Hey, I'm going to be a new RA this fall! Do you have any advice for me? I got placed on the south side, as well :)
Boy do I. It will be one of the most rewarding experiences of you life. I love Res Life and everyone in it is seriously fantastic.
Don't be afraid of your staff. A big thing that people don't realize until they're on a staff, that your staff is hugely important and an amazing resource. You'll be hanging out with these people A LOT over the course of the year so you might as well make friends. Some of my dearest friends now are from my staff last year.
Don't be afraid of residents. Be outgoing and proactive when they're moving in and chitty chat with them. Don't forget that residents can be shy or intimidated so don't push them to be social, just encourage it and be friendly. Don't worry if you don't click with residents, it's not the end of the world. In life you won't always be everyone's friends and residents are just the same.Just be friendly.
Be honest with residents. Don't go around spouting your protocols and things like that to them of course. But be upfront with them. Sure you don't have an opinion on what they do in their spare time, it's their business. But if they do anything against policy or illegal, you will have to report it and handle the situation. You don't want to get them in trouble, but it's part of the job. I told my residents at our very first floor meeting that I knew a lot of them would go out and party at some point, or they already had and that's okay. But as soon as you bring that back to the hall, we'll have a problem. Always remind them to make good choices.
At times the job will feel overwhelming and you won't know what to do or you'll feel like you're messing up big time. Don't worry so much. Be open with your RED, tell them your struggles and let them know that it's affecting you. More times than not if you tell your RED you're having issues, they'll work with you to find a remedy or steer you in a good direction. They're like the RA for RAs.
Don't be afraid of your RED or AHD, they're people too. AHDs are even students, usually just a couple years older than fresh RAs. They get it. They were in your position, they know the struggle. They aren't just some "boss" you answer to, they're part of your team. Don't be afraid to ask for advice or clarification. It shows that you're proactive, not needy.
Goodness. I wrote a lot. I'll probably think of more as time goes on. Maybe I'll start writing RA advice posts. Anyway, I'm so glad that you're going into Res Life! It's crazy fun and amazing and everyone is so friendly. I hope you have an amazing adventure with the experience. Welcome to the family!
