Reflection #4

I think that the most unrealistic aspects of being an RA placed upon us by students is that either we know everthing or that we can act as their mothers in the absence of their own. I love that my residents come to me with questions and I love that I can help them but I do not like the attitudes that I get whenever I do not have an answer. I feel like I am disappointing them but honestly it is more disappointing to me that the residents feel the need to make us feel about the same knowledge that they are lacking. I do everything in my power to find the answers that everyone needs. Also, if I do not know they usually do not ask anyone else. I think that as apart of coming to college is learning not to just ask questions but to ask a lot of them to anyone who may listen. I also think that every small concern should not be brought to an RA's attention every time it happens, especially if it is the same thing over and over again. Instead of stopping by the RA's room three times a day they should take care of it themselves, leave me a note, or send me an email. It's not that I do not want to hear it but it makes me feel like my mother when I am at home. I will repeatedly tell her that I am hungry until she sends me away, feeds me, or tells me to do it myself. I do not want to keep feeding my residents.
I feel that administration places too much stress on programming. It is already difficult to survive in college without the extra work. Taking the job we all know what we are in store for but it seems unnecessary at times. There is not high attendance at both programs. The six programs plus the cross campus and our teas are a bit much. If it was just one of these sets per house or apartment that would be fine but we forget that every RA is doing this amount of work plus what student activities are doing. It is a bit unreasonable.
I think that these things are expected because people associate the title with assisting in every aspect of living. Students expect us to help with everything and administration expects us to be the middle man or even catalyst to activity on campus and bringing everyone together as a community. I think that bringing everyone together is so important but at the same time it is more difficult when we have to spread the word and try to get participation for everything that is going on, on campus as well as do the same for our own programming.
I do feel that I have handled this well so far. I pass on necessary emails of programs or just have spontaneous conversations about programs that I know about. I take more effort into spreading the word on my programs as far as going the extra mile. Not that other programs are not as important but we should all expect that if we all pitch in to spread the word about programs that together the word gets spread. For our own programs we need to take intitiative more because no one else will do it and in fact it is our responsibility.