Standout Teen: Residential Advisor Jeff Erickson
Interview by Katya Lien
Free or reduced living? A meal plan? Your own room? Essentially being a camp counselor for a bunch of 18-year-olds? Yep, that’s basically the short story of being a Residential Advisor (RA) at a University. RAs bear a lot of responsibility, from dishing out pep talks to mediating conflict. But if you’re hard working, caring, and okay with the notion of giving relationship advice to a crying Freshman knocking on your door at 1am on a Tuesday, being an RA could be the perfect option for you.
Jeff Erickson is an RA at the University of Colorado and spoke with American Teen about the RA experience.
What are the best parts of being an RA?
For one, I love talking with people and making connections, so the interactions I get with my residents are a huge pro. I also learn a TON about conflict management, community building, and management skills through this position. Furthermore, I am so incredibly grateful to gain experience as a mentor for my 27 freshmen, as it causes me to always put my best foot forward and set an example that I'm not only proud of, but confident will be a positive influence for my residents. Lastly, I really appreciate receiving free room and board for being an RA. This enables me financially to pursue other opportunities in my future such as studying abroad, holding an unpaid internship, or even possibly making it out of college debt-free.
What are some of the most difficult parts of being an RA?
This is a tough question, as I'm not really a complainer when it comes to anything. I don't mind living with my life on display, which can be really tough for some RAs, as their residents are constantly looking to them for advice and how to act as a college student. My personal, least favorite aspect of this position is the fact that I don't get the experience of living in my own apartment/house. However, I know that I will get that my junior and senior years, so I'm not too concerned. I will say that at times this position can be quite emotionally draining. When my residents are fighting with each other or there is a roommate conflict I am always emotionally torn. I care about them all and I'm invested in their success, so to listen to them argue and have to mediate that conversation can be rough.
Is there anything you wish you knew going into your first year as an RA?
I wish I had known how much of a parent I would become for my residents. I am way more invested in my residents' success and first year experience than I thought I'd be. You really care about how they're doing in school and socially, and I found myself rooting for them pretty unconditionally after my first semester in this position. At times, you have to tell them to quiet it down or write them up, but that never once has stopped me from caring for my residents, which wasn't something I had expected. This job really heightens your emotional intelligence, and I am far more empathetic than I was going into it.
What advice would you give to students who are thinking about becoming RAs?
To any students thinking of becoming RAs: First off, go for it! It is an incredible personal growth and leadership experience, and the compensation isn't bad either. My biggest piece of advice would be to be yourself. I know that's corny and common advice but let me explain: Whoever you are now will determine how you are as an RA, and there's no "good" or "bad" way to be a resident advisor. I'm a laid back kind of guy, so I tend to let my residents live their lives and then only check in every once and awhile, or when there's a bad conflict that needs my attention. This lets me live my own independent life and takes a lot of stress off my shoulders as I'm not constantly trying to pry into my residents' lives. That said, if you’re super extroverted and want to leave your door open to residents and have them talk to you daily, then you can do so! But if you're an introvert, that's fine too! You don't need to be available all the time. The most important part is that you don't try to mold yourself to the idea of being a "perfect RA", because those don't exist. YOU are the reason that you get the position, and as long as you go into it ready to learn, with your own personality and an open mind, you'll do great.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned through being an RA?
The most important lesson I've learned as an RA is to take nothing personally. As I mentioned earlier, you take on a sort of parental style role for your residents as their RA. This means that as much as you support them, they'll still be angry with you occasionally for things out of your control. You have to do your job which, at times, means writing them up or telling them to shut down their dorm party. That also means that when there's conflict you have to step in and set up rules, and not many people like being told what to do. Residents will, at some point, be angry with or cold towards you. Don't take it to heart. At the end of the day, all of these people are young adults learning how to navigate independently in a new part of society and the work that you're doing is helping both your dorm's community and the larger campus community as a whole. And though this lesson is a tough one, it doesn't define the RA experience which, for me, has been overwhelmingly positive.
Would you be an RA again?
Yes, I most assuredly would do it all over again. If I wasn't studying abroad, I would be an RA next year, because there is no experience like it. I am here in college to learn and being an RA has made me learn what it means to grow as a mentor, leader, and person.
Jeff Erickson is a Sophomore at the University of Colorado Boulder pursuing a major in Applied Mathematics and minors in Economics and Leadership Studies. Outside of his position as an RA, he is also a member of the Presidents Leadership Class, Student Ambassadors, and his professional business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi.