#head resident

[smithbysmithies]

Due to my family‘s financial situation and the limited aid I got from Smith, I will probably apply to be a head resident for the room and board coverage. however I was wondering if it is a strenuous job and if head residents are allowed to party and still have fun haha. thanks for any help

Hey!

One of my motivating factors to apply to be Res Life was definitely to help my family’s financial situation. I would say being an HR is a huge time commitment, since you have to come to weekly meetings, plan events, and sometimes go to house events (though this depends on how connected to the house you want to be). It’s also different per area, Green St doesn’t have parties, so noise complaints and such are minimal, unlike places like the Quad. However, we pay attention to other things, like typical roommate problems, or making sure people with sensory/mobility issues get accommodated.

HRs are still allowed to party and have fun, you just have to make sure to set the boundaries with your residents (e.g. if you go partying with them, will they see you professionally?). I find that making friends outside the house solves this problem though. Overall, I would say apply and see how it goes! We definitely have a great support system with other Res Life members and our Area Coordinators.

Hope this helped!

Naomi

[smithbysmithies]

How competitive is it to be an HR?

Hi!

An HR, or Head Resident is a RA equivalent position we have on our Residence Life staff. They’re students that work with the college in the houses to enforce policy, plan house events, and generally make sure everyone/everything is ok. Additionally, HRs get a stipend that cover their room and board in addition to work study money. Because of this it can get pretty competitive, as Residence Life wants people who are capable of handling the responsibilities the job comes with. It’s a lot easier to start as a House Community Advisor (HCA) first, they’re basically the same thing but you plan less events, get paid the full work study amount, but don’t get the room and board stipend. HCAs are usually sophomores and juniors, and from there many people get promoted to become HRs!

When you apply to become Res Life you have the option to pick what position you want (HCA only, HCA and HR, HR only), and I recommend picking both anyway if you aim to become HR! I got lucky and got the job as a junior, so it’s not totally impossible!

Naomi ‘19

[smithbysmithies]

so I know now that HR’s have room and board covered but does House Council have any comparable benefits? I would like to get involved in house council but if it’s more beneficial to be a head resident I’d consider that instead

Hi!

Unfortunately, people in House Council (HC) do not get any monetary benefits, and this includes the House President. It’s still great work to build a community within Smith, and is a helpful addition to your resume when applying for other jobs/internships.

If you’re looking at it from a financial perspective, becoming Residence Life staff is the better option. HRs do get free room and board, but this depends on your financial aid situation (as an international student I pay the exact same amount I usually do, but no loans!), and additional aid can mess with FAFSA. House Community Advisors (HCA) get paid the full work-study amount, divided by the number of pay periods in the year. HRs also get additional pay, but not as much as HCAs because we already have the housing stipend. A downside of being Res Life is we cannot take on any additional campus jobs, as it’s considered a full time position (honestly more than 10h/week).

Even though it’s a huge time commitment, I do love my job, and I encourage you to to try and apply for Res Life!

Naomi ‘19

[vanillelavendernotes]

Last week I officially started my duties of being a Head Resident Advisor. I have some of my best friends on the HR staff with me, and a pretty dope pro-staff. Yesterday we started inventories for our buildings and oh my god it was the longest day I've had in a long time - like, whoa, responsibility! lol. Trying not to get too worked about anything at this point and time, especially since the semester haven't even begun yet. Today is the famed RA retreat and I can't wait for LASER TAG! The place we're going is apparently really dope and special; the staff only gets to go every four years or so because of scheduling, so it's a pretty big deal that we're going this year. I feel special because it's my Senior year and I get to kick it off with this retreat (see Smores, Campfire, Teambuilding, & dope movies (I think What We Do In The Shadows is being shown this year. HILARIOUS film. Great piece of work)). More than that, three of my residents from my first year as an RA are now RAs themselves, and one of their old residents is also an RA! 3rd annex Prosser passing on the torch. I'm like a Grandfather lol - generations n shit. Some of my Black and Brown babies are on staff too - and that's splendid. Just thought I'd share. Here's to all the dope RAs out there helping to cultivate a healthy and productive [dorm] community this academic year & beyond. Lets go!