Amisha Subedi is a political science major.
Being a resident assistant at Schramm Hall here at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln has truly changed my life for the better in two major ways: 1. It has taught me transferable skills that have and will continue to set me up for success in the real world, and 2. It has amplified the connections and community that I have built here on campus.
I was very involved as a high schooler, and I always knew that I wanted to be involved in college as well. I just didn’t know what that meant yet. I remember scrolling on TikTok as a junior in high school and coming across a video of a resident assistant (RA) at a random school showing her bulletin boards for that semester. I then went on a deep dive on her page and knew this was something I wanted to do. When I moved in as a freshman on campus, I told my RA how much I wanted to apply to be one.
At Nebraska, the RA application opens in September, which is a really quick turnaround seeing as freshmen move into the dorms in August. With guidance from my RA, and after three rounds of interviews, I was hired to be an RA for Floor 10 of Schramm Hall, and that is where I’ve been ever since.
This year will be my third year as an RA and my second year as an SRA, or senior resident assistant, and the drastic change between who I am now and who I was walking into the role is incredibly evident.
Being an RA at any institution will teach you different transferable skills, such as adaptability, personableness, conflict resolution, confrontational skills, cordial kindness and so much more. But the biggest skill has got to be the ability to talk to anyone and everyone.
Despite being an extroverted and bubbly individual, I have always been the type to second-guess my thoughts and have anxiety fuel my actions. I was nervous to talk to professors, classmates and coworkers. As an RA, you are constantly having conversations with those around you: your residents, peers, faculty and staff. I quickly learned to get over my fear of talking to strangers and got on board with the goal of turning every stranger into a friend.
You never know how far a “Hi, hello, how are you?” can take you, and you especially don’t know whether that “Hi, hello, how are you?” is the first conversation they’ve had all day.
This skill is something I encourage everyone in my life to practice, as it has given me so much in my social, academic and work life.
My life has also changed for the better in the aspect of connections. I have had two sets of residents so far, and I could probably name every single one of them in one setting — not because I have a photographic memory, but because I still talk to a majority of them to this day. I still say hi, catch up and hang out with every resident I’ve ever had.
Connections don’t end at the end of the academic year. They continue throughout your life, and this is evident looking at mine.
Not only have I built connections with my residents, but also with my staff. Since you live where you work as an RA, you get really close with the other RAs on your staff. I would do anything for them, and I know they would do the same for me.
Strangers have turned into coworkers, and coworkers have turned into lifelong friends.
These are the people who make work so much fun that it doesn’t feel like work at all.
Lastly, there is one connection that has truly changed my life: my residence director. Logan Boyd is the residence director for Schramm Hall and is not only my direct supervisor, but also one of my biggest inspirations. To have a supervisor who is willing to listen, give advice and push you to be the best version of yourself is such a blessing.
Whether it is applying for a new job or being stuck making a personal decision, Logan somehow always has the right answers. I’ve always been the type of person who doesn’t quite believe in themselves and having an adult on campus who is able to express how much you’ve done and how much you are able to do is so incredibly important.
Connections are important in building your support system, but they also open doors to a world of networking. Being an RA led me to connect with the other Residence Directors on campus, then all of Residence Life, then the Director of Residence Life. Those connections eventually allowed me to get a job at the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Life, which then allowed me to connect with the Vice Chancellor for Student Life and so many other people across campus.
There is so much I could say about how being an RA has changed my life, but the biggest takeaway is that you never know what a line on your resume can turn into.
I walked into Schramm Hall thinking I’d help residents and have a new line on my resume. I had always wanted to be an RA, but I never once expected to be given such a substantial community. I thought I was walking into a job, but at the end of the year, I realized I was walking away with a home away from home.
Being an RA at Nebraska has given me exactly that: skills I’ll carry with me far beyond college, connections that have opened doors I never expected and a community that I know will stay with me long after I leave Schramm Hall.
