Becoming an RA: A Comprehensive Guide

If you’ve ever lived in a college dorm, chances are you’ve encountered a resident advisor, or an RA. These individuals are integral members of the student staff, living and working within the campus residence halls. RAs play a crucial role in developing the community on their assigned floors by offering resources and support to residents. Becoming an RA is a one-of-a-kind leadership opportunity that teaches communication, team building, and conflict mediation skills. RAs can have an incredible positive impact on students' experience at WSU. This article delves into the responsibilities, requirements, benefits, and potential drawbacks of becoming an RA, offering a comprehensive guide for students considering this rewarding role.

What Does an RA Do?

The Resident Assistant (RA) works in a residence hall or apartment setting under the direct supervision of a professional live-in staff member (Coordinator/Assistant Coordinator). The role of the RA is to work with other residence hall staff to facilitate an environment within the residence hall community that promotes the educational experience of residential living. The RA articulates to residents the philosophy and policies of the Office of Residence Life, Student Affairs, the Penn State community and represents the needs of students to the administration. RAs develop the community on their assigned floors by offering resources and support to residents, organizing engaging programs, handling administrative tasks, actively participating in staff meetings, and fulfilling on-call responsibilities for their respective halls. (On-call/duty responsibilities usually amount to one day per week and one weekend per month. These duties may vary depending on your staff team and schedule.) The RA position is dynamic, in that it requires a lot of critical thinking. Students who are RAs can count on serving in a variety of different ways.

Key Responsibilities of an RA

RAs undertake a variety of tasks to ensure a positive living environment for residents. These include:

Community Building: Organizing engaging programs and creating ice breakers to help residents get to know each other. RAs will keep their floors informed about on-campus events and resources, help solve conflicts between residents, and put on programs and events.
Support and Guidance: Helping students in the dorm transition to college life, as well as making sure all residents are safe and following the rules. Offering resources and support to residents, listening to their roommate problems or their stress about classes.
Administrative Tasks: Handling administrative tasks, participating in staff meetings, and fulfilling on-call responsibilities. Completing tasks such as making door tags for each resident, planning floor-wide events, and creating ice breakers to help residents get to know each other. Conducting room inspections, creating door tags, putting together education boards every month, being on duty (overnight), handling and writing incident reports, planning programs, and engaging with students daily.
Policy Enforcement: Making sure all residents are safe and following the rules.
Emergency Response: Serving as needed in times of emergency response.

Time Commitment

The Resident Assistant (RA) position is a 19.6-hour-per-week role with responsibilities that vary from week to week and hold a one-on-one meeting with their supervisor each week. Being an RA can be very time-consuming, especially when you’ve already taken on a full course load. RAs are required to complete tasks such as making door tags for each resident, planning floor-wide events, and creating ice breakers to help residents get to know each other. “I had to plan 4-5 programs a semester for the residents to meet and socialize and then be on duty about 12 times a semester,” says Mark.

Benefits of Being an RA

Being an RA offers a multitude of benefits, both tangible and intangible.

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Financial Rewards

One of the big perks of being an RA is that most schools reward you with discounted or free housing. In most cases, you will have a single room all to yourself, rather than having to share a room with another student. This can be a great way to save money on college costs while still being able to live on campus. Darina Barreto, a former RA at Framingham State University and now the College Relations Coordinator at MEFA, says, “As an RA, I did get my own room and I received compensation for my food and housing cost.

Personal and Professional Development

Aside from the financial benefits, being an RA also has many other positive aspects. As an RA, you'll cultivate lifelong leadership skills and learn to connect with diverse individuals, setting you apart in future job searches and fostering meaningful relationships. When employers see your resume, having an RA position listed can be a huge bonus. It shows that you have likely learned time management, effective communication, and strong leadership skills.

Leadership Skills: Being an RA can also help you out after graduation. It taught me about responsibility and being a good role model for others who look to you for answers.
Communication Skills: Becoming an RA is a one-of-a-kind leadership opportunity that teaches communication, team building, and conflict mediation skills.
Interpersonal Skills: As an RA, you'll cultivate lifelong leadership skills and learn to connect with diverse individuals, setting you apart in future job searches and fostering meaningful relationships.
Time Management: It shows that you have likely learned time management.
Problem-Solving: The RA position is dynamic, in that it requires a lot of critical thinking. Students who are RAs can count on serving in a variety of different ways. RAs will keep their floors informed about on-campus events and resources, help solve conflicts between residents, and put on programs and events.

Making a Difference

Helping the underclassmen adjust can be a very rewarding experience. Mark O’Brien, a former RA at Suffolk University, says, “The best moments were when residents told me that I had made a difference in their year by planning programs for them to meet others on the floor, or just listening to their roommate problems or their stress about classes.” You’ll also get a chance to show your creative side. RA’s are required to complete tasks such as making door tags for each resident, planning floor-wide events, and creating ice breakers to help residents get to know each other.

Challenges of Being an RA

While being an RA can be a rewarding experience, it also presents some challenges.

Time Commitment and Stress

Being an RA can be very time-consuming, especially when you’ve already taken on a full course load. “I had to plan 4-5 programs a semester for the residents to meet and socialize and then be on duty about 12 times a semester,” says Mark. Darina notes, “There is a lot of work required when you’re an RA; helping move students in and out of dorms throughout the academic year, conducting room inspections, creating door tags, putting together education boards every month, being on duty (overnight), handling and writing incident reports, planning programs, and engaging with students daily. And while helping residents through their problems can be rewarding, it can also at times be stressful. Some of the problems you encounter will be things like roommate disagreements and homesickness. But other issues might be more serious.

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Dealing with Difficult Situations

And while helping residents through their problems can be rewarding, it can also at times be stressful. Some of the problems you encounter will be things like roommate disagreements and homesickness. But other issues might be more serious.

Support Systems

But Darina notes that the school will always make sure you feel supported in your role. “There were a few stressful situations because the job itself is unpredictable at times, but I was never alone in handling these situations.

Requirements to Become an RA

If you think being an RA is the right job for you, check with your school to find out the process.

General Eligibility

Most schools require you to at least have sophomore status and to have lived on campus previously. Many schools will also require you to be in good academic standing. The HRL team will review grades, conduct, and Title IX compliance at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters.

Application Process

Currently the RA Selection Process takes two semesters. If you enter the next process in Fall 2026, and successfully complete the two-semester process (FA26/SP27) this will secure an invitation to the required HIED 302 class for Fall 2027. This will also make you eligible to be appointed as an RA in the Fall of 2027.

Application Tracks: Beginning in Fall 2025, there will be two rounds of RA Applications.
- Early Selection Track: The Early Selection Track will open mid-September and is only available for current sophomores and above; no first-year student applications will be considered for early decision. This round will be adjudicated on a rolling basis, so early decision candidates may get the results of their application as early as October 1.
- General Selection Track: The General Selection Track will open mid-September and is available for all students. This track follows a standard application, interview, and decision timeline with firm dates. Candidates will not receive a decision prior to the provided offer date.
Interviews: Interview conducted by HRL professional staff and current RAs. The selection committee is made up of current RAs, and professional staff members within the Department of Residence Life. Interviews are conducted as part of the selection process. The interview is led by a Residential Education Director (RED) and an SRA/RA. The selection committee looks at your building preferences, your evaluator's recommendations, and your application so that you can be placed in a community and on a staff where we think your talents will be well utilized.
Alternate Pool: Each year we have more people applying to be paraprofessionals than we have spots initially available. As a result, we place a number of applicants into what is called the alternate pool, commonly called the pool. This means we would like you on staff, but we don't currently have an open position to offer you! Those who are placed in the pool are still in the running to become paraprofessionals. Traditionally throughout the Spring Semester and into the summer, we will have a number of students decide that they are no longer interested in being a Resident Advisor. We often hire people from the alternate pool throughout the summer. People who have signed leases for off campus housing, and are then offered the RA position, often must decline as they are locked into a lease.
Missed Deadlines: I missed one of the requirements before the application deadline. No, there are no make-up opportunities.

Training

There’s often a training process you will complete with other RA’s right before the school year begins, so make sure your schedule will allow time for that. RAs undergo annual training before the academic year begins. Collaborating with campus partners, we ensure comprehensive preparation for your role, fostering a sense of community within both the department and individual hall teams. Training starts on Friday, August 7, 2026*, and concludes on the first day of the fall semester. Successfully complete the RA class or equivalent and RA Training. Attend all Residence Life and environment-specific staff meetings and training programs including semester arrival preparations in the entirety. training through Percipio.

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