I still remember my first year at Clark University when I was a resident in Bullock Hall. Fresh out of Week One, I was trying to get myself ready for classes and my RA that year was the lovely Maya Fox (who is a Hall director of JSC now). She kicked off the year with a very nice “getting to know you neighbors” program and I remember loving the feeling that she was trying to make us feel at home. Over that year, I was so impressed and touched by the work the RAs of Bullock Hall did that it inspired me to apply to be one. It is not an easy process, I must say, and I did not get selected in the first time (because there were over 70 eligible and amazing candidates), but I tried again next year and got in!
I have now been an RA for almost two years, and it has been one of the most transformative experiences ever –personally as well as socially. The best thing about being an RA is that you are now a part of a community that is dedicated to making an impact in the community.
RA Staff 2016-17
I’m now going to list the perks and pitfalls of being an RA, and walk you through the process of being one!
THE PERKS:
Compensation: Clark University offers a free, single room in your assigned building. Additionally, you also get a 5-meal plan for free. There is no stipend like previous years, but if you calculate, you are saving more money this way than what you would have earned if they gave you a stipend.
Time Management: As an RA, you are expected to be there for your residents. At Clark, academics is our priority and being an RA still requires a lot of time commitment, but most RAs usually have other extra-curricular commitments as well like being a part of student clubs, volunteering and internships. Besides being around for our residents, RAs have weekly staff meetings and workshops that we are mandated to attend. You will end up juggling a lot on your plate, but it’ll help you prioritize and manage your time.
Making an Impact: The most rewarding thing about being an RA is knowing that you’re helping someone else, in even the slightest way. I’ve worked with upperclassmen last year, and now I have first year students. I have had residents who have never lived in America (I was like that too my freshman year, but this country has grown on me!). Other residents have never left home before or have never shared a room. I’ve taught residents how to do laundry and do dishes, but I’ve also been there for them through their first day of college classes, their home sickness, any roommate conflicts, alcohol poisoning, and many other issues that college students may go through.
Building Relationships: Through the mandatory staff bonding and spending so much time with your fellow RAs during weeks of trainings or weekly staff meetings, you end up being friends, and in some instances, even more than friends. I’ve met a lot of amazing friends from being an RA. Having friends who either live few floors or few blocks away from you, makes it so convenient to see each other. And other RAs understand when you can’t hang out because you’re tired from dealing with lockouts at 4 am the previous night or that you are on duty for the whole weekend! These aren’t just your friends; they are your teammates that you know you can lean on for support during this job.
THE PITFALLS:
Establishing Boundaries: If you don't, it's going to be so easy for residents to be able to manipulate you and gain control in a situation. It's important to be friendly with the residents, but there’s a very fine line with that. When the residents feel they can disobey all the rules just because they have that connection with you, you'll end up having to write up someone who considers you a friend. If you ignore the fact that your residents are breaking the rules, you risk getting in trouble if your supervisor finds out. It is important to find a balance.
Living in a Fishbowl: You will be an RA everywhere you go, even outside the dorm. Your residents and the hall directors are going to be watching you all the time, and anything you say and do is always going to be under scrutiny. You don't have to stop being yourself, but you just have to remember that you are a role model in so many ways.
Difficult Residents: Not all residents will like you, and you won't like every resident you come across. It's going to be impossible to please everyone, and that's the biggest thing I feel like new RAs don't understand. No matter what you do or what you try, they might not like you because of your hair, because of how you talk, anything like that. You just have to remember that you're not there to be their friend. You're doing a job, and whether or not residents like you shouldn't affect how you handle situations with them. Just do your best to be amicable, polite and friendly.
Being Overwhelmed: You live where you work, and you work where you live, so you have to make the effort to make time for yourself. Aside from the duty nights, you're not really required to stay in the building unless it's some kind of emergency situation or you have a program planned with your residents. So you just have to use your judgment, and make sure you strike a balance between being there for your residents, and making time to hang out with friends and be involved on campus outside of your residence hall. Additionally, sometimes you walk into situations involving residents that have medical emergencies or have been victims of some abuse/violence, and you may feel very uncomfortable. If that's the case, you need to know you have somebody else you can go to, either another RA, your hall director, or the counselling center.
Overall, being an RA is a very enriching experience and it will be the most fruitful to you if you know why you want to be an RA, and if you do it for the right reasons. There is so much you can do with the role because you are a student leader on campus and you have the power to make effective and critical change.
HOW TO APPLY:
At Clark University, the Residential Life and Housing hires RA mid-year for Spring Semester in November-December to fill the gaps by RAs who need to quit the role or are going for study abroad and for the Fall Semester in March-April.
The best source for all the information is:
