By Orlando Rodriguez, The Whetstone

It is not every day a Wesley College student hears that an RA locked herself out of her room at three in the morning.

”My first night as an RA before the girls moved in, I locked myself out of my room,” said sophomore RA Morgan Williams of Gooding Hall. “I ended up waiting about ten minutes until I eventually found a way back in my room.”

The life of an RA can be exciting but the most important characteristics of an RA include showing leadership skills, understanding what it means to be responsible – and having fun at the proper times.

“Being a RA in an all-girls dorm is interesting,” Williams said. “I run across a lot of different personalities and backgrounds but that is what makes it interesting.”

RA Christian Custis, a senior, deals with the other gender in Williams Hall.

“Living with all boys here at school is like living with your brothers back at home,” he said. “It is easy to adjust to because most of us have similar trait.,”

Junior RA Dominic Maccarella said that his experience a co-ed Malmberg is not difficult.ra_janel723x967-224x300

“My job as an RA is easy, being that most boys and girls get along just fine,” he said.

Everyone has different reasons for becoming an RA. Some look at it as an opportunity to leader and mentor.

“During my freshman year here at Wesley College, my RA Bianca Bailey was amazing!” Williams said. “It was more than a job to her. She was the always there for us and I wanted to do the same for incoming students when my time presented itself.”

Custis said his RAs helped him a lot.

“One of my favorite RAs used to check on me and made me feel comfortable all the times,” he said. “Being away from home, I needed that.”

Maccarella said he became an RA because he was approached about the position.

“I was asked to apply for the position by a member of student affairs,” he said. “So I thought it would be a good idea to pursue the opportunity.”

An RA deals with a variety of students.

“The girls can be forgetful at times,” Williams said. “For example, they tend to lock themselves out, forget about meetings, misplace their IDs and they allow social networks to become a distraction.”

Managing the noise with boys can be hard at times, Custis said.

“The most difficult thing about living with boys is the noise,” he said. “But the way I tend to deal with it is by referring back to living at home with my brothers.”

RAs also have to deal with sloppy students

“In Malmberg, I see a lot of litter everywhere from the stairways to the hallways and in the elevator,” Maccarella said. “I also see a lot of ripped down flyers – but those are common resident hall issues.”

RAs are students, too; on top of their school work and extra-curricular activities, RA duties can sometimes be time-consuming.

“It can be stressful at times but that is with anything that requires your full commitment,” Williams said.  “But the good outweighs the bad.”

It is about being prepared, Custis said.

“Yes, this job can be stressful, but with proper training it is easy to get through it,” he said.

RAs have to enforce the rules

“Being an RA can be very stressful at times, especially with the change of pace,” Maccarella said. “Also, since we have to prep our specific floor and plan programs, it can be very time-consuming.”

RAs still find time to enjoy their college experience like every other student.

“To me it depends on what your definition of college experience is,” Williams said. “Being that I don’t party much, the RA position does not hinder me from enjoying my college experience.”

Being an RA comes with responsibilities.

“I still find time to enjoy myself and have a great college experience,” Custis said. “But what we as RAs have to understand is that we represent not only ourselves but the school, so I am always careful about my decision making.”

Maccarella still enjoys his college experience.

“I am still a student and that comes first but when I do go out, I have to put on my ‘RA hat’ to remind myself to watch what I do and what I say,” he said.