Phillip Martin

What made you want to be a #49erRA and how has the role prepared you for life after college?

Being an 49er RA is more than just being a 49er on campus. It’s about promoting a welcoming inclusive environment for the residents. As a graduate student, I’m able to mentor first year residents because of the experience I’ve gained as an undergraduate before and the ability to share my experiences with the 1st year students. Most first year residents or any residents new to campus have trouble figuring out how to find campus resources or ways to get involved. I support by pinpointing them to the right resources and sharing information will make them feel comfortable and at home. With the welcoming environment as an RA, I enjoy talking to residents and building a personal connection with them.

How do you manage your academics with your job?

Being an RA requires time commitment, as you are responsible for completing tasks and watching over your residents. It is important to have good time management skills and know how to map your time out. The best thing to do is create a spreadsheet, make an organized schedule in an agenda, and have a friend that will keep you accountable for your academic goals. In order to manage your academics as well, it is important to have self-care days for yourself and understand to take one-day at a time. College is all about a marathon, not a race. Use your time wisely and stay positive in the process because it can be a daunting task to handle both priorities.

Why do you recommend living on campus to other students?

It is good to stay on campus because a resident can build relationships by being on campus rather than off-campus. While being on-campus, you interact with others, see different events or organizations taking place, and more opportunities to network. Second, everything is within proximity of each other or there is convenient access to campus amenities like the cafeteria, the market, the library etc. Speaking of networking, there is a better opportunity to find your friends and feel at home while living on campus.

What have you learned about yourself and others since starting the RA position?

I’ve learned that everyone has different personalities and different ways of communicating with each other. Understanding how to build communities among different personality types such as introverts or extroverts, really defines your creativity and helps bring a sense of community for the residents. I’ve learned that other residents might see me as a bigger brother or role model to them because they see someone who has obtained a degree and walked in their shoes, no matter what the circumstances. I learned how to carefully plan events and how to get others involved in activities, even those who are “shy” or not really social. I learned that everyone has their issues or problems at the end of the day, and residents need someone to guide them to find solutions to those problems and guide them throughout the process.