Residence life and education, residential curriculum and curricular approaches, student housing, and technology.
Post-spring break, hopefully you came back refreshed. Some of your residentsโฆ did not. Across campuses, the weeks leading up to finals see a surge of roommate and suitemate conflicts. Thereโs a tipping point as students hit their stress limit: stress builds, burnout sets in, and small issues start to feel much bigger. As an RA... Continue Reading →
The phrase โstudent leaderโ is not new to the higher education landscape. It has been used to describe students who are involved with student government, recognized student organizations, fraternity and sorority life, and of course, housing and residence life. Oftentimes, the student leaders in housing and residence life hold multiple positions in various organizations across... Continue Reading →
If youโre applying to be housing staff - whether as an RA, HA, CA, or another resident support role, youโre probably trying to figure out what the process is really looking for. Thereโs often pressure to give the โrightโ answers in applications or interviews, to appear polished, experienced, and fully prepared. It can feel like... Continue Reading →
Roompact's bulletin board competition is now closed and we're ready to announce the winners. We received over 130 entires (!), so picking ten was incredibly difficult. Some boards did an excellent job at educating residents, while others were just beautiful! We tried to select a diverse group of winners that reflected the diversity of the... Continue Reading →
In this episode of Roompact's RA*Chat, join Da Zhaneโ Sinclair for advice when everything goes wrong in the middle of the night, and how you respond. This episode dives into the high-pressure reality of on-call life, unpacking how to make quick, confident, and policy-aligned decisions when it matters most for students! From managing emergencies to navigating resident conflict, we explore strategies to stay calm, think clearly, and lead effectively even at 2 AM.
When being hired/re-hired as a live-in student leader, there is one big question that most student leaders think about: โWhere am I going to live?โ First, Iโd like to share my personal experience with this: The first time I applied to be a Community Advisor (CA, often called an RA), it was exciting to apply... Continue Reading →
It's August and all the RAs are creating their door decorations from their floor rosters. Just lists of names with no faces or descriptions to go with them. Like the participants of Love is Blind, they are hopeful they will find people they connect with, sight unseen. The RAs start to imagine what their floors... Continue Reading →
Every year, during Interview Week, I find myself having the same conversation with my returning RAs who are helping interview the next cohort. Usually, it happens at the table in between interviewing the candidates. Iโll smile and say something like, โFull circle, huh?โ Just a year or two ago, they were the ones nervously sitting... Continue Reading →
The title of this article may have you a little confused, however student leaders in housing have responsibilities that can be compared (and maybe even confused with) what winter olympians are up to. Take this quiz to see if you are able to distinguish if itโs a description of a Resident Assistant (RA) doing their... Continue Reading →
In this episode of Roompact's RA*Chat, we sit down with Jose Rivera to break down how to distinguish typical roommate conflict from situations that require higher-level intervention. The conversation covers documentation best practices, referrals, collaboration with professional staff, and how to balance empathy with policy enforcement. Especially in complex, real-world situations, RAs like you face on the job.
"The Traitors" TV show highlights how confidence, rather than dishonesty, can lead players to failure, reflecting similar dynamics in Resident Advisor teams. Five archetypes illustrate how strengths can hide blind spots. The piece emphasizes the importance of clear communication and documentation to prevent unresolved issues, urging self-reflection and growth within teams.
By Vicente Romรกn Starting your first year as an RA is exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. Between programming, on-call duties, conflict resolution, and administrative tasks, itโs easy to feel like you need to devote every moment to your role. One key lesson Iโve learned from supervising Housing Assistants in graduate and family housing... Continue Reading →
So, youโve officially landed the RA job. First off, congratulations! Youโve survived the interviews, the group process, and the waiting game. Now that the initial "I got the job!" high is settling, you might be feeling a mix of excitement and a sudden, slight panic about what actually happens next. Being a Resident Assistant is... Continue Reading →
The semester is winding down, and if youโre like most RAs or student staff members, youโve probably reached that point where the finish line feels both agonizingly close and impossibly far away. One minute youโre worried about your own final exams and summer internship plans, and the next, youโre staring down a mountain of key... Continue Reading →
Valentineโs Day can signify many different things for people. Some love the holiday, and will use it as a chance to celebrate everyone, no matter if the relationship is familial, platonic, or romantic. While others canโt wait for the season to end. Regardless of where on this spectrum you land, itโs undeniable that this holiday... Continue Reading →
By Danielle Jones Becoming an RA for the first time is an exciting time. There are many possibilities of what the future may hold and the impact one may get to have on their residents. However, returning as an RA can sometimes bring challenges. With a year or two of experience, returning may feel draining.... Continue Reading →
By Austin Korynta In the (highly unlikely) event that nobody has told you this yet, congratulations on accepting the RA role! Being an RA is such an integral part to so many studentsโ lives. Throughout your time, you will make a significant impact on your community of residentsโ lives, providing care in critical moments, outlets... Continue Reading →
By Abby Schuck Itโs 7:30pm on Tuesday night (the time your Cocoa and Coloring program is set to start) but only you and a couple other RAs are there. You decide to give it a little more time. butย now itโs 20 minutes later and stillโฆnothing. You canโt figure out what happened. You wereย intentional... Continue Reading →
