The RA Experience |
Below: a "Calming Jar" made in my most popular hall program make action GIFs like this at MakeaGif |
Being an RA has given me many opportunities and experiences that I would not have received in my college tenure otherwise. It has taught me lessons and has largely improved and developed certain skills, access to which I may also have not had otherwise.
The "job" aspect of it has been instrumental in improving my time-management, organizational skills, and interpersonal skills (both in a leadership role and in a co-worker/employee role). That is not to say that these skills are yet at their maximum potential; however, I have benefited already from having worked on them. It has boosted my creativity and social skills as well. Setting up and executing hall program ideas has been productively challenging. For instance, the "color jar" hall program was a major success despite the majority of the target demographic being freshmen football players and the rest still being an all-guys residency. Connor, the then-head RA, said that it was the biggest turnout he had seen in this all guys building, having spent the entire year prior as an RA in the same building. The "personal" aspect is bridged to the "job" within the relationship sphere, as cohesion is an important part of working with others in an employment environment, and something I consider a strong-suit of mine. The rest of the "personal" category is no less important though. An RA's relationship to their residents is (arguably) the most important part of the job. There are as many different types of RAs as there are actual RAs. I take my role as one of leadership by example and personal bond. I have connected with my residents and have made myself very available to them. This has taught me the value of pouring time and effort into others, offering respect and kindness. Doing so has returned those very things to me in high percentage. As with the residents, the most important relationship facet with the rest of campus is retaining the example leader-role that one has been given. Now, with the rest of the Student Life Staff, the job has taught me valuable lessons in regard to co-worker and employee/employer relationships. I recognize and respond, rather than react. I work as a unit of a whole, not just an individual. And perhaps most importantly, I try to both support and critique in helpful manners so that the collective of individuals can perform more effectively and efficiently. These are some of the reasons that I consider myself as having been benefited from holding the position of resident advisor. I believe this will cause me to advance further in the post-academic world through the invaluable skills and experience which it has brought to me. I believe that the position of head resident advisor would allow me to hone those skills even further, flexing new muscles, new facets of these leadership and employment skills. |