Hey Hawkeyes and Future Hawkeyes! The odds are in your time here you will live in the resident halls, and thus you will have a Residential Assistant (RA). I have been an RA for about 2.5 years, so what is it that I do and what is it like to be one?

Let’s start with how the job perked my interest and how I became an RA, to begin with:

As a freshman, I lived in Daum Honors Residence Hall, and I thought my RA was the most helpful person on campus. As a first-generation student, I used my RA to find resource centers all over campus, help with roommate conflicts, and help with plans for future housing and switching rooms. On top of that, I hated my off-campus job, so when RA applications rolled around, I was eager to apply. I wanted a new job, and I wanted to help people on campus in my own little community just like my current RA.

I followed the housing website’s instructions, stating to apply to be an RA you have to go to an information session first, and I did. Although the cycle has closed for the 2024-25 academic year, keep an eye on this page in the fall of 2024 to be updated with new dates for the following 2025-26 academic year application cycle.

Going through the entire process, I had my interview and even took the RA class (don’t worry if this sounds daunting, this doesn’t exist anymore). However, instead of being accepted for the position, I was placed on a waitlist. Because of this, I decided to live on campus again on the off-chance I would be called to pick up a position during the academic year. Luckily for me, as I was living in Stanley Residence Hall, I got a phone call during winter break asking if I would like to be an RA in Burge Residence Hall just across the street. Of course, I said yes, and completed a semester of work there before I was moved to Catlett Residence Hall where I am today and have been for almost two years.

So for two and a half years, what do I do for work?

Most people know their RA as someone to go to whenever they have a problem, which is exactly what we are here for! We go through lots of training to help us act as a giant resource guide. If we can’t directly help you with your problem at hand, we are great at getting you connected to someone who can. Whether you need academic pointers, roommate advice, an emotional boost, a way to connect with peers, or something else, we have your back!

In addition to being a resource, I promise we are not locked in our rooms. Every night, there is an RA (or two) “on call” meaning they answer phone calls and respond to situations throughout the building after hours. Plus, an RA on call a couple times a night will complete “rounds,” or walk through the building to ensure the building is secure, there aren’t any residents in distress, or any building property missing or broken. Depending how many RAs are assigned to the building determines how often an RA will be on call. For example, I am a part of a larger building staff, so I am in the “on call” rotation less often than the smaller staffed buildings.

Normally we don’t see our own residents (the students who live in the same hallway as us) on rounds too often. I mostly see my residents when I am not on call, but rather completing something called Hawk Talks, a form of programming designed for residents to check in with their RA and have constructive conversations, or hold floor socials.

You may wonder how these three things add up to working 20 hours per week, especially if you are not on call. The answer is RAs do a lot of work behind the scenes and we take time to have Hawk Talks with every resident (that’s anywhere from 20-70 individual meetings per Hawk Talk topic)! Obviously, there are intermissions between the Hawk Talk topics though so here is a normal breakdown of my day:

• Go to class, lab, and student organization meetings
  • Honestly, this job is a great definition of being able to be a student first. I have not had trouble needing to miss class or student organization meetings for work. Just like any other job, you can ask for days off (to be scheduled on a different day) or switch shifts as you need to with your co-workers.
  • To help my own residents know if I am in my room or not, I have a sign on my door saying if I am in my room and available, or if I am out and about and they will need to message me. I make sure to change this sign as I enter and exit my room just so they know if they need me, how they can get ahold of me because although as an RA you are not always on call, you are expected to respond to and help your residents as they reach out.
• Come back to the building at the end of my day, complete Hawk Talks and meetings as needed, and maybe hang up some signage
  • Weekly there are staff meetings to attend, every two weeks a one-on-one meeting with my supervisor, and once or twice a semester I need to meet with residents one-on-one for a Hawk Talk. With this being said, I have PLENTY of days off where there are no meetings and my residents just reach out if they need me (which isn’t even too often since I have a lot of returning students (non-freshman) this semester).
  • Other than frequent meetings, you will find RAs frequently changing out the bulletin board signage. This is one deadline we must follow routinely to provide residents with up-to-date information and resources around campus.
• Study, hang out with friends, or hold the phone as I am on call
  • Again, being an RA doesn’t take away from you being a student or a person first. Many nights I have friends over to hang out or study when I am not on call or done with any meetings I may have had.
  • If I am on call, picking up the RA phone is one of the last things I have on my to-do list for the day. We hold the phone overnight and have to do rounds of the building, but really if nothing is amiss, I study or relax all night between rounds just like any other college student.

Ultimately, being an RA I have found to be the perfect job to wind in my schedule and fit my personality. If you have any questions about becoming an RA, chances are if you are living in the dorms currently, you have one of the best resources to ask right in front of you, your own RA! If you have any questions and are out of the dorm life, you can always contact housing or read more of the job description linked to the website listed at the beginning of this post.