During my time shadowing, I became more inspired to become a resident assistant than ever before. Getting a hands-on look at what resident assistant actually does behind the desk is a perspective that most students don’t get to see. One’s residents are always approaching them, someone is occasionally calling the desk phone, your RHD could give you an assignment, and your fellow staff could be working around you. It could become very chaotic and overwhelming environment in an instant if steady composure isn’t maintained. On Saturday, February 12th, I shadowed my long time friend Brianna Murray in Centennial Hall. Brianna works the desk Tuesday and Wednesday from 5-6, Friday from 1-4, 5-6, and is on duty on Thursday. First thing she had me…show more content… First, she introduced me to the master key and what to do with it, then we walked around west hall to check the emergency doors. She explained that you have to be aware of the halls conditions for example, if any suspicious smells are in the air you must report it for safety reasons. As we went up floors, Brianna noticed that one of the resident’s door was cracked open which was a safety precaution. She knocked on the door for the resident to come out and explained to them that they must keep their door shut to avoid intruders, or anything serious of that magnitude happening. After checking all the alarms, fire extinguishers, and emergency exits, we went back to the front desk. My experience shadowing Brianna was much different than what I thought it would be since I believed it would be just simple, boring desk work. Instead, I enjoyed the experience of being a resident assistant at Centennial Hall. The staff were fun to be around as well as the residents that came through to the office. This job could be difficult if not handled in a professional manner or without the ability to work under pressure. However, with hard work and proper training I feel like a person like me could succeed at becoming a great resident
