The summer of ’09 was great! I got a chance to do a lot of travelling and intern in Dubai. Yet, coming back to Bloomington is always exciting. I can hardly imagine it’s been 8 weeks since I got back for Resident Assistant training this fall. Many people ask me what I do as an RA, why I do it and what training is like. So I decided to blog about it!
Employed by Indiana University’s Residential Programs and Services, Resident Assistants serve as a freshman’s greatest resource. Each one of us at Briscoe Quad is responsible for one floor of about 50 residents. We spend a lot of our time in building a community with our residents. Our main goal through the fall semester is to help our residents settle in well at college and provide them any support they need. This ranges from help with classes, professors and academic planning to roommate troubles, balancing time and personal problems.
While building and maintaining our community is an ongoing process, we program events to enhance the college experience for our residents. Programs encompass social, academic, recreational, educative and volunteering events. These give residents an opportunity to not only take a break from work but also spend time with other members of the community.
While we build our communities and plan programs, we are also responsible for the safety and security of all our residents. When on duty, we take rounds (or community walks) of the entire building to make sure that all is well. Should there be an emergency, we are the first to respond all through the night. Between staff members and RAs, we work all day and all night, every day to ensure the safety of our residents.
True to the RPS adage, “Discover Yourself as an RA”, each day on the job is an experience. I learn so much more about myself even from simple interactions with my residents. Sometimes I feel so much older to them even though I’m not. But then I guess I can’t change the fact that I’m a junior!! Usually when you go to work, there is always a home to go back to. As RAs, we live and work in the same place. It’s not only challenging, but is also makes the job a 24hour responsibility. So whether I’m using the evening to study, do laundry, hang out with friends or stay in and watch a movie: we are expected to help when needed even if we are not on duty. It’s how we work as a team. Having each other’s back at all times is integral!
Being an RA is truly a wholesome experience. We help freshman ease transition to college life, build a community, program events, work with a diverse group of people and deal with emergencies. No wonder I’m still an RA even though I had initially decided I would do it for just 1 year!
Employed by Indiana University’s Residential Programs and Services, Resident Assistants serve as a freshman’s greatest resource. Each one of us at Briscoe Quad is responsible for one floor of about 50 residents. We spend a lot of our time in building a community with our residents. Our main goal through the fall semester is to help our residents settle in well at college and provide them any support they need. This ranges from help with classes, professors and academic planning to roommate troubles, balancing time and personal problems.
While building and maintaining our community is an ongoing process, we program events to enhance the college experience for our residents. Programs encompass social, academic, recreational, educative and volunteering events. These give residents an opportunity to not only take a break from work but also spend time with other members of the community.
While we build our communities and plan programs, we are also responsible for the safety and security of all our residents. When on duty, we take rounds (or community walks) of the entire building to make sure that all is well. Should there be an emergency, we are the first to respond all through the night. Between staff members and RAs, we work all day and all night, every day to ensure the safety of our residents.
True to the RPS adage, “Discover Yourself as an RA”, each day on the job is an experience. I learn so much more about myself even from simple interactions with my residents. Sometimes I feel so much older to them even though I’m not. But then I guess I can’t change the fact that I’m a junior!! Usually when you go to work, there is always a home to go back to. As RAs, we live and work in the same place. It’s not only challenging, but is also makes the job a 24hour responsibility. So whether I’m using the evening to study, do laundry, hang out with friends or stay in and watch a movie: we are expected to help when needed even if we are not on duty. It’s how we work as a team. Having each other’s back at all times is integral!
Being an RA is truly a wholesome experience. We help freshman ease transition to college life, build a community, program events, work with a diverse group of people and deal with emergencies. No wonder I’m still an RA even though I had initially decided I would do it for just 1 year!
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