyone.
Resident assistants can also teach or organize seminars or courses on getting along with others, finding a part-time job, or even just doing laundry and budgeting. Often, even the simplest tasks are difficult for students living in the dorm and away from home for the first time. Resident assistants often find that the leadership experience they learn in residential housing helps them a lot in the job market after college. With experience in everything from counseling a depressed student to dealing with a crime, Resident Assistants are future leaders who can go out into the world and use their skills in much larger circles.
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