Living the College Life: Should I Apply to be an R.A.?

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One of the most appealing jobs on campus "at least as the benefits go" might be the position of Resident Adviser or Resident Assistant, also known as an R.A. Although compensation packages vary from school to school, most R.A.s receive free room and board, plus compensation for telephone charges and similar expenses. For students facing student-loan debt and for their ­parents, who are paying $25,000 or much more for tuition at some schools, it can seem like a natural choice, since room and board alone can cost $5,000 to $10,000 a year.

Many of the students interviewed in this book have served as Resident Advisers, and their helpful nature shows. They overwhelmingly have positive things to say about being an R.A., but they also point out that it requires a good deal of sacrifice.

"I've worked in the position, and the rewards are far greater than you can imagine," says Codie Thurston (University of Alaska Anchorage). "But I do caution that the responsibilities are greater than you initially consider as well. You will be put in situations with your peers that require you to enforce the rules, rather than break them. Often this creates conflicts in personal relationships."

But when students like Codie talk about the rewards of being an R.A., money isn't on their minds"rather, it's the benefits they get from being part of a leadership team, from helping students find their way, and from making a difference on campus. In short, they embrace their responsibilities because they know how the position benefits their personal growth; the free room and board are an added bonus.

Adam Lucido, for example, says he never refers to his Resident Adviser position as a job. Instead, he views it as an opportunity to get to know more people on campus and to make that campus a better place. He calls his role in building a strong community on his dorm's floor "the most rewarding experience" and a "total blast" to do.

Another consideration several students pointed out: If you are thinking of applying to be an R.A. for the financial benefits, ask what it might do to your current financial aid package. Joseph Vera (Northwestern University), for example, learned that his financial aid would drop because the R.A. compensation would be viewed as a form of financial assistance. "Before you start applying to become an R.A., sit down with a financial aid adviser and talk over your package," says Joseph.

To get an idea whether the position is right for you, take a look at your own R.A. and consider how she balances the position's demands with her academics and personal life. Could you balance everything? Could you handle the responsibilities? Are you prepared to not live with your friends, but rather with mostly freshmen and sophomores whom you don't know?

Talk to your R.A., or hall director, and see what opportunities are possible at your school. But no matter what you do, pursue the position only if you could do the job well, recommends David Thompson. "I know R.A.s who do the job and get full financial benefits and hate it, where there are others like me who enjoy it, yet because of financial aid don't see nearly the same financial benefit from it."