The First-Year Experience Program has Resident Assistants (RAs) who live on the floor along with first-year students. RAs are upper-class students who share their experiences with you as well as introduce you to the campus and its resources, and people who can get you going in the right direction.
Your RA will plan activities for the section and the floor. Some past activities have included trips to a Braves game, paintball, dinner out in Atlanta, movies, participation in Georgia Tech's TEAM Buzz community service day, intramural teams, dream interpretation program by the Center for Mental Health and Resources, and going to Tech sporting events together. Even though all activities are optional, this is a great way to meet others in your community.
Resident Assistants can also help you answer questions such as:
- When is Drop Day for classes?
- How do I register for classes for Spring Semester?
- When are fees due?
- Who is my academic advisor?
- How do I change my major?
There is one RA for approximately every 20 first-year students.
Our RAs are here for you! Meet some of our Resident Assistants and why they love working with first-year students below.
Sarah Kline, RA Woodruff Residence Hall
Why did you decide to apply for the Resident Assistant Position?
"I decided to apply for the RA position because my first-year RA really helped me adjust to college life and I wanted to provide the same support to others. I also love event planning and meeting new people!"
What experiences/conversations did you have with a resident that helped them grow?
"I had a resident come to me to talk about their academic struggles. Together, we worked out a plan for them to talk to their professors and made appointments for tutoring. At the end of the semester, they told me that I really helped them get back on track."
What did you most enjoy about this year's residents?
"I loved watching this year's residents really become friends with people on the floor. I always see a group of residents eating together at West Village or going to play soccer together. From both of my years as an RA, I just enjoyed that my residents were so open with me about their lives and what they needed help with. It truly helped to form meaningful connections."
What did you enjoy most about the RA experience?
"I met so many amazing people, both residents and other RAs, with different majors, backgrounds, career plans, etc. I learned so much about event planning, organization, and how to be a good listener."
Hannah Erickson
Why did you decide to apply for the Resident Assistant Position?
"As a first-year resident coming to Tech, I didn't know anyone. My RA at the time was extremely kind and encouraged me to join hall council to get involved. I got to help throw events and plan initiatives for the building like RAs do all the time. I loved that aspect and I also wanted to pass along all the knowledge I had and support at least one first-year like myself! My motto is if I can help someone avoid a mistake I made during my first year, I'm doing something right."
What was your favorite event?
"Oo this is a tough one. I remember my first year RA-ing, we had an 'end-of-year' celebration and had a dunk-tank at it. All the RAs took turns getting in the tank and letting residents dunk us. That was just so unique that I always remember it. I also help plan and put on an event year called 'Stress Succs' where residents come paint a pot and plant their own succulent they can take care of in their room!"
What did you most enjoy about this year's residents?
"This year's residents were so optimistic! They took the year by storm and still squeezed as much fun as they could have as the year was so unpredictable. They found ways to get along and actually gave me a lot of encouragement through my last year RA-ing and certainly the most uncertain."
What did you learn from your residents?
"I learned a lot about what I need as an individual, since you have to work where you live and there are certain things that you have to be aware of. I also learned how to have conversations with different people. Knowing how to interact with certain people and pick-up on their preferences has carried through into other aspects of my life."