Live, Work and Play: The Res Life Way

Well, let's get down to business, shall we?

What does it mean to be a Community Assistant at ASU?

ASU says that CA (aka RA) should do the following:

Build and lead a community of peers by being available and accessible to residents
Connect peers to educational, social and cultural activities
Check-in and check-out paperwork
Address policy violations
Crisis intervention
Night/weekend community walks
Work a weekly shift at 24 hour hall desk
Attend required staff meetings and training sessions
Encourage and support student involvement in Hall Council
Serve as a academic and social role model, friend, confidant, and resource for a diverse group of students

And for the most part, this is what I do. I'm support for residents and guests, I handle confrontation between students, I document any policy violations (alcohol, drugs, community violations like noise or trash), I work the desk 16 hours a week to pay bills, I attend meetings every week and go to council events, I program events for my residents and the complex at large...

I do a lot of stuff. And this is what I can remember!

I have so many roles in addition to being a full time students, just months shy from graduation. What makes my internship unique is I live where I work. I live in the dorms 24/7. I interact with students on a hourly basis, always on watch incase that I'm needed for a situation like a flooding or a fire. Most people can turn off when they go home, not think about work and the drama that's been going on there. I can't really. I'm always in CA mode. At least, when I'm here. When I go out to friends or crash at a friends place, they notice when I'm not in CA mode. I'm more relaxed, not on guard. I didn't even realize I was like that until my boyfriend pointed it out to me. It was rather startling to see myself as always on guard.

Now, this job can be stressful at times. There have been times where I just want to lock myself in my room and turn off my phone cause I've had enough of what's been going on. But there are rewarding times too. Getting to know new CAs and sharing your horror stories, helping a resident move out a tough living situation or celebrate an A on a midterm with ice cream. It's all a mishmash of things, good and bad. It's worth it, I think. :)