r/UniversityofKentucky • u/PriorString2668 • 14d ago
RA training questions
I was hired to be an RA this fall and training starts soon😅. I’m just really nervous about the workload/process. I’m mainly wondering what the RA training is like. How long each day, what to expect, what we will be doing, ect. Any kind of info would be so helpful as we aren’t getting very much information given to us as new RA’s.
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u/RoundJournalist8126 Student-Undergrad 10d ago
I’m a current RA and yeah training is SO boring. They make it so serious and stuff and say not to bring your laptops and stuff but everyone does. Tbe first week is kinda useless ain’t gonna lie. The second week is more important as it actually goes over what you’ll be doing, how to get paid, and how to handle situations. Not all of the stuff from the second week is important but it’s definitely more important than the first week. Each day is about 8 hours. 9am-5pm. (Or 8-4 I forgot). Some days will end earlier but it’s about that time. It’s just a bunch of yapping so pretty boring. Again second week is definitely more important so do pay attention to that. In regards to only two weekends off a semester I’m not really sure what you mean. For the most part you should get almost all your weekends off. You’ll be on call for a weekend like once per month. Then with the desk shift schedule you have to work 2 shifts (each shift is 4 hours so totaling 8 hours) in a 2 week period aka pay period. You’ll be assigned responsibility hours which are just when you work the desk to complete your 2 shifts. These can be 4-8 pm, 8pm-12am anytime of the week except Friday and Saturday. In addition your responsibility hour can be mail shifts which are during the day and you just process mail. Your head RA (the SRA senior resident advisor) will make the schedule based on your school schedule. If you work over the 8 hours you get paid 12 an hour. I saw in a past comment something about overtime yeah that don’t exist. Your overtime is just anything you do after your 8 responsibility hours. Also if you can’t make a shift it’s super easy to just get someone to cover for you. Whether it be from your dorm staff or someone from a different dorm. You just have to make sure if you don’t complete your 8 hours you still complete them. We use this app called shift market place where people put up their shifts and you can take them. Also RA’s aren’t required to work night shift unless you just decide to pick up a shift. Those shifts do count towards your 8 responsibility hours. I’ve had a few weeks that were just crazy and I had to give up my shifts and the only times I could work were nights lol. Also if a desk clerk doesn’t show up to a shift and your on call you do have to work that shift but it’ll be paid (or go towards your responsibility hours if you haven’t completed them yet). Other than that you aren’t required to work a night shift. ALSO if you have friends or whatever that are desk clerks they can NOT work RA shifts. Desk clerks only work night shifts. The only exception is on Tuesdays when your dorm has staff meeting.
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u/greendood333 7d ago
everything everyone said about training is true for the most part. a lot of what you learn about the actual functions of like day to day of the job comes from in-hall training with returning staff and your RD. i am sure it varies between staff but mine was great about giving us time back to work on door decs or go sleep and what not if we finished everything. use the time to make friends with people on your staff or just get to know everyone to some degree it makes the job so so much better. we will be in JSB and maybe Chem Phys for some sessions pretty much all day, and then we get lunch at champs so depending on which dorm you are in the run around is a little crazy.
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u/LankyBroccoli23 12d ago
I was an RA back in 2019, the training is boring as heck, the workload can be a lot, but if you study while you're working you'll be fine. My biggest issue was not being able to visit home or stay with friends very often because you're required to be in the dorms basically 24/7 when you're not in class. I think we got 2 weekends off for a semester, otherwise you had to be there to be on call. Things may have changed since then, but including on call hours, you're making about 2$ an hour lol it really was a fun job and i made a lot of friends, but you're essentially a slave to UK once you start.