Has anyone been a Residential Advisor while being in Graduate school?

[CBG321]

Just curious if anyone has been an RA before, and if it sounds like a good idea to save money as a Graduate student. IF I get in somewhere far from home that would save me rent money...However I do realize RA's are responsible for programs for students and have to be on campus in those dorm rooms a certain time-frame.   

 

I understand i'd be working for that rent-cut but feel like i'll be studying all the time anyway and it could possibly work in my favor.  (Disclaimer: I considered being an RA in the past and do feel like i'd be good at it so i'm not just trying to save a few bucks.  I had a crappy RA so I wouldn't do that to other students lol).

 

Just any opinions on if this is a terrible idea (noisy hall) or something I should consider to keep myself out of debt if I end up out of state.

 

Thanks for the opinions

[TakeruK]

At my current school, all Resident Associates (for undergrad and grad dorms) are graduate students. They get free rent plus a board plan, so it's a pretty good deal. There are certainly high time demands but the school recognizes that all Resident Associates' prime responsibility is their research and their own schooling, so these obligations generally take priority over their resident associate work. That is, they do travel for work and conference purposes, but I guess they would be expected to spend more of their personal time on their resident associate work (e.g. planning an event for their students on some nights instead of socializing with their friends).

[SLP2B111]

I was an RA when I was an undergrad. My school was small so it was mostly undergrad RAs but there were a few grad student RAs. It really wasn't a ton of work but you were "on-call" a few nights a week. On those nights you couldn't leave the dorm and had to walk around the building every 90 minutes or so. It was perfect for studying. We did not get paid and still paid for our housing but got our own room for the same price as having a roommate. 

[CBG321]

Yeah I was thinking it would maybe force me to study more when I was on-call haha.  If I was in a dorm again though I would want a steep discount if only for the food situation.  I like apartment/house living because i'm able to eat whatever I want. 

 

It's definitely something i'll be considering though based on this information!

 

Thank you!

[marissaxbutner]

I was a Resident Advisor while I was in undergrad (majoring in Communicative Disorders). It took up a lot of my time and I must say it took a toll on my grades. I think it depends on the school you are at- every school has its own demands and responsibilities for RAs. Frequently, I had to respond to calls in the middle of the night to unlock doors for residents who locked themselves out. I couldn't imagine doing that and then going to a graduate seminar that same morning. Like I said, depends on the school and what their expectations are and if the students party a lot. But from my experience, I don't think it would work very well while being in an intense SLP graduate program. 

[CBG321]

I was a Resident Advisor while I was in undergrad (majoring in Communicative Disorders). It took up a lot of my time and I must say it took a toll on my grades. I think it depends on the school you are at- every school has its own demands and responsibilities for RAs. Frequently, I had to respond to calls in the middle of the night to unlock doors for residents who locked themselves out. I couldn't imagine doing that and then going to a graduate seminar that same morning. Like I said, depends on the school and what their expectations are and if the students party a lot. But from my experience, I don't think it would work very well while being in an intense SLP graduate program. 

 

This is definitely something to consider.  Do you think it would be easy to get an accurate description of what the student body leaned towards?  Party atmosphere or mellow?  I feel like the schools would downplay it but if you were seeking that position I hope they'd give you an accurate description of what you're getting into.   Thanks for the advice!