Posters across campus demand attention and cry out, “Apply to be an RA!” While Resident Assistants can have a negative reputation on campus, I encourage everyone to apply and have the opportunity to change a life and build a community from the ground up.

Being an RA at DU is a challenging and unique job, and one that is often misunderstood.

Students have varying perceptions of what an RA is and what they do, and those perceptions are often governed by the students’ individual experiences with their RAs. While this is an appropriate standard to use, understand that one bad egg does not taint an entire dozen eggs.

Yes, as an RA you may sometimes have to deal with intoxicated people and residents who are noncompliant, but these instances are the exception, not the rule. The people you meet, both in a peer capacity and a professional capacity may become lifelong friends or colleagues.

The hardest part is not necessarily dealing with incidents, but rather finding time for yourself amidst many other time commitments and job requirements.

Imagine having your housing and meal costs covered for an entire academic year. Depending on which building one works in, an RA’s scholarship can total over $12,000 for a year. This is but one benefit of the job.

You can also work to build a community and start from scratch with each new year.

As each group of floormates moves into a new residence hall, a new community develops, and the RA is there to cultivate a sense of community, like a gardener works to grow many beautiful flowers.

In addition, being an RA gives applicants a real chance to solve problems that come up throughout the year.
RAs often mediate roommate conflicts, oversee social programs and work to find balance in their own lives as students, professionals, employees and human beings.

Spending a year as an RA also contributes to potential candidates’ résumés, as this position requires so many key elements: excellent communication, the abilities to lead and work as a team player, the ability to fairly and equitably negotiate conflicts and the ability to deal with high-stress situations from time to time.