RAs: Friends in high places

Think you work long hours? Imagine actually living at your job. That’s just life for a campus resident assistant.  

Elon’s RA’s live in every dorm on campus and exist to help build a community among students and ensure their safety. The Edge caught up with two RA’s to learn more about their lives on campus. They asked that their names not be shared to protect their privacy.

Right off the bat, it was clear that they both love their job. Both said their favorite part is getting to know the residents. “It’s really rewarding to see your hall come together and have people from different flats be friends that you wouldn’t originally think would be,” one said. “I also love making bulletin boards and door decs, pretty sure I’m alone in that,” added the other.  

But, being an RA can be difficult because they’re never off the clock, and it’s not a job you can escape from when you go home! Plus, RA’s are students too, but they just have been assigned a leadership role amongst their peers, and this can get tricky sometimes.  

Both RA’s said they try to be lenient with their residents, not wanting anyone to get in trouble if it can be avoided. However, both said they take their jobs very seriously and are sometimes forced to uphold campus rules to the chagrin of other students. One RA said, “safety is my number one priority, and if I see something violate that, I have no choice but to report it.”

“It's never fun being the bad guy,” one said, speaking on the hardest part of her job: getting others in trouble. Both agreed that enforcing the rules is the most difficult part of being an RA, especially when it comes at the expense of their friends and peers. “Finding a balance between being friends and being someone of authority can be difficult,” said the second RA.  

So even though both RA’s love meeting and befriending their residents, navigating that relationship can be difficult because of the power dynamics between them. One RA shared her insight: “I try to enforce an environment of mutual respect. If they understand I’m not out to be the bad guy, I just have to uphold the university’s standards, it helps establish our relationship. … They understand that this is my job and even if we’re friends, at the end of the day, it’s my job to make sure they’re safe,” she added.  

One RA said she wishes her residents-turned-friends would be “smart” around her so that she wouldn’t be forced to report them. “Don’t be lazy, just don’t leave... paraphernalia in plain [sight],” she advised. 

Clearly, being an RA can be demanding. It’s a full-time job that can, at times, put RA’s in uncomfortable positions with their peers. But is it worth it?  

“It is a lot of work but totally worth it. You learn so much about yourself in the process and realize you are so much more capable than you thought you were,” said one RA.