Why I Want To Be A Resident Advisor

My interest in being a Resident Advisor is fueled by my drive to work behind the scenes for others benefits. I like to know that I can contribute to help my community. This drive is shown in my involvement in the dorm community council for two years. I wanted to do my part to draw the dorm community together. It has been fun and rewarding to get to plan different events for the residents as well as represent them. I will end this year knowing that I helped create positive change for future residents. One of the greatest improvements is that I helped to draft the proposal for the dorm kitchen. As an RA I would like to continue to make positive changes.
A majority of the dorm is made up of freshman. I would like to help my freshman residents to better adapt to
the college lifestyle. I will do this by promoting the many different resources the college offers to students such as financial advising, career counseling, and the libraries. As for residents from other stages in their college career, I am equally excited to help them because of no matter the situation it is always nice to know someone is there to help. I have spent a lot of quality time with the RA staff in my building.
We have done everything from studying too late night food runs. Due to my close proximity to the RA staff, I am aware of what the job entails. I do not see this position in a gilded form because I am aware that it is many late nights and a lot of paperwork. I am prepared to accept that at any quiet moment in my room could be disrupted by a resident seeking help. In some ways, I am looking forward to it, for the fact that I would have the capability to help those individuals. No one likes the feeling of being locked out, but as an RA I will go out of my way to make sure my residents could come to me for any of their needs. I have seen how other RAs reach out to their residents and I would like to take the best of them to create a unity in my own residents. I plan to have movie nights in my room so the residents feel welcome to come and go as they please. Also having study hours in a lounge area will not only help with bonding but allow residents focus on their classes and build strong study habits. As a resident now, I already try to do similar things as well as enticing people to come by offering hot tea and ample amounts of chips and
dips.
I have had a chance to hang out with every RA in my building and though the relationships vary they are all positive, some of the RA staff have become so close to me that we plan on being lifelong friends. With my close vicinity to many different types of RAs, I have thought about their strengths. Because of this, I have reflected about qualities I have that would be beneficial when I become an RA myself. (Those such qualities will be expressed in the next essay.) I do want to say that my goal as an RA will be to build relationships with the residents as well as making sure they know to follow the rules.
One of the downsides to being friend with so many RAs is that I am not always allowed to offer help when they might need it. Though I would love to help them often, I do understand that I am currently a resident, and there are restrictions. One factor in wanting to apply is the chance to offer help to the rest of the RA staff when they may need it. It is a bit disheartening when I offer to help but I am unable to because it is RA only situation.