Should You Become an RA? 3 USC RAs Weigh In
photo credit: Trojans360
by Maya Lopez ‘26
Last year, as a freshman, I lived on campus in New North. Navigating freshman year came with challenges, but having supportive RAs in my building made the experience so much better. RA stands for resident assistant, and our RAs are student leaders who help support a building’s community in exchange for free campus housing. I got the chance to speak with three current and former RAs to learn about their experiences being RAs at USC and to hopefully help prospective RAs make more informed decisions about applying to be one. The RA Application for the 2024-2025 school year opens on November 15 and is open through January 7.
Special thanks to the RAs who helped me unlock my door every time I forgot my keys (and it was many, many times)!
What is the application process like?
“The application process was a form that was on a portal online. Basically what a regular job or internship application would look like. And then, on top of that, they gave you situational questions that would help them see how you would react to situations that an RA would on the job.”
- Nyah Gaitan ‘23
“I don’t think the case studies are graded super toughly because I think I messed up a couple of them pretty bad. After we did training I realized, “Oof, you probably shouldn't do that”. You find out in April whether or not you got the position, which can be tough with housing. That's why I recommend if you’re going to do it, doing it sophomore year because, if you have USC housing, they automatically cancel it for you without a fee if you get offered the RA job and accept the position.”
- Tyler Fishcher ’26
But not every application process is the same…
“I did get put on the waitlist first. When I applied it was 2 rounds of interviews. The first round was meeting with the RCC (Residential College/Community Coordinator). Then the other second round was a meeting with a panel. And then after that they just let you know your decision. And I got an email saying I got put as an alternate and that they would let me know when I would get the position or if I did. So, in late July they sent another email to me and they were like "Oh you got the position,” and they sent me where I got placed, and it was graduate housing.”
- Alvin Perez ‘25
photo credit: USC Housing
Is the application process worth it?
“They do a really good job in the interview process to figure out what building you’d fit in. I just wish they moved the timeline up about 4 or 5 months so you could hear back before it's time to get an apartment for next year.”
- Tyler Fishcher ’26
“The application process was a bit tedious in terms of how long it was, but the perks of what an RA receives in return definitely makes filling out an application worth it.”
- Nyah Gaitan ‘23
Any tips for students who are going through the application process?
“Definitely be people oriented and care about your residents. It's a very big responsibility because you are the one that's engaging the people to meet with each other and creating a positive environment. I also would mention that you want to create an inclusive environment that's inclusive to everyone.”
- Alvin Perez ‘25
“I would say if you’re a freshman trying to apply to be a sophomore RA, talk about how you want to make it a good environment for the incoming students. If you’re an upperclassman applying to be an RA in an upperclassmen dorm, (you don’t really get to pick your dorms but a lot of times the upperclassmen get the Village dorms and the sophomores get the on-campus dorms) talk about being career oriented and helping people take the next steps in their academic and professional journeys. It's all about what you can do for the students, so knowing what your position will be doing is good to put in your application.”
- Tyler Fishcher ’26
photo credit: USC Housing
What’s a duty of the job that surprised you?
“Planning events. You wouldn’t necessarily think the RAs are super involved in event planning, but we really are. A lot of the on campus events, especially the ones that revolve around the dorms at the beginning of the year, are run by RAs, which I feel like I didn’t know that the RAs did so much of.”
- Tyler Fishcher ’26
“Being somewhat of a therapist, and even, at times, a friend to residents. There are different types of relationships that you are going to make with your residents – you will either be someone or no one to people. Which is completely fine, but you’ll find yourself in different roles in those peoples lives either as a mentor, a friend, or as someone you see once a day in passing.”
- Nyah Gaitan ‘23
What is an universal but unexpected RA experience?
“I always thought the RAs were bound to the building and they couldn’t leave, but if you do it right, there's very clear distinctions about when you’re on duty and when you’re not on duty. When I’m off duty, I will go and sleepover at friends' apartments or go do my own thing. I can go out and have a social life when I’m not on duty. When you’re on duty, you’re on your RA job, and it's your job. You do what you got to do. When you’re off duty, it's like you're living your own life separate from the work environment.”
- Tyler Fishcher ’26
“People were very open and honest about things that they had going on in their lives. Mental health is a really big part of what an RA will sometimes deal with, and when it gets really personal, that’s the part that you don’t expect because a lot of the time people come to you as a safe space, and they really do expect that from you from the very beginning. It was surprising that it didn’t take a lot of time for people to put that trust into me as an RA.”
- Nyah Gaitan ‘23
photo credit: USC Housing
What is the best part of being an RA?
“Definitely meeting people, talking to people, and creating a good environment for your building. Also creating events and using your creativity skills.”
- Alvin Perez ‘25
“Meeting and having relationships with the students. It's really fun to get to know all of them and how their lives are going, and I think that's why it's fun to be in the freshman dorms because it's so fun to watch all the kids get used to being at USC because I went through that last year. They all have such different things that they struggle with and things that they succeed at. It's fun to watch.”
- Tyler Fishcher ’26
“The best part about being an RA was being able to go on the ASB spring break trip with my building to Bolivia. There were a certain amount of spots that residents in the building of Cale & Irani could apply for, and then myself and another RA had the amazing opportunity to go on the trip as well. Also, being included in the community was one of the best parts as we were able to also become close with other USC students. I also had the opportunity to learn about a different culture and part of the world that I would not have experienced without this program, and that was so special.”
- Nyah Gaitan ‘23
What is the worst part about being an RA?
“Being on emergency response. It can get a little annoying. It's mandatory because people do get locked out, but at the same time, you never know when you’re going to get the call and it could be at 1 a.m. or 2.”
- Alvin Perez ‘25
“The shifts do suck. I’m only on duty twelve nights this semester. There was one night where I accidentally signed up for a shift the day before my exam, and I got calls for lockouts at 1,2, and 3 a.m., so I got no sleep which kinda sucked, but it's only twelve nights a semester. Also the communal bathrooms in New North, but that's only New North and a couple other buildings.”
- Tyler Fishcher ’26
“The time commitment sometimes overlapped with a lot of my other personal and academic responsibilities. It felt like I needed to sacrifice some parts of my life to fulfill the role of being an RA.”
- Nyah Gaitan ‘23
photo credit: USC Housing
How has being an RA impacted your social life?
“It's given me more of a social life because last year I was commuting, so I was basically nonexistent at this school. Now that I have my own room and my own apartment close to campus. I can see friends, invite people over, and I can be more social. I can meet new people throughout my building, too, through the events I throw. It's definitely a very social position.”
- Alvin Perez ‘25
“It didn’t necessarily take a large role in my social life, but it definitely took a bit of a hit. There were time commitments during certain times in which something else was planned last minute, and I didn’t really have the option to do those things. A good part about being on a team of other RAs in a building was that we were able to swap shifts if an emergency or other commitment came up, but sometimes, there just wasn’t a person who would be able to take that time.”
- Nyah Gaitan ‘23
What advice would you give someone who just became an RA?
“Have fun and become close with your RA team. These people are going to support you along the way and be a source of balance. I would also be very open to communication with your residents. They depend on you a lot and look to you as a source of safety and motivation sometimes. Always try to reach out a couple times before you end up giving up on someone who may not be receptive to talking to an RA.”
- Nyah Gaitan ‘23
“Definitely focus on time management. You have to deal with a lot of school plus extracurriculars, and then you have RA stuff to do. I would say, if you’re first starting off, be wary of time management, and be on top of that, because you don’t want to fall behind on your RA stuff.”
- Alvin Perez ‘25
“Have as good of a relationship with your kids as possible. If they don’t like you, they're going to make your job way harder than if they did like you. You don’t need to be a pushover, but be nice to them, and don’t be rude. You’re a student; they’re a student. And you’re just there to make sure they're safe and succeeding at USC.”
- Tyler Fishcher ’26
photo credit: Trojans360
Would you recommend becoming an RA?
“I definitely would recommend being an RA if you’re very social and don’t mind making connections and meeting new people because you are the person that's going to be facilitating the connections that are within your building, so you do have to be a little social yourself. I would also say someone that's pretty creative, as well, because there are some projects that require some creativity.”
- Alvin Perez ‘25
“One hundred percent. And I would also recommend that, if you’re doing it and you’re ranking the freshman dorms, I would say rank New North first. I think it's the best freshman dorm to work in. New North is my favorite building on campus. It is so great!”
- Tyler Fishcher ’26
Would you be an RA again?
“Yes, definitely I would. It's not a bad position. It's been good to me.”
- Alvin Perez ‘25
“Yes, I would. I’m not going to do it next year because I’m going abroad, but I always say the best choice I ever made was being an RA. There are a ton of benefits, and it's also a fun job. Being an RA is something I’ve always wanted to do since middle school.”
- Tyler Fishcher ’26
“I would apply to be an RA again. I can’t really anymore because I have graduated, but looking back, I think it really shaped a lot of who I am today and how I am able to communicate, lead, express how I’m feeling, and connect with others. It taught me a lot of life lessons that genuinely I wouldn’t have been able to learn without the experience of being an RA.”
- Nyah Gaitan ‘23
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