Hands up if you live on campus, and can relate to this: You’ve just moved into your residence and feeling all sorts of apprehensive… And if that’s not enough, you’re suddenly added to a foreign Telegram/Whatsapp chat group filled with strangers. The first message in the chat group usually goes: “Hi! I’m _____, your RA.”
Besides this arbitrary text message, and seeing them around once in a while, what do our RAs really do, and how much do we know about them?
Welcome to our three-part series on the Resident Assistants who stay in our residential colleges and residences, on the Kent Ridge Campus! For those of you reading now who ever thought of applying for the position – this series will give you the lowdown on what it really means to be an RA, and help you decide whether to take the plunge (or take flight!) since the application period would be coming up in January.
Photo: Our RA interviewees from Tembusu and Cinnamon college
This edition of the RA spotlight delves into the lives of some of RAs from Cinnamon and Tembusu college. Meet Jakkarin Sae-Tiew and Marcus Ng from Cinnamon College, along with Vinay Palathinkal and Donaven Cheng from Tembusu College (clockwise from top left), who kindly took some time out to share with us about their RA experiences.
Hi guys, thanks for agreeing to share your RA story! Firstly, could you tell us about yourself – What is your major, which year are you in and which RC are you from?
Jakk: My name is Jakk for short. I’m a third-year student majoring in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Cinnamon College.
Marcus: I’m Marcus, a third-year student majoring in Economics from Cinnamon College.
Donaven: I’m Donaven, a final year Life Science major from Tembusu College.
Vinay: I’m a final year student majoring in Economics from Tembusu College.
Why did you decide to become an RA? Is there any particular inspiration or background story that you would like to share?
Jakk: In my first year, there were people around me experiencing mental health problems. As such, I wanted to become an RA to be more involved in the mental health of my community and support others.
Marcus: In my second year, I moved to a Hall to experience hall life. There, I encountered some people treating hostels as a place to stay, rather than a place to live. I was reminded of the true purpose for campus living, and was really motivated to help residents to feel a sense of belonging and family in the community. An opportunity later arose for me to return to Cinnamon College, and I took it!
Donaven: I was inspired by my previous RAs, to replicate the security they provided and be the senior whom residents can seek advice from.
Vinay: I, too, was inspired by my RA. In my first year, I was involved in an accident. My RA Arjun took it upon himself to rush me to a hospital. His professionalism and his earnestness in helping others was infinitely inspiring.
Your stories are all so inspirational! Since you’ve either been inspired by your past RAs or memorable incidents, could you share with us what you think makes a good RA?
Jakk: A good RA should be reliable and caring, but also respect residents’ personal boundaries. They should also try to constantly improve the residential experience by gathering their residents’ feedback.
Marcus: When all your residents treat you as a friend and share their personal issues with you.
Donaven: A good RA should stay curious about people.
Vinay: A good RA fosters a sense of inclusiveness in the collegiate environment amidst academic stressors.
How have each of you continued to build on the work of your RA seniors?
Jakk: I focused a lot more on improving facilities for residents.
Marcus:My residents and I set up a cosy corner in our floor lounge, filled with soft toys and beanbags. I like to inject positivity by designing new posters or having surprise steamboat parties. Every RA cares for their floor differently, and these different approaches introduce vibrancy into the community.
Donaven: I am especially active on social media by keeping updated on events that residents are involved in. This helps me feel more connected to them.
Vinay: I initiated a shared Google sheet for residents to voice any maintenance concerns, and also placed cards for residents to reach out to me, thereby encouraging openness.
What is the RA interview/application process like in a Residential College like Tembusu and Cinnamon?
Donaven, Jakk and Marcus: The application process is generally standard. Applicants should be a resident during the year of appointment, as the RA is expected to be familiar with the community and college.
Jakk and Marcus: The application form will ask you about college experiences, reasons why you want to be a RA and how you plan to contribute. During the interview, there may be discussions for candidates to share how they would handle different scenarios. Training will be provided for all selected RAs.
Jakk and Marcus: The process also involves Residential Fellows for both colleges, who are professors that who interview applicants and solicit feedback from current RAs, collectively deciding on appointing RAs.
Lastly, any words of advice for aspiring RAs?
Vinay: Every RA should be clear on how their college functions. Also, it is important to be yourself during the interview! When you consider your interest to be an RA, think about how you would care for strangers, apart from your own friends.
Jakk: Your effectiveness as an RA is not dependent on whether all residents are bonded or not on each floor. A good RA should realize that residents have different perceptions of the floor as a living space and strive to serve everyone’s differing needs.
Marcus: The role of an RA is aliaison between the student body and the administration, and they should be able to communicate residents’ concerns effectively to NUS housing authorities. Ask yourself if you would be able and willing to do this!
After reading this short Q&A with our RAs, are you inspired to become an RA yourself, particularly in a Residential College? Visit the college websites’ and speak to someone!
For those of you from the Student Residences like PGPR and UTR, there are major differences between an RA from the Residential Colleges and the Student Residences. Stay tuned for our next installment to find out more on what it takes in the Student Residences! If you have any other RA-related questions, or would like to share your experiences, feel free to leave them in the comments! J
