Students looking for a job, financial aid, involvement, or even all three have an option right here on campus for consideration.
“Well, at first I wanted to be an RA because I wanted my own room, and it helped that it paid and stuff too,” Carmen Wiggins admitted with a laugh. A third year media arts student currently working at Capstone, Wiggins needed a means to help pay for her schooling – and also wanted to get involved in a positive way.
According to University Housing’s website, last updated October 11th, 2007, Resident Advisors are student staff members responsible for mentoring students in a particular residence hall or area. Apart from spending time with their residents, RAs are expected to work four hours a week at the front desk, serve as tour guides during Open House, and respond to crisis - all while maintaining at least a 2.75 GPA.
“It’s a lot more work than it seems, and you live at your job,” Wiggins explained.
Kim Painter, a former RA in the women’s quad and first year grad student, agreed. “You have to know how much work and dedication it actually takes.”
Still, there are benefits.
Currently, first year RAs get 50% off on housing fees, a 25% discount on meal plans 14 and up, and receive a $3,335 stipend in addition to those lowered rates. Should a student decide that he or she would like to continue being an RA, the yearly stipend increases to $3,477. This financial compensation could be a compelling factor for students struggling to pay ever increasing tuition and fees.
“The half off of housing was definitely motivation,” Painter said.
Besides the monetary incentive, being an RA can be a valuable addition to a student’s work history, and could potentially bring professional benefits.
“It looks great on resumes,” Painter explained. “To this day I still get ‘Wow, you were an RA for two years.’”
But perhaps the best payoffs of the job are social.
Painter described the experience as one that made her more outgoing and extroverted, adding that the number of people she met and interacted with during her time as an RA will likely never be topped. Wiggins agreed, and cited the satisfaction she gains from seeing her residents come together.
“I enjoy watching them get closer,” she said. “I’m excited that I feel like I’m doing a good job.”
Of course, the beginning of the school year is never easy.
“I feel like most residents are like, ‘You gotta watch out, they’ll write you up for doing stuff!’” Wiggins joked. “But I’m not here to write them up, I’m here to help them take care of themselves. I’m like, ‘Hey, I want you to do this for yourself.’”
When asked if the positives outweighed the negatives, Wiggins readily agreed.
“The positives are so awesome. It makes it worth it,” she said.
Painter concurred, saying that she would recommend the job to others.
“If you really have some kind of desire to help out, then I’d say go for it.”
Students interested in becoming an RA should submit an application, cover letter, and resume online at www.housing.sc.edu no later than November 7th. Interviews will be conducted November 11th, with rolling offers made until the beginning of the spring semester.
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