Housing and Residence Life: Community & Engagement | Competencies & Learning | Care & Case Management | Assessment
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 students’ lives. Throughout your time, you will make a significant impact on your community of residents’ lives, providing care in critical moments, outlets... Continue Reading →
By Abby Schuck It’s 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. but now it’s 20 minutes later and still…nothing. You can’t figure out what happened. You were intentional... Continue Reading →
In this episode of Roompact's RA*Chat, we we are joined by Marcus Zacarias (UC Berkeley) to solve the puzzle of low attendance and low energy. The secret? It doesn’t require a massive budget or hours of planning. We dive deep into the art of micro-programming and intentional conversations. Discover how RAs and student staff members can maintain community momentum even during the busiest times of the year by focusing on low-effort, high-reward interactions that meet residents exactly where they are.
Within your role in Residence Life as a student leader there can be turnover. Sometimes a fellow student leader needs to step away, leaving a position that needs to be filled. Depending on the timing of this occurrence, it is typical for the now open role to be offered to a student leader candidate from... Continue Reading →
By Rachel Caine Welcome to an exciting new chapter in your college life! Being an RA requires a special kind of person, and I hope you are incredibly proud of yourself for landing this role! I invite you to go in ambitious, ready to take on new challenges and learn. You will learn so much... Continue Reading →
January on campus tends to arrive with a mix of hope and pressure. It brings with it that new quarter/semester energy and, sometimes, new resolutions that feel motivating on January 1 but disheartening by the end of the first week. As Resident Advisors, you are not only navigating your own growth but also being role... Continue Reading →
Returning as a Resident Advisor is a deliberate choice. It’s a decision made after you’ve already experienced late-night duty rounds, difficult conversations, paperwork, and emotional labor. No one accidentally signs up to do this job twice. That’s why, when the year becomes demanding, it’s essential to remember why you came back to this job in... Continue Reading →
~ Blog Posts Written By RAs for RAs ~ By Kiyauna Lewis When you start as an RA, your first initiative is to be as present for your residents as possible. Although this is a great way to start, it can become incredibly overwhelming and draining, almost immediately. The last thing you would want is... Continue Reading →
By Kate Pilcher Returning to the RA role often comes with a quiet, unspoken pressure: you should know this by now. You’ve already navigated your way around campus, duty, rounds, roommate conflicts, crisis protocols, and the sometimes emotionally taxing labor that comes with supporting residents. Due to exposure and experience, returning RAs are frequently seen... Continue Reading →
At some point in your time as a student leader, you may get a different supervisor. Sometimes this happens because you are put on a different community/building team at the start of a new school year, while other times it is because a supervisor has left and a new supervisor is hired in their place.... Continue Reading →
By Erin Brown To all the returning RAs out there, welcome back and congratulations – you made it through at least a semester of staff meetings, on call nights, bulletin boards, and programming. You worked on building community, developing yourself through 1:1s and programs, and showing up as a leader to your area. You’re getting... Continue Reading →
By Molly Murray Stop me if this sounds familiar. “Why do I have to go to training again? I’ve been an RA for years and I’ve already sat through all of this.” You’re not wrong. Attending RA training as a returner can feel like watching a rerun of a TV show. But hear me out,... Continue Reading →
Resident Advisors (RAs) are first and foremost community builders. One of the simplest and most useful frameworks you can use to understand how your residents grow as a group is Tuckman’s stages of group development. This includes five stages (four of which I'm focusing on here): forming, storming, norming, (performing), and adjourning. In university housing,... Continue Reading →
In this episode of Roompact's RA*Chat, it's a post-break reset for RAs focused on rebuilding momentum, re-establishing expectations, and reconnecting with residents after winter break, with Assistant Director Chasten Conway. This episode covers strategies for addressing burnout, re-engaging residents, and setting a strong tone for the semester ahead.
We're awarding a "Top Ten" Get a little something back for your time and effort. Roompact is holding its annual RA bulletin board contest! Here’s how it goes. This contest is only open to RAs at schools who currently use Roompact's software on their campus. Create a bulletin board and email us a photo (high-quality... Continue Reading →
Winter break provides a much needed time to rest after Fall semester, allowing students to reconnect with their lives away from campus. However, with this period of rest and recharging, it’s easy to lose the good habits that you developed during the semester– such as sleeping on a regular schedule, getting outside everyday, maintaining good... Continue Reading →
It’s always around the holiday times that I find myself pondering the things in my life that I am grateful for. As a student leader in housing or a Resident Assistant, it is important to reflect on the things you are grateful for as well because the job can be demanding and stressful. While I... Continue Reading →
Many students are originally interested in an RA or student leadership position because they love being with people. Often they have good, healthy friendships, people like them right off the bat, and they don’t cause a lot of conflict. These are great things! However, it does mean that many RAs are not as used to... Continue Reading →
