I sat down this week with Claudia Ruiz (senior, psychology and Spanish) to talk about her experience working as an RA and at the front desk.
Where do you work?
I am a resident advisor (RA) at Lamson Hall, and I also work at the front desk at Lamson Hall there.
How did you get the job?
I applied to be an RA this year, and you have to have desk shifts as a part of the job, so that’s how I ended up working at the front desk.
Why did you decide to be an RA?
I wanted to get to know more people in the dorm, try to form a community, and be able to help out if someone ever needs help with something or is going through something. I also wanted to get to know the deans better, and how they work. There are also, of course, the benefits that you get from working as an RA. You don’t have to pay extra to get your own room, you get your own vacuum, stuff like that. I really like having my own vacuum.
Do you like being an RA?
I do. I do like it. The only downside is that you have to be up late at night, which at first was harder for me because I’m used to sleeping early. I am actually planning on continuing to be an RA in the next school year.
Do you like working at the front desk?
I like it okay. Sometimes in the middle of the day there are a lot of people coming in to get packages, so you don’t have time to chill, but shifts that are late at night or early in the morning are more relaxed. You can do homework or whatever else you need to do. Since I’m an RA, I don’t have to do late night shifts (2 am to 5 am), which is nice.
Do you get to schedule your own shifts?
Yeah. For RAs, at the beginning of the semester, dorm management asks you for your availability, and then you get to pick the shifts you want to do. I believe that it is different for people who just work at the front desk, though. I think they get assigned shifts.
Is there anything you would change about the jobs?
I think they work as they are right now. I appreciate that the deans ask you your availability [for the front desk] at the beginning of the semester so that you always know when your shifts are, and you can prepare if you need to go somewhere. You can ask someone else to cover your shift as long as it's 24 hours before the shift. It’s pretty chill. For being an RA, it’s also a pretty flexible system. If you can’t make a room check for whatever reason, you can let the deans know in advance and find someone else to cover it for you. For me personally, the deans are a blessing in my life. They’re incredibly understanding and very nice, and I feel like I can always go and talk to them if I need anything.
Would you recommend these jobs to other people?
Yes, I would.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.