~ Blog Posts Written By RAs for RAs ~
Balancing the responsibilities of being an RA with the often overwhelming demands of academic life can be a challenging endeavor. Being an RA comes with unique duties and expectations, while your work at school often requires substantial time and focus…sometimes too much. This can be a stressful experience, especially for new RAs.
Prioritization Skills
Being effective at time management is key to balancing RA responsibilities with academic demands. Start by making a detailed schedule (I’d prefer to do it on Excel/Google sheets) that includes all of your commitments, from duty shifts, class times, studying, and personal activities. A well-organized schedule helps you visualize your week and identify potential conflicts or busy periods. Making sure to put all due dates (for both your job and your classes) into your calendar as soon as possible allows you to not stress out, wondering when you have to do something.
As an RA, your job might take a turn unexpectedly, such as an emergency, incident, or last-minute meetings. Adding some flexibility into your schedule allows you to prepare for these unknowns, without falling behind academically. The phrase “don’t save it for the last minute” takes a whole new meaning here. As an RA, as in any other job, working ahead of time helps keep you from being caught unprepared.
Prioritization is a crucial skill for RAs balancing school and work. Making a list of your academic tasks and RA duties, then categorizing them by urgency and importance, helps you to focus on what needs your immediate attention while keeping your long-term projects in mind. Remember, you are a student before you are an RA.
Creating a Support System
Balancing RA life with school becomes more manageable when you have a strong support system. You aren’t alone, your friends, fellow RAs, and your hall director(s), can offer advice and support. If you see yourself falling behind on anything, or could even just use a little extra support, communicate. You’ll probably be surprised how willing a supervisor might be to help you—remember, they want you to succeed!
If you find yourself in a stressful exam week, and don’t necessarily have time to put up that extra bulletin board, ask your supervisor. They will–more often than not, be willing to adjust due dates and form a plan with you to help you be successful.
Self-Care and Stress Management
Being an RA along with being a student can be a stressful experience, so practicing self-care should be a priority. Forgetting to take care of your health and working too hard will inevitably lead to burnout, affecting both your academic performance and your ability to be an effective RA. Add some self-care activities into your schedule, such as making sure to get some regular exercise, spend time with friends, and take some time to yourself.
You can even combine self-care and your job, killing two birds with one stone. For a community event, try doing a group meditation, or some campuses even have therapy dogs you could ask to make an appearance (this one worked really well for me).
Miscellaneous Tips & Tricks
- Save bulletin board ideas to Pinterest ahead of time, so when the year progresses and you don’t necessarily have time to be creative, past you will have you covered!
- Try to hammer out any extra paperwork, bulletin boards, etc. while on duty (so long as it is allowed!).
- Let your residents know your schedule ahead of time, so they can work around you when necessary.
- Work with other RAs when possible! By combining resources and collaborating on various tasks, such as community builders, you can obtain the same results with less strife.
Conclusion
Balancing life as an RA with schoolwork demands attentive planning, healthy time management, a good support system, and a thoughtful commitment to self-care. When prioritizing tasks effectively, you can create a balance between your work and academics, preparing you well. Embrace the challenge of being both an RA and a student, and see this as a learning opportunity for you to learn new skills, and prepare for being a professional after college.
