They are the people some students may avoid when sneaking alcohol into their rooms and the people many dorm residents run to when they have a problem. And to paraphrase one of their own:A resident assistant isn’t your big brother and isn’t your best friend, but they do fall somewhere in the middle.

As classes get underway and students begin to settle back into school mode, it is easy to overlook the students behind the RA title and what it takes to be one of the people who supervises the on-campus residence halls.

Being an RA is a tough job because of what is involved, C. Anthony Earls, Coordinator for University Housing at Thompson Point said. Not only do they have to be a role model, keep the peace and try to keep some kind of social life, but they also have to keep their grades up along the way.

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Kari Jo Kleinhans, the head resident assistant of Baldwin Hall, said an RA must have a 2.5 grade point average in order to be considered for a position, maintain a 2.3 GPA in order to keep their job and needs special permission to take over 15 hours of classes during a semester.

Add to this list the amount of hours spent studying, the time involved with putting on programs for the floor to which they are assigned, as well as the time involved with a typical relationship and any RA can see how time is sucked away during the course of a week.

You don’t realize how much time being an RA takes up until you are actually involved, Ali Anekwe, an RA in Abbott Hall, said. It is up to the individual to manage their time in order to have some free time to themselves, but no matter what, being an RA is a 24-hour job.

It hardly seems worth it, but the benefits, according to the people involved, are much more rewarding.

It isn’t like we are living in a bubble, Marko Nasca, an RA for Smith Hall, said. We do have a life, but we have a responsibility because of our jobs. Being an RA teaches you communication and leadership skills. It also teaches you to deal with problems that arise and how to confront them. Skills like that will be with you for the rest of your life.

One example of the responsibility an RA faces is how to be an effective authority figure to people moving into residence halls.

An RA is usually the first person of authority a freshman meets coming to college for the first time, Anekwe said. That image may stay with them for a while, and sometimes it can make a lasting impression. It is a lot of responsibility, but it is also rewarding.

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Many RAs said they agree that communication is the key to handling so many people at one time, and getting involved with the floor is essential.

I have really good friendships with the members of my floor, Chris Migliore, an RA in Smith Hall said. It can be difficult at times because of my job, but most people respect that it is nothing personal. And that is what I was hired to do.

With everything said and done, and the new semester about to begin, many RAs feel the job is extremely rewarding, and the one word said over and over was fulfilling.

You meet people you never would have met in any other way, Migliore said. It is fulfilling, and if you make an impact on anyone’s life it means something. Yes, it is a hard job, but it is worth it.