The RA Diaries

Yesterday was the day that about 250 young applicants found out whether or not they were accepted as a Resident Assistant for the 2013-2014 school year, and it took me back to that day 2 years ago when I found out I'd be working in Brumby.

For those of you not familiar with UGA Residence Halls, Brumby has been an all-female residence hall since it opened in 1966. It has a reputation for being the "strictest" residence hall. When young women find out that they will spend their freshman year in Brumby, they usually roll their eyes and try to live in another hall. Although the visitation rules are the same in the majority of the residence halls, staff in Brumby can usually tell if someone is here after hours pretty readily. I'll give you a clue: he's a guy. If we see a guy between the hours of 2-10am Monday-Thursday, he's not supposed to be here. We can also spot pretty readily if a boy is un-escorted (aka wandering the halls alone) because, again, he's a boy and most definitely doesn't live here. I had to document an escort violation last year with some slightly intoxicated boys and one of them told me he lived here and when I said I knew for a fact that he didn't, he challenged me and said I "didn't know his life." I said that was very well but he couldn't live here because it was an all-female building. Needless to say that shut him up and also embarrassed him to no end. Anyway, next year Brumby will be co-ed, and I have to say that that scares me. I LOVE Brumby. I'm weird, I know, but there is just something so nice about working on an all-female staff. There's a camaraderie among female staff- we compete to see who has the cutest bulletin boards every month, but in a healthy way, but we compliment each other's work ethics and programs and bulletin boards. Yes, this can happen with males on our staff, but it's so nice that in a world where women typically bring each other down, that I can work on a staff where my co-workers constantly build me up. Being a Christian, obviously I believe God wants me to work in a co-ed building next year, and in this instance, change is a good thing. After 40+ years Brumby is evolving, and I'm so fortunate to get to witness that change.

Now, back to getting my acceptance letter 2 years ago...man oh man I had zero idea what I was in for. I've decided to compile a little piece of what I'd like to call "The RA Diaries" including many things I've learned and some tips and tricks...

-You will learn an insane amount of acronyms when starting this job. I bet you all don't know that in addition to being an RA, I work with CAs, DAs, OAs, GRs, an RHD, an AC, and BSWs. I also use programs called CRIS and JA and fill out a piece of paperwork called an RFP. I get my bulletin board supplies from an RPS office. This is no where near and exhaustive list. 

-Get used to being called a "bitch." It happens, but at the end of the day you're doing you're job and can remain confident in that. 

-No, there is no initiation to be an RA, but there is a secret club that we don't talk about. Once you clean up vomit or some other bodily "fluid," you're part of that "club." 

-Speaking of vomit, expect to clean it up several times, including the middle of the night.

-Always have tissues in your room. Sometimes people just need someone to listen while they cry. 

-Food is your greatest weapon, especially Chick Fil A. People will come to your program when there is food.

-Listen to what your residents do in their spare time and what they like. If you can plan a program around it, you'll have more people show up and more meaningful experiences. 

-The worst sound in the world is the shrill ringing of the duty phone at 3 am. Your first thought, "someone better be dying." But of course you would NEVER want that, but hey, it's what happens when you're woken up mid- REM cycle.

-People will not take you seriously when you're trying to confront an incident in Spider Man boxers. You may be wearing your Housing Polo and ID badge, but they're just staring at your boxers.

-The Housing Polo is the sexiest piece of clothing you'll ever have. Said no one ever. You'll get paranoid when you're on duty and sleep in it on nights that you know are going to be bad. 

-Your staff will become a second family. You will bond over using the Vendor Card at Piggly Wiggly, exchange funny stories, and they'll be your support system when you feel like everything is falling apart.

-Confrontation is not a bad thing. It's healthy. If you stay calm, that drunk person you're confronting will too. Never yell. Don't even raise your voice. 

-People instantly sober up when you say the police can get involved.

-Fraternity formal time=cooler time. By the end of that season, you will never want to see another cooler again.

-Your dinner break while on duty is sacred. It's your 45 minutes to get out of the building, use it.

-It's much easier to go in strict and be slightly intimidating and then loosen the reigns than try to tighten them as the year goes on.

-Most importantly, your residents will surprise you. They'll leave you sweet notes, you'll hear them pass by your room and say they like you. You'll adopt residents on your hall to the point that you forget that certain people aren't actually your residents. 

-Working with freshmen is both rewarding and frustrating. They will experiment with their freedom, but you'll also get to witness them grow and learn and make some pretty awesome decisions.

-Welcome interruptions. They'll happen, especially the night before classes start. Don't expect to have more than 10 minute intervals to yourself. An open door means anyone is welcome. A closed door means you're available as needed. Lock your door when you're changing or just get out of the shower. Some residents like to barge in. 

-Take time to enjoy the experience. Take a night away from your friends and invite your residents to come watch a movie in your room. You'll never regret the bonding that happens.

-Never give up on yourself, and NEVER give up on your residents. You'll never find another job like this. You won't ever learn this quickly or "as you go" like you do on this job. 

I'm sure my fellow Housing buddies will enjoy this. I do love my job.

Smile, God loves you!