Your relationship with your RA (Resident Assistant) can make your life in a dorm
building much easier or much more difficult. These are the guys and gals that
get involved before the building director or the police do. Generally, an RA is
in charge of one floor of a dormitory and is responsible for the residents of
that floor.
What Your RA Can Do for You
Perhaps the most common time
you'll find yourself in need of your RA is when you get locked out of your room.
RAs have the keys to every room on your floor, and, depending on who is on duty
for the whole building, may have access to every room in the dorm. Your RA is
the person who gets woken up in the middle of the night if you've locked your
keys in your room or left them at your friend's place.
Your RA
might also organize events for your floor or building from time to time. You may
have him or her to thank for a movie night, a pizza party, or discount concert
tickets. These are also generally the people who decorate your floor, put
nametags on the doors, and keep everything from getting too out of hand.
What Your RA Can Do to You
If people have a complaint, the RA is
the first line of defense after direct confrontation. If you feel that someone
is being too loud, or someone feels that you are being too loud, your RA is
likely to get involved. Depending on the individual's temperament, this could
range from a gentle warning to something you might want to avoid at all
costs.
RAs also enforce the building's rules and regulations. If it is a
non-smoking dorm, the RA is the one who will knock on your door if he or she
smells something suspicious. The same goes for underage drinking, restricted
items like certain appliances or candles, and prohibited room alterations. Room
inspections are usually conducted by your RA, and you will be notified by him or
her if there need to be any changes made.
Worst case scenario: your RA
could have you thrown out of your dorm if you are a nuisance or a chronic
rule-breaker. So try to build a good relationship with this person!
