I chose to be an RA because I wanted to get more involved and to be the person I wished I had as a freshman, someone who could point me to the resources I needed to succeed. Talking with residents and their parents has improved my social skills and problem solving, and being on time for staff meetings and my own events has made me far better at managing my time. The biggest surprise has been my coworkers; I have grown close to them and formed genuinely meaningful bonds. Academics always come first for me, and I plan my extracurriculars around this job so my performance never slips.