HEY RAs

[Kerrbear]

HEY RAs, I WANNA SEE YOU WIND YOUR TOY!

Hey everyone! I was browsing through some of the other posts and noticed people talking about being a Resident Assistant at their universities, and was wondering how many people here are doing that, or are doing it next year. Next year's going to be my first year and I'm getting more and more excited. Do you guys find it a lot like being a camp counsellor / program staff? I know the jobs can be very different (my boyfriend is one this year and keeps telling me I have no idea what I'm getting myself into, but I see all the stuff he's always doing and it really doesn't seem all that different, except of course for the different group of people).

(btw, the wind your toy thing is something the RAs here do quite often, usually at training camp from what I've gathered.) One thing I was super excited about was at spring training we did some of the cheers and stuff and I started cracking up because some of them are straight from camp!

[camper]

haha i posted on this thread on the aca boards but yeah i'm doing it next year, i'm in a freshman dorm on a floor thats all girls, which will be different from where i live this year where its coed by wing which i love, but i think i can handle it. i'm very excited about it! i think it will be a great experience and hopefully somewhat like camp. i just hope i can handle that AND pledging! haha.

[Kerrbear]

AND school! Wow, that's a lot to take on! Good luck with that! An all girls dorm would be fun , I went to an all girls high school and sometimes I miss the single-sexness, haha crazy times. I'm also in a 1st year rez, also known as the party rez. There's been serious vandalism issues this here in here (I lived there this year too so I at least know the building)

[camper]

o wow. first of all, yeah it will be a lot to take on but i think i can handle it. second, i live in the dorm this year that's considered the "party" dorm...although i wouldn't really say that's always true, i've gone to all of the others before nights out at some point and they all seem about equal to me. but i can't believe you said that about the vandalism b/c we've had that here majorly too. some really offensive stuff. our school is trying to come up w/some more effective ways of handling it. next, it's not an all girls dorm that i'm in next year, just the floor...its coed by floor. so there will definitely be guys around! haha!

[Flukie]

Meeeee! Year 3 with ResLife is coming up! (I already warned them that I will sulk through the first night of training if I have to miss camp for it - they aren't budging and neither am I. I think they'll win though!)

We have a huge ResLife staff compared to a lot of schools. We have 147 RAs, 18 Senior RAs, 18 Residence Directors, 5 Assistant Directors of Residence Life and the Dean of Residence Life. :) We house just over 15,000 students in 18 complexes.

[campCardinal]

me! I'm in a sophomore hall and I will be a sophomore next year as well. I'm on a staff of 8 RAs with 2 hall directors. I'm excited.

[CAMPFRIEND]

I feel like an RA all summer! You have to love counselors:)

[KiwiCRB]

Ah! I have my final RA interview tomorrow afternoon... wish me luck!

[laurathistle]

Good luck!

[facade1138]

I'm a sophmore RA this year in an upperclassmen dorm. Its kinda like summer camp, but camp is more fun. I enjoy running programs, (most of the time, my schools a little crazy with requirements) I paritcularly like doing the big holiday parties for the whole dorm. I hate documentations.
Its a lot of work, but my GPA went up this year.
Alas I'll be an RA again next year in the same building

[camper]

oooh so how did the interview go kiwicrb? my post from last year at this time is so funny...i thought i'd be pledging this year. haha. that didnt end up happening but it is definitely for the better! and i LOVE my RA job in a freshman building!

[Flukie]

My staff went to a meeting tonight for next year's RA staff... I didn't get to go cause I'm a senior.

It was sort of bittersweet.

[KiwiCRB]

I think it went really well! I don't want to get to sure of myself but from what I've heard from different people I have a good chance. Our campus is really small, only 12 RA's total, 5 girls 7 guys. The people choosing already know me pretty well so that's a good thing I think. I should find out whether I've been chosen on Friday!

[collissimon]

Good luck!

Am a subwarden, which is a bit different from being an RA, but I think it's the nearest thing we've got here. What are the perks of being an RA?

[Flukie]

Free room and board! Which at Northeastern is about $11,000 a year.

[KiwiCRB]

Haha subwarden I think we should be called that, I like it. We don't get free room and board here we just get paid for 20 hrs/week. Minimum wage I believe.

[collissimon]

We get half price rent (which is about £1850/$3700), but apparently next year they're changing the scheme, so that you get £2000 paid, (and taxed) but instead of having to 'assist' with social activities, next year we'll organise them... but I won't be there!

[camper]

we get paid 2000 a year and they take 2000 off of our tuition...which at 40000 a year isn't much but it's nice to get some cash back! also we get a nice single room, free refrigerator...and i'm sure there are some other things that i can't remember right now.

[collissimon]

Wish we got a free fridge!

In some halls here, subwardens get special rooms, that are bigger: I remember when I was in halls my first year getting a double bed and a couch in his, so it must have been pretty big!

A lot of the more modern ones are regular rooms... but it means I can afford an ensuite room, which is sweeeet!

[KiwiCRB]

Ah! I just opened my letter and I got the job!!

[tajarbud]

Comgratulations, KiwiCRB!! :) :) :balloons:

Have a great weekend! :D :balloons:

:party: :balloons:

[camper]

congrats kiwicrb! it's a great job, you'll love it...and RA training at least at my school is just like camp!!!

[collissimon]

Congrats Kiwi!

[laurathistle]

Well done and good luck!

[campCardinal]

It's funny reading this post. I've been an RA all year and it has been quite different from what I've expected. I enjoyed my experience, but am moving out of the res halls next year. I'm just ready for some new experiences.

As for it being just like camp -- I don't think so at all. Camp is a lot more fun and much less stressful, for me at least.

[collissimon]

What was good about it/bad about it cC?

Mine to be honest not a lot of work, but when it rains, it pours: you'll get a night of no calls, which is usually what I hope for, or a call an hour... which is a nightmare.

Also, weekends are usually horrible, because you can't leave the site, but want to, and it's when things like hot water tanks go wrong, leaving you to deal with it!

On the whole, definitely worth the half-rent!