Tales of a Resident Advisor
2
Posted by: Hopkins Insider | 
October 6 2011 | 
Comments (2)
Name: Joe Nugent
Year: Class of 2013
Hometown: Belmar, New Jersey
Majors: Neuroscience and Psychology
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Three years ago, if you asked me where I’d be living at the start of my junior year, I’d tell you that I’d be in an off-campus apartment with some of my best friends. Ever since I saw how big some of the off-campus apartments were I knew that was where I wanted to live. During parents weekend my freshman year my Dad asked me if I would ever consider being an RA, and I said that if I lived on campus I definitely would. What’s not to like about being an RA? You get free room and board! That was always something I kept in the back of my mind.
So fast forward two and a half years. For some reason I decided that I wanted to go through the RA application process, just to see what happened. I started by talking to one of the Associate Directors about the job, and everything about it seemed awesome to me. So I made it all the way through to the interview stage, and once they offered me the job, I knew I was going to except. I was really excited about everything I heard RAs get to do, and I found myself not being able to wait until training started.
So fast forward to August 22nd, the first day of RA training. I went in knowing about 2 or 3 of the RAs on staff, and 4 out of the 5 ADs. By the time training was complete 9 days later, I knew all 66 RAs, all 5 ADs, and Shelly, the Director of Residential Life. Throughout those nine days we did probably every single icebreaker you’ve ever heard of, but going through them as an RA is so much different than when you’re a freshman or sophomore. Everyone was there because they wanted to be, and everyone wanted to meet new people. These were the people you were going to be with almost every hour you were awake for the next 9 straight days, why not get to know them?
Honestly those 9 days were probably some of the best 9 days of my life. The first thing all the RAs did was go to a camp where we did a bunch of team building activities. But I don’t remember those activities when I think of the camp, I remember the free time we were given and how everyone used it to get to know each other. At one point we had the entire pool filled with RAs and we played one of the best games of pool football I’ve ever seen. It actually got so intense that the lifeguards started being the referees for us.
The entire Wolman staff, we had an inside joke that the guy in the middle looks like the main character from Super Troopers, and we’ve been pressuring him to grow a mustache, so as a joke at our first area meeting we all wore fake mustaches.
It was a little upsetting when training ended, because you saw all 70 of these people for 9 straight days, and now we don’t really have times when all of us are together again, minus our all area meetings. But what I didn’t know at the time was that the best part of the job hadn’t even started. One day after training ended all of my residents moved in, and I don’t remember staying up until 5am finishing my decorations, I remember meeting all of my residents for the first time, and knowing all their names by the first floor meeting. I remember the party all of Wolman Staff had during Hurricane Irene and having nearly 50 people on my floor at one time playing Rock Band.
Honestly I couldn’t be happier with my residents, and there are nights where I stay up until 4am talking with them even though I need to be up early the next day, and not because I’m required to, because it’s something that I love doing. Applying to be an RA was honestly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, there are so many perks to the job I can’t even begin to think of all of them. I can’t even imagine what would have happened this year if I hadn’t been an RA. Sure I probably would have gotten a lot of my schoolwork done earlier, but I’d rather be staying up late finishing everything because I chose to bond with my residents instead than missing out on knowing them.
The amazing residents of Wolman 7 West during Orientation week
Keep in mind that even though this is my story you may have a very similar experience. You may find yourself doing something that you never would have expected. And if you’re someone like me, then you’re reading this now thinking that you have everything planned out and nothing out-of-the-ordinary will happen during your college experience. Always have an open mind, not only in the college search process, but especially when you make it to college. The greatest things that happen in life are those you don’t plan for.
All of the RAs right before our dinner with President Daniels
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By JHU_MichelleT, October 6, 2011 @ 1:00 PM
Love this entry, Joe! I was an RA, too, my junior and senior years (first in McCoy, then in Bradford). Some of my best friends from college are my fellow RAs…a few of us were just in another’s wedding last summer! And you’re right – it’s, as Shelley says, the toughest job you’ll ever love. Enjoy!
By Maria G, October 9, 2011 @ 5:56 PM
best RA everrrrr!!!!