RA*Chat Ep 179: Keys, Carts, & Closing Conversations – Mastering Move-Out

This episode of RA*Chat features insights from Tim Turner, offering advice to help RAs navigate move-out with confidence and care. From handling damage-related conversations and conducting thorough room checks to managing residents’ emotions, Tim emphasizes the importance of clear communication, accomplishments, and getting support from peers and supervisors. He also shares strategies for managing stress during this busy season while still creating a positive and supportive closing experience for residents.

Guest: Timothy Turner (He/Him/His), Residential Student Success Manager, Kennesaw State University

Host: Anthony Martinez

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Transcript:

Anthony Martinez:
Welcome back to the Roompact podcast, everybody. I’m Anthony, and today we have another special guest with us on our podcast for students in the RA 360. We’re talking about an intense and defining time of the year in university housing and dining across multiple institutions, move out seasons. So this episode is called Keys, Karts and Closing Conversations. And today I am joined by a very special guest, Tim Turner, a full-time housing professional who has supervised multiple closing cycles and supported RAs through everything from damage disputes to emotional goodbyes. And so Tim, if you would like to introduce yourself.

Timothy Turner:
Yeah, thank you, Anthony, for that introduction. My name is Tim Turner. I currently serve as the Residential Student Success Manager at Kennesaw State University, while I have been in this role. I’ve been at Kennesaw for about three years and I’ve been in this new role for about three months. So definitely excited to be here with you all and talk today about closing and all the many adventures that come with it.

Anthony Martinez:
Yes, thank you. And thank you for joining us today. And congratulations on your promotion of your role. That’s exciting. But we’re going to go on ahead and get started with our first question, which is when you think about move-out season, what stands out to you as the biggest leadership challenge for resident assistants?

Timothy Turner:
Yes. So that question kind of takes me back to, I think, one of my first years doing move out and overseeing RAs and some of the challenges that arose from that experience. The biggest thing that I really noticed when it came to leadership is that a lot of these RAs were really connected to their residents. And so if you can imagine losing a good friend or someone from summer camp and they’re leaving, it does tend to weigh on you a little bit. And I don’t think myself and the RAs are really prepared for how emotionally taxing that can be, having to move out some students that you’ve gotten really close to. And so I noticed a big shift in some of that emotional feelings that the RAs were experiencing.
Also, I don’t think that a lot of RAs really were prepared for the amount of work that it takes to move out. Typically, you put a lot of effort into the move-in process, but when it came to moving out, it takes a lot of work. You got to walk rooms, you got to check, make sure students turn their key in and check for damages, and it’s quite taxing. And so we had to re inspire our staff because towards the end of the year, they’re ready to go. There may be some burnout and having to reignite that final push to get them over that finish line to get those students moved out safely and efficiently.

Anthony Martinez:
Yeah. I love that you would talk about the emotional portion of move-out. I feel like people are automatically like, oh my gosh, the keys. But you’re just talking about this emotionally taxing portion too on top of all of those other things. And so that’s awesome to recognize that. And for the RAs listening, it’s also important for you to recognize that in community building, that those relationships are there and they can hurt when you’re saying goodbye. But Tim, I want to keep asking, from your perspective as a supervisor and someone who has supervised RAs, what separates RAs who thrive during move out from those who struggle?

Timothy Turner:
Yeah. So I think one thing that I’ve noticed in the RAs that are very successful and do well in that move out process are the ones who plan ahead. So I know during the summer, or you get closer to summer, you have vacations coming up, you have things coming, and a lot of students and RAs may wait until the last minute, tell the supervisor, “Hey, I have, I don’t know, a cruise coming up with my family and I want to be excused early or I have these things going on for finals and I can’t really focus on move out.” And so I had to have a lot of coaching conversations with my staff leading up to move out like, “Hey, I know move out’s coming up and I probably haven’t really thought about it much. But before you even start focusing on what your duties are for move out, you need to make sure some of your other things are in order.”
If you have plans coming up, you need to talk with your friends and family like, “Hey, this is the release date that I’m going to have.” And so they can plan around that. If you have any academic stuff that needs to be taken care of, planning ahead for that. And the RAs that don’t really take that time to see what affairs they have really do struggle because now they’re trying to balance move out among other academic things, life things, and it puts them at a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to really being able to focus on move out because they’re so worried about everything else that’s going on.

Anthony Martinez:
Yeah, no, planning is huge. I think people are like, “Oh, move outs, it’s so far away, I have time.” And they don’t realize it when they’re there and they’re like, “I have this vacation and then I have to pack my stuff and then I have to check everyone else’s stuff.” So planning, that is huge and key, I think, to our successful RAs. So that is, yes, a great piece of advice. And with that, you mentioned communication and talking to you and having these developmental conversations. And so how early do you think RA should be communicating expectations to their residents and what that looks like? And what does overcommunicating maybe look like in a healthy way?

Timothy Turner:
Yeah, I would say as early as the end of March, beginning of April, because a lot of times there’s a spring break period at some point. And so the students are in between spaces. And then once they come back from spring break, you may have another week or two and then finals. And so there’s not much time to really start planning. And so as early as the end of March, I would say the RAs could go ahead and start talking to their students and residents saying, “Hey, move out’s coming up. Have you talked with your family or friends or whatever that looks like to help you get the move out process started? Have you coordinated that? Are there any major damages and things that you need to start documenting beforehand?” And I think over communicating, that can look like if they use a GroupMe or some type of email system where they contact their residents doing that, I would even say a floor meeting because sometimes students don’t read.
And so having that in person FaceTime like, “Hey, you all, move out’s coming up, this is what you need to do.” Kind of thing. And maybe even what I encourage my RAs to do, because there’s programming going on during one of their programs, hosts like something tailored towards move out. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the focus point, but it can be a great little Easter egg you can put into an event to get that on your resident’s radar since they’re already coming out for that engagement. Definitely even having door knock conversations, really it’s never too early to talk about move out because you want to make sure the residents feel prepared for it. And honestly, the earlier that they know, the better they can mitigate any last minute concerns or issues that come up.

Anthony Martinez:
Yeah, no, agreed, agreed. Earlier, always better. And then with that, we have RAs who they’re planning for this, they’re getting ready for the year. What would you say to those who are RAs feel overwhelmed before move out even starts? What’s some advice you would give them maybe to calm their nerves or let them know resources because I know it can be very overwhelming with so many moving parts in such a condensed time while they’re also students.

Timothy Turner:
Yeah, I think support really, it does come from that communication because if your supervisor isn’t aware, then they won’t know how they can best help you. And so I always tell my staff, “Hey, if you’re overwhelmed at this time, please come to me, let me know and we can figure out a plan.” Because sometimes as supervisor, if you have that capacity, I know that I will stress myself to really be there for my student staff to make sure that they have the necessary resources or time. I can think of an example. One of my RAs was experiencing some family concerns and medical issues in their family, so they had to be taken away for a little bit of that. And because they came to me a little bit earlier, and granted you can’t control some things, but they knew it was going on, they let me know.
And when they had to go home, it was already some fail safes in place to help protect them and let them handle that. And so I would say definitely communicate to your supervisor, let them know first what’s going on, exactly and how they can support you. And if they can’t do it themselves, they can get you in contact with a campus partner. A lot of their peers also really helped form that village and community for them during that time. And so sometimes your coworkers will even step up and help you if they have that capacity. And so definitely communicate with your supervisor first and they can help guide that next step for them.

Anthony Martinez:
Yes, definitely use your supervisor as a resource. So that is a big one. And your peers. So that is very important to mention for all of our students listening right now is rely on your supervisors, your peers, and that communication piece is essential. And with that, I know you mentioned hard moments in a different way, but I want to talk about hard moments when it comes to our residents. And sometimes our residents will be pushing back with our RAs during this time as they are also stressed. And so when a student says, “That was already there. My roommate did it. I’m not paying for that.” What should RAs be thinking about? What maybe should they avoid saying? What role do they play in these moments of difficulty that we may see from our residents with our RAs?

Timothy Turner:
Yeah. So I think when it comes to that move out time period, my vision, and I think it’s like this at most schools, the RAs are just the liaisons. They’re the people that are on the ground, boots on the ground, hearing the concerns and the complaints. When it comes to anything related to pushback where a student is concerned about damages or anything that isn’t in the direct scope of the RAs, I always tell them, “You don’t have to be the resolver in that situation.” Always communicate up, go up that chain of command. Because I tell my RAs, “You all don’t get paid enough or compensated enough to get yelled at by parents or students.” And we don’t either, but at least I’m full-time. So I happily go to bat for that. And so if they have a concern with the student and they are pushing back on them, and I’m not sure how it’s structured at any other institution, but I know for us, we have pro staff and grads who assist.
And so come find me, come find our grad and we’ll be able to go from there and see if we can troubleshoot whatever concern they have. But definitely don’t react to them because sometimes students will get very upset. They have to remain calm as student staff because if you take them there with you, it’ll just make it even worse. And so keep that calm mentality, let them know, thank you so much for sharing this concern, validate what they’re saying, but let them know I’m not the one who works with these specific charges, so let me contact my supervisor, see if we can get a more appropriate follow-up and see what we can do. Also, never promise anything like, “Don’t worry, you’re not going to get charged.” Because students and their parents will remember that down to the nail of what you said. And so I never tell my RAs to promise anything because if you do, they will remember it and they will quote you, and I don’t want them being misquoted.

Anthony Martinez:
Yeah, no, don’t. Yes, huge on the don’t promise anything, especially if we have someone being like, “Oh, my RA said I won’t get charged for this. They promise.” Ooh, let’s not promise that. And like you said, take it up to the supervisor. For those students listening, it’s important to avoid that word, I promise, this will not be our issue. It’s best to communicate, as Tim has been saying to your supervisor to get that information to them so that way we can as supervisors move from there and let them know the process. So yes, that is great. With that, I want to switch to a topic that you were talking about earlier, which is the emotional side for our RAs and the process that happens with our students in that moment where it’s really emotionally taxing for them. And so how should RAs navigate these goodbyes professionally if they’re returning, and what does that look like when having these closing conversations and wanting to provide affirmations to their residents?

Timothy Turner:
Yeah. So when it comes to that closing time period, I mean, recognizing that a lot of these students who live on campus may choose to stay off campus next year and everything like that. But the great thing about it, which I’ve shared with my staff is that yes, they may not be living physically on your floor or with us next year, but they are still potentially going to be students. So you’ll have the engagement, but how do you want to be intentional with that? Say they really make a connection or one of the RAs make one and say, “I really enjoyed this person. I would love to continue that.” So during their final meetings that they have with these residents, you host an event like a social media sign off or that’s something that my RAs have hosted where they all connected on Instagram or exchange phone numbers so that they can continue those conversations and relationships past move out season. It doesn’t have to be the end all. I mean, it does end one era for them, but it could be the beginning of a new one.
So that is definitely a great way to do that. And I think for my RAs, recognizing that if you do get emotionally overwhelmed or it’s sad or emotionally taxing, throughout the move out period, if you need to take a step back and say, “Hey, I just really need to sit with my emotions for a moment.” let your supervisor know. And I’m sure that they could try to figure out some way to support you in that and still help you still accomplish the tasks that you need to get done because I know it is taxing and sometimes you need to take that moment to breathe and say, “I’m feeling a lot right now, but I need to just take a moment to process.” Because we don’t want you to be very emotionally overwhelmed and having to interact with people. We want you to feel confident and ready to go. But definitely being strategic in how you initiate those final conversations with those students before they move out, so you can continue those relationships if you want them.

Anthony Martinez:
Yeah, no, that’s great. I like that idea of, I think you said a move out, like a social media sign-off. I like that. I think that’s fun. The next question I want to ask is geared towards their development. So the RAs listening, move out is also a developmental time. And so why is move out such an important professional development opportunity for RAs who experience this large process?

Timothy Turner:
Yeah. So I think a lot of times when we’re training people or staff, we focus so much on the beginning. You start strong, you start this way, you kick it off with this type of energy, but a lot of times people don’t really focus on how to close the loop on something and all that energy and effort we place so much into kicking it off and starting strong that you lose that stamina once you get to the end of a project or a program or something, and you don’t necessarily finish strong. And I think really training your staff to be empowered by not only starting something strong, they starting strong as an RA, but then they’re finishing it strong and closing that loop just as well. And I think as a professional development tactic, that’s powerful because so many people know how to start something, but not a lot of people know how to finish it, especially strongly.
And so to the RAs listening, I would definitely say move out is, while it may not be quite at the start of what you’re getting into, it can be something that can really show how long-winded and how professional you are because it shows that you have depth and are able to start something strong and end it in that same way. And I think that speaks volumes to them, especially as they get ready to go into their professional careers. It’s something that they can talk about in interviews of like, “Hey, not only was I able to get these students moved in successfully and taken care of, but also got them moved out and done in a very efficient process.” And I think that’s very cool to think about finishing something that you started.

Anthony Martinez:
Yeah, no, that’s awesome. I’ve never thought about it that way, so that’s really cool. I’m going to take that. Oh, you’ve completed an entire project cycle and with people, which is sometimes even more complicated. So that’s awesome and tying that back. So for our RAs listening, if you’re trying to think of some interview topics to talk about with your job, please be sure to use this one as an example. So that was great. Thank you.

Timothy Turner:
Project management right there.

Anthony Martinez:
Yeah. And so for a closing reflection for our students listening, if you could give every RA a mindset to shift to and heading into their move-out week at their institutions, what would it be?

Timothy Turner:
Yeah, that’s a great question. And I typically am very quick with quotes and saying that motivate people, but I think if they could have one mindset to finish the year strong, finish, move out, is to take things as they come, plan ahead, and always, always, always, don’t attribute to malice what you could attribute to ignorance. And I say that because a lot of times when it comes to working with people, a lot of miscommunications or disagreements are from assumptions or miscommunications rather than true malicious intent. And I think it gets very heated during move-out season.
People getting charged for stuff and like, “Why am I going to charge for this?” And so when the residents come with it, listen to them, try to understand where they’re coming from, and then try to make the most appropriate and professional response to that. And I think if they can shift from, “Hey, I’m in the middle of this process, I’m an RA, but I’m moving from just being an RA to now I’m helping to facilitate this move out process and moving more into how can I close this out in a holistic way.” That will, I think, prepare them and help them feel empowered to finish strong and getting prepared for that.

Anthony Martinez:
No, that’s great. Thank you. Thank you, Tim. I appreciate that. With that, we’re coming in nearing the end of the podcast. And so I wanted to ask if you have any final words for our students listening, any shout-outs you want to give. And if someone wanted to connect with you after, how would they go about doing that to see what you’re up to?

Timothy Turner:
Yeah, so final words for move out. Well, hey, you almost made it to May, you’re almost there, so congratulations to you all. Being an RA is probably one of the most rewarding, but also very challenging things. And it’s not something that I think we recognize enough of how much work and how much support you pour into our students and our next generation of people. And so really early congratulations to you all on that great work. And like I said, you’re almost to the finish line, so finish strong. You always want to finish strong in life. And so I’m really excited to see you all do that. And then I guess connection-wise, if you all want to get in touch with me, I would be happy to have a conversation with any of you all about all things housing or just social. So feel free to follow me on LinkedIn for a professional touch base.
You want to build your network, you can definitely do that. It’s simply Timothy Turner on LinkedIn. And then I typically, I don’t let any of my students that I work with follow me on Instagram, but you all are some favorites of mine now. So if any of you all are interested connecting on Instagram, you can follow me at takecaretim. I very much am living in a era of positivity and taking care of yourself and the people that you care about. And so my social media does reflect that, and I’m happy to share that with any of you all that want to connect on there too. Yeah.

Anthony Martinez:
Great. Thank you, Tim. I appreciate it. And again, for those listening, those are the meetings you can connect with Tim with. And Tim, I just want to say thank you so much for sharing your perspective and your expertise. I know I took away a lot and I know our students and our RAs listening right now. I know you’re taking out a lot from this as well. And just as a reminder, move out just isn’t about collecting keys. It’s about closing well and ending strong and recognizing all your great work and planning ahead of time as we learned. And as a reminder, you can enforce policy, but still be compassionate. You can document things, but you still want to affirm and support your residents emotionally, but you want to stay structured and you want to communicate. Finish strong and close intentionally. And so thank you from all of us here at Roompact and we’ll see you next time.

Timothy Turner:
Awesome. All right. Thanks you all.