Jorja Carter
If you live on campus at the University of Mississippi, it is likely that you have a residential assistant — but how much do you really know about their day-to-day life?
All RAs seem to have a routine that helps them juggle the early mornings and late nights that the job requires, as well as their school schedules and personal time.
Yersaiyn Yerkin, a junior mechanical engineering major born in Kazakhstan, is an RA at Luckyday Residential College. According to him, an RA’s schedule can vary depending on the day.
“Every year, the housing executive staff will change or modify certain things the RAs need to do but right now we have two-hour desk shifts for six hours a week,” Yerkin said. “We do rounds every time we’re on duty, which means walking around the building with a duty partner to ensure the safety of our residents and inspect the condition of our halls. Sometimes, you’ll need to deal with many incidents while other times, you might not even get a call for the whole night.”
Skyla Walters, a junior art major, serves as an RA at Residential College South. Walters has made an effort to maintain a healthy relationship with her job, primarily through structure and balance.
“Make sure you set boundaries not only with your residents but with yourself, and prioritize your sleep and your wellbeing,” Walters said. “Having to be over several students can be difficult, and it’s easy to say they can reach you at any time no matter what, but when you get endless 2 a.m. phone calls because of lock-outs and you’re not on duty, it can get taxing.”
For all of the difficulties, Walter thinks interacting with students makes it worth it.
“My favorite part is getting to meet so many different types of people. New students are an interesting bunch, and seeing them go in and out of the dorm is always fun,” Walters said.
Yerkin concurred, adding that being an RA at UM has given him much support in both his education and personal life.
“I have a wonderful supervisor who is constantly supporting me and teaching me, whether in our jobs or life in general,” Yerkin said. “My favorite part is getting to help and serve people and the residents are awesome if you are willing to invest time and get to know them. It’s a wonderful way to get to know so many people.”
Walters also told one of her favorite stories about holiday activities bringing students together.
“I often think about the day of our dorm-wide Halloween community builder which are basically events that are meant to bring together our community,” Walters said. “Even though messes were made, it was a lot of fun, and a lot of the students came, and one of my fellow RAs even dressed up in a blow-up Among Us costume that everyone got a kick out of.”
While on-campus RAs expressed difficulties maintaining balance, Cayden Rodrigue, a senior biochemistry major from Brandon, Miss. and an RA at The Quarters, expressed the opposite.
“My facility, The Quarters, has an excellent clubhouse, pool, gym, and game room,” Rodrigue said. “This is one of the reasons I prefer living as an off-campus RA versus on-campus. I feel like I can have more work/life balance.”
Though many RAs make an effort to connect with their residents, some students in off-campus housing see less of their RAs. Lola Fyke, a freshman psychology major, rarely saw her RA unless he was involved in one of The Quarter’s many community events. The complex often holds small events/parties for their residents, like a recent create your own bouquet event.
“My RA doesn’t seem very strict on rules,” Fyke said. “He is very involved in all the parties that happen in our building.”
To make sure students are in compliance with housing rules, on-campus dorms receive room checks performed by RAs, while off-campus residents in The Quarters have safety checks instead. Those checks are not performed by RAs.
“The Quarters have university health and safety checks each semester, and we are notified in advance,” Fyke said.
Savannah Abbott, a sophmore double major in Chinese and psychology, lives at The Quarters and agreed with Fyke that it is a relaxed environment for freshman residents.
“I’m in a GroupMe with most of the occupants in my building, including the RAs,” Abbott said. “From what I’ve seen in the groupchat, the RAs are kind of hands-off. Our building has switched around a couple RAs throughout the year, so I’d say they’re very relaxed when it comes to rules and regulations.”
Whether on-campus or off-campus, Yerkin encouraged everyone to consider becoming an RA.
“I would really recommend everyone consider applying to this position,” Yerkin said. “It really is a wonderful way to get to know so many people.”
