Res Life Lamentations

A series of unfortunate events

4 notes

Trip. Stumble. Tumble.: This guy though...

daringartisticadventurer:

This guy though…

Okay, I’m just going to say this.

I regret ever posting that my RA is an idiot because some other idiot reblogged it and trashed me as if I wouldn’t see it.  

I should have clarified:  the way the residence hall system is run at my school is what I find dumb.  Not the RA.  I do, however, maintain that she is incompetent.  NOTE THAT ME FINDING HER INCOMPETENT DOES NOT MEAN THAT I FIND ALL RESIDENT ASSISTANTS INCOMPETENT.  

I think campus living here needs redone.  Just because you’re in paradise does not mean that we all are.  You actually probably are guaranteed housing. 



That little gem is from the person who blogged about their RA being a “fucking idiot” (the one I responded to). So yes, he just called me an idiot. 

But no trick, this is what you didn’t understand. You don’t have your ask box enabled so this was the only way I could get through to you. I wanted you to hear what I had to say because your words were so misguided.

Also, you maintain your RA is incompetent however, as we proved in the previous post you are in absolutely NO position to make that call considering you have no effing idea the stress that RAs are under CONSTANTLY. So I’m sorry if your perception of your RA is negative, don’t go talking about it online. She is a human being and trying her best to deal with people who are apathetic at best and vindictive (remember the ripping down of her decorations?) at worst.

Also, paradise? Sweetie…RAs at my college temporarily had freshman roommates in the fall because they had to honor contracts made by people LONG after they should have. Don’t tell me this is an ideal situation.  In regards to your structural and organizational comments, ‘m sure your department of housing is doing just fine, you just have to find something to complain about.  No situation is ideal, but with the volume of students the department has to accomodate, I’d say they’re doing a pretty swell job.  Not up to par for you still, whiny pants? I’m sorry honey, this is college on-campus life…you’re not Eloise at the Plaza.

Paradise? Oh, honey. Now I just feel bad for you. I’m honestly, honestly sorry you think that. At this point the following words have nothing to do with you, this is just to clear up some misconceptions because you are by no means the only person who thinks these things.

I wish this was paradise. We keep pushing through with enthusiasm because it’s the only way to get through it. This is hell; this is purgatory; this is indentured servitude. I wouldn’t trade it for anything at this point, but all I want is to get my life started and work a mediocre job with a mediocre apartment and some effing independence. Instead, I go to a school that only cares about making itself look good on a piece of paper. I’m pushing through…barely. Everything I have to do as an RA is a condescending decision from below.

You know what though? There is one thing that helps me get through it:

The residents. The ones who know they live in a community and respect the community guidelines—the ones who see, like I saw RAs not as those jerks in the polos but the sources of guidance and respect.

The one small peace I have in this job is knowing that, if I’m lucky there will be people who look up to me and see me as accessible like a student, but admirable like a leader. Though, alas, it is obviously a double-edged sword.

No RA is perfect, and to be honest, there are certainly lots of crappy RAs out there, but, oddly enough, the only people who really know who’s good or bad are the RAs themselves. I can’t think of anyone whose res life experience is paradise. Even if we do get free room and board, even if we are lucky enough to not have a roommate, we never get to go home from our jobs, and our jobs follow us 24/7.

Don’t even get me started about two Christmases ago when I got to be trapped here completely alone for ten days while my grandma was in the hospital. Yeah, that was definitely paradise…

I wish I could tell you I was guaranteed housing, too. I am relying on this position to get me through my degree, and let me tell you, it’s some prettyshaky ground.

You know what they say about assuming…so I am going to go say right now that I am trying not to assume anything about your experience. It’s possible your RA is actually a total dick.

Funny thing about RAs though: in times like these, all we have is each other, and we will defend each other until doing so will cost us our own jobs.

With all due respect, passing judgement on the res life tumblrsphere was pretty bad luck—our jobs require us to be good with words and work as a team.

That being said, I genuinely, truly honestly hope that your res life experience gets better.

-RLL

Filed under RA res life reblog resident assistant reslife R.A. dorm residence hall college uni residential life

  1. reslifelamentations reblogged this from daringartisticadventurer and added:
    Paradise? Oh, honey. Now I just feel bad for you. I’m honestly, honestly sorry you think that. At this point the...
  2. nickyminaj reblogged this from daringartisticadventurer and added:
    Lmao, I love my bess fran. There was actually an article in the paper not too long ago about how our school doesn’t pay...
  3. daringartisticadventurer posted this