Welcome back to the Life After RL series! We hope you had fun reading Part 1 (as much as we did when drafting it) and we’re so excited to present to you Part 2. Our friendly RA alumni, Sam and Kelvin, continue to share more with you about their time as RAs, specifically on the less than glamorous aspects of being RAs: the stress, the untold sacrifices and how they managed and handled them.
Wong Sam Yew (Sam): Stress management
Tell us about the most stressful time you’ve had during your RA journey (when you have to juggle different commitments – RA duties, academic and social commitments, etc)
I believe many would agree wholeheartedly that exam period is the most stressful period in our university journey and it’s no different, if not more stressful, for RAs. Being an NUS student who is also part of the RA team, I had to juggle between studying for exams, meeting project deadlines, caring for our fellow residents and managing personal commitments. I must admit it wasn’t easy at first but as time goes by, I get better at this whole juggling thing by learning to work more productively and manage my time better.
How did you cope with the stress of juggling RA duties and studies?
I tried my best to plan my commitments way in advance so that I have enough time to prepare for each deadline. That way I won’t need to rush, pull an all-nighter or panic and break down. On top of that, I went to the gym a few times a week. Exercising is actually a very good way to destress (and keep fit!). Other activities like going to the movies, hangout with friends or even cooking up a good meal allowed me to wind down as well.
Any advice for the current RAs or aspiring RAs how to overcome stress and successfully fulfill the various commitments?
When someone hears about juggling between a few tasks, it usually involves an image of someone tossing a few items in the air trying hard to catch each of them. This gives the impression that we are heavily reactive to our commitments. That is not entirely wrong but we can further reduce the “juggling” and being more proactive by having proper time management. This way we can keep track of our progress and reduce panicking at the eleventh hour.
Would you still recommend your juniors to get involved in residential life, be it as a resident or RA, despite the stresses and having to juggling so many hats?
If you’re someone who wants to challenge yourself and learn how to cope in the working life, this is definitely a great opportunity. University is a place where we can learn as much as we want with lesser consequences than in the working life. Here you can make (some) mistakes and learn from them J
Did the experience of dealing with stress from your time as an RA help with your current job now? How so?
At work we have to juggle between multiple responsibilities, working with different teams while answering to multiple managers. So essentially it’s quite similar to the experience I had during my RA time. Thanks to the great lessons I took away from my RA journey, I was able to cope better at work and I strongly believe the same goes for my fellow RAs.
Kelvin Vo: (Sacrifices/Trade-offs)
There are many perks to being an RA: free accommodation, chances to live among and work with many great individuals and being able to gain valuable skills. But what are the trade-offs/sacrifices that RAs like you have to make that people often know little about?
Being an RA means that you will not have as much freedom as you used to, due to the many commitments as well as the responsibility to be present in residence/campus to be the contact point should anything arise. Most, if not all of the events that we organized took place in the evening and during weekend, which means that unfortunately RAs will have to pass up on hanging out with friends or attending any events of interest if these happen in the evening or on the weekend (and normally, that’s the case).
How did you feel when RAs were sometimes cast in a bad light as people assume that you only receive all the perks and no sacrifices?
Initial as an outsider, I did have the same feeling about RAs’ life: all fun and little work. However, being an RA myself and finally putting myself in the RAs’ shoes changed my perspective about that. I had to face many tradeoffs (which were most of the time untold and thus unheard of). So whenever others assumed wrongly about RA’s life, I felt that was normal of them to think like that but I hope I can contribute to changing their mindset with this interview J
How did you come to terms with the sacrifices that come with the RA title?
The support of my team played an essential role in assuring me that I was not alone in this journey and I could always turn to them for help. I also learned to plan everything in advance and prioritize so I didn’t have to miss out too much J
Any particular instance where you had to pass up on something to fulfill RA duties? (outing with friends, school events, etc)
During my internship, I took one day of leave during my very first week (and thus missed a valuable briefing and chance to bond with my colleagues) to come back and help with the Orientation program for new students (both freshmen and exchange students). However, knowing that I managed to contribute positively to the start of their own RL experience made the sacrifice worth it!
Any great memory that you felt that all the sacrifices you had to make were worth it?
During the last working day of my internship, I needed to push my farewell meal to lunch time (initially dinner) and left immediately after that to organize the cultural event at YIH as part of the Orientation program. Thankfully, my colleagues were very understanding and supportive and even provided me with some items to display at the event. It was raining very heavily but the turnout was much more than what we expected. We had great fun and awesome food. At the end of the event, the participants gave the feedback that they had a really good time experiencing all the booths displaying different aspects of Singapore culture. The organizing committee was over the moon (to say the least) with the turnout and feedback. They made all the sleepless nights worth it.
Did the prioritization experience that you gained during your RA journey help with what you are doing now? How so?
Yes, absolutely. At work, it is the skill that I gained during my RA journey that helped me finish the tasks well and on time. There will be a lot of tasks coming up daily and hence, knowing the priority, how to manage time and how to plan will be the key to succeed in the workplace.
And that brings us to the end of our Life After RL series. We hope you have learnt a thing or two about what RAs do – from the very people who’ve lived through and graduated from the role!
If this sounds like your cup of tea, visit the Residential Life website or Facebook page to keep a lookout for their next recruitment exercise. Psssst – we heard it’s really soon!
