Residential life at John Cabot University refers to the beautiful dorm-style residences and apartments, the roommates and neighbors, housing events and activities, and so much more. This irreplaceable community that you find yourself in would not be possible without the Resident Assistants (RAs).
Resident Assistants are an integral part of the Office of Housing and Residential Life, and although they hold a wide array of responsibilities and tasks throughout each semester, their role in the community is one of the most rewarding experiences a student can have.
Here are the 5 best things about being an RA at JCU:
1. Gaining leadership experience
Becoming an RA is a long-term commitment. You will get the chance to represent both the JCU Housing Office and your residents, acting as a liaison between the administration and the student body. Because of these responsibilities, you will quickly learn how to be a leader at a young age. Acting as both an authority figure and a peer advisor, RAs are often considered role models and should be ready to listen to any academic, social, or personal issue presented to them by a student. As an RA, you will also gain leadership skills through hosting various seminars and presentations to welcome new students.
2. Serving the community
While acting as a peer authority figure, you will quickly learn that a big part of working as an RA is serving the community in a fun and interactive way. Resident Assistants always try to find as many opportunities as possible to brighten their residents' days or to celebrate any upcoming holidays. Costume parties and pumpkin carving for Halloween, mid-semester movie nights, trips to Ikea, potluck dinners, trips to Roman sites and monuments, and Christmas parties are just a few of the many engaging community activities hosted by the RAs!
3. Developing problem-solving skills
When you apply to become an RA, many of the questions and scenarios posed during the interview process will prepare you for some of the real problems and conflicts you will encounter. Don't be scared, though, because every RA quickly adapts and develops amazing problem-solving skills! As an RA, you will really learn to think on your feet, and to use the resources at hand to solve any issue within the housing office or between students. You will understand that no problem is too big for you and your team of fellow RAs to help solve. This is great experience for any future conflicts you may find yourself around, motivating you to stay positive when dealing with school, work, or personal conflicts that come up in your life.
4. Creating long-lasting friendships
By becoming a part of a close-knit community of fellow RAs, one of the best outcomes of this role is that you will gain long-lasting friendships. You will find yourself spending a lot of time as a group, whether that might be during working hours, Friday meetings at the Housing Office, off-campus team-building events, or simply in your apartment at Gianicolo Residence or Viale di Trastevere Apartments. These hours of quality time will really create a bond between you and your fellow RAs, and you will soon realize that these friends will be there for you no matter what, both now and in the future. Moreover, becoming an RA is a great and quick way to meet students from all over the world outside of the classroom. Whether they are your residents, or they simply live in the same building as you, the students that choose to experience residential life can end up being some of your closest friends.
5. Attaining great work experience
The life of an RA--while fun, rewarding, and exciting--is also a serious job full of responsibilities. You will work as leaders in the housing office, manage personal files of students, spend nights on-call in the residence, work at Orientation for new students upon arrival at the airport, and more. These duties are all great experience for future jobs. You will learn to work respectfully with others, manage a variety of tasks, and be responsible for yourself and others: all excellent skills for any work you may do in the future! Just the interview process alone is a great way to practice and overcome any fears about future interviews.
If you are interested in becoming a part of a community that enables students to appreciate, benefit from, and contribute to the richness and diversity of other cultures here at John Cabot University, you should definitely consider applying to be a Resident Assistant!
You can apply now to be a JCU Resident Assistant or Junior Resident Assistant for Fall 2018.
Alexa Vujaklija (Shearer)
Class of 2015
Communications Major
Grew up in The United States, Germany, The Republic of Georgia, Russia, and Bulgaria
