RA360: Tips For Being A Successful Student Staff Member
TL;DR
If you’re a new student staff member, remember, you’re not in this alone! There are a lot of people who have been in your position that want to help.
If you’re a returning students staff member, there are numerous ways you can help your teammates and level up your own work and experiences.
Welcome to a new year, and/or maybe a new role! Being an RA or students staff member can be both a rewarding and challenging one and we’re here to help. On this page, and throughout the library of RA360 resource pages, are tips and guidance you can use to succeed in your role, better serve your residents, work better with and support your teammates, and develop your own skills and abilities.
Pick Your Path
Whether you’re brand new or returning for another round, we’ve got tailored tips for both experiences. Select the route that fits you best to get the most helpful info:
New Staff
Returning Staff
Overall Tips
Life As A NEW Staff Member
If this is your first time stepping into the RA or Student staff member role, welcome! You’re joining a team that plays a key part in shaping the residential experience. The job can feel like a lot at first: there’s training, new responsibilities, and a steep learning curve. That’s completely normal. Everyone starts somewhere, and you don’t have to have it all figured out right away. With time, support, and a willingness to learn, you’ll grow into the role and find what kind of student staff member you want to be. The tips below are here to help you get started on the right foot.
How To Stay Organized
Being a student staff member means you’ll be managing multiple responsibilities at once with meetings, duty shifts, event planning, roommate mediations, and more. All while balancing classes and your personal life. Here are a few quick tips to stay on top of it all:
- Use a calendar system digital or paper; whatever works! This will help to track shifts, deadlines, and events.
- Block off personal time and stick to it like it’s a meeting with your boss. Self-care is important.
- Set reminders for recurring responsibilities like bulletin boards, roommate agreements, or one-on-ones.
- Create a weekly routine even if it changes sometimes, having a structure helps reduce stress.
- Keep your space tidy you’ll be amazed how much mental space a clean desk or room frees up.
- Check your email regularly, and we mean your school one. Important things happen there, unfortunately.
Tips For Training
Most schools offer an intensive summer training (and also an abbreviated accelerated winter training) for their new student staff members. If you’ve not experienced this before, it can often be a little bit overwhelming. (Heck, even if you have experienced it before, it can still be a bit overwhelming.) So how do you make the most of training?
Looking for help using Roompact’s software?
We’ve got a support portal to help.
Tips For “Returners”
Being a returning student staff member is just different. The experience is different… and the expectations are different. If you’re returning to your role, you’ll often be looked to by your fellow staff members as a leader and a knowledge source. Your supervisor may rely on you more and give you more or different responsibilities.
What kind of returner do you want to be?
“The RA role is merely an opportunity you have to lean in and do good work that will pay off in the long run, not a magical shortcut to immediately becoming a well-rounded and employable graduate. The RA role is a canvas, but you still have to put in the work to make the painting look good.“
Overall Tips for RAs and Student Staff Members
Balancing Working While in College
Working while being a full-time student can certainly be a challenge. Balancing your time amidst school work, your social life, and any paraprofessional endeavors can be taxing on your time, mental health, and physical wellness. As you take on this role, it’s important to take stock of how much you are able to give and what it will take to be successful while at the same time balancing your other responsibilities.
Living Where You Work
One of the biggest adjustments as a student staff member is learning how to live where you work. When your room is just a few doors down from your residents, it can feel like you’re always on. That’s why setting boundaries is essential. Make time to step away, whether that’s taking a walk, grabbing dinner off campus, or just closing your door and recharging. Prioritize your sleep, take your time off seriously, and remind yourself that it’s okay (and necessary) to have a life outside the hall. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and balance isn’t just a buzzword, it’s the key to making the most of your year.
All RA Floor
What would happen if all the RAs were assigned to the same floor?! This video from CollegeHumor explores the aftermath… 🤣
Questions To Ponder:
- What tips stand out to you as most useful?
- What tips have you heard or might you add?
- If your’e a returning staff member, how might your experience be different? What do you want it to be?
RA360 Outcomes:
RAs and student staff members will be able to:
- Apply tips on how to successfully navigate a new job or role as an RA or student staff member.
More To Explore
RA360 is a set of resources organized around skills, topics and competencies relevant to Resident Advisors and similar related student staff positions in college and university residence halls.
