What your Residential Assistants want you to know

Being a resident and having an RA (resident assistant) working in the dorm may seem like a citizen/police relationship. I was a normal resident before I became an RA, so I get it. But truthfully, our goal is for it to be like a citizen/citizen relationship. The RA’s that are on staff in each building are there because they truly want to be there! They were chosen specifically for your benefit and where the ResLife staff saw them in community best. We want to be your 2 a.m. friend – no matter what time you need help, call us, and we’ll be there! As an RA, I truly enjoy getting to know my residents, eating meals with them, tagging along to different campus activities with them, and being their number one fan!

Whether you are a first-year student or are coming back for your super senior fifth year, the RA’s in each building are there to serve you! I cannot count on my hands or toes the amount of people I have met and become good friends with through being an RA. College is such a crucial time in one’s life to figure out who they are going to become, and we want to help you do that in the most supportive ways possible!

If you are a resident (or are going to be one) and are wondering how you should go about getting to know your RA, here are some tips:

• Stop by the office!
  • Saying hi on your way to your room is the best time to make sure your RA knows who you are.
  • Come to dorm events!
  • Do you like ping pong tournaments? How about movie nights? What if we just made some pancakes or had a chili making contest? We have so many events across the residence halls that are easy connection points to get to know your RA’s.
  • Text us your schedule!
  • At the beginning of each semester, you will get a text from one of your RA’s so you have their number. That can be a great way to let us know what you are involved in on campus so that we can have the ability to show up and support you!
  • Say hi to us when you see us around campus!
  • Sometimes we have a hard time getting to match names to faces because of the sheer amount of residents we have. The best way for us to know you is if you are constantly saying hi whenever we cross paths!

The mission of our ResLife staff is to create a conducive relationship with residents that is authentic and resembles genuine friendships. Through working in ResLife myself, I have appreciated the many interactions I’ve had with residents and the late-night conversations that have happened outside of my normal 6-12 shift. Being an RA can be a lot of responsibility, but our main focus in all that we do is to be relational and to be there for our residents. Some of my best friends have been residents I’ve served as an RA.

On behalf of our ResLife staff, we are excited to get to know you! Go Pats!