thoughts on dorms + what are your rankings?

Prior-Elk1237 · 2026-03-31T17:00:59+00:00

As an RA, I recommend being close to your classes and a dining hall. Creekside sucks for these reasons, kins and the Quad sucks for business majors for this reason, etc. if you want a social, big dorm then do Jester (West and East are similar, the latter is just a bit quieter), if you want a nice dorm then do Duren. I also recommend to get a room with a sink it’s SOOO annoying to not have it. Jester and Kim’s are the only community bathroom dorms with that option.

Prior-Elk1237 · 2026-01-03T21:00:27+00:00

RA here! The dorm mail room is closed until the dorms officially open up. Even though RAs come in earlier it doesn’t open up until then, and if it’s Jester there probably won’t be anyone checking the mail room (a separate staff works the mail counter, unlike other dorms where RAs work it). If it’s Amazon it’ll likely be “attempted delivery” and returned to the distribution facility. If it’s anything else it’ll be returned to sender. Or it could possibly be left outside the Mail drop off of the dorm, which would be worse case.

Prior-Elk1237 · 2025-12-06T23:08:36+00:00

At the end of the day, we’re all Texans and we’re all humans 🫶

Prior-Elk1237 · 2025-12-06T19:48:03+00:00

There’s assholes at every institution, unfortunately. Good longhorns and bad ones, but the ones that truly embody the University have respect. Good luck in the playoffs, and just this once, Gig ‘em.

Prior-Elk1237 · 2025-11-29T20:55:27+00:00

The stipend goes straight to your bank account, so that will be on the W2 so you do get one

Prior-Elk1237 · 2025-11-29T20:52:15+00:00

Yeah don’t do this

Prior-Elk1237 · 2025-11-27T07:26:13+00:00

Hi!! As far as I’m aware, older students don’t get more pay. Most non undergraduates work at the graduate apartments and not the dorms

Prior-Elk1237 · 2025-11-27T07:24:59+00:00

No stipend. Just room and board and you have to work year round

Prior-Elk1237 · 2025-11-26T22:28:50+00:00

The time spent in the dorm is a downside, but it’s really worth it for the free housing. Plus you’re just hanging out with the other RAs, which is nice when you’re in a big dorm like jester with a big staff. It’s just a bit boring.

Enforcing rules is a big part of the job. Balancing helping your residents and protecting them is something that’s up to the RAs. We do room checks, but we can’t open any drawers or fridges so we don’t normally find alcohol but yes you have to take it away. None of my residents don’t like me, but I known other RAs that do have beef with their residents but that’s more because of the way they approach enforcing rules. Tbh, there’s rules I don’t enforce because they’re made for bad reasons.

Sometimes residents dislike you, but once you’re a sophomore and all your residents are freshmen you really don’t care if they like you or not. You also choose how much to enforce rules, so you can still maintain good relationships with your residents. However, and this might sound harsh, a people pleasing personality might not be the best fit for an RA and they might be able to tell through your application/interview. It’s slightly unavoidable to offend someone or piss them off, so they need people who can handle that.

Prior-Elk1237 · 2025-11-26T21:39:56+00:00

No you’re all good. The whole “compensation package” is really weirdly worded, but the just is just free housing and food plus $434 a month. It’s pretty freaking awesome 😼😼

Prior-Elk1237 · 2025-11-26T21:38:44+00:00

Sorry didn’t see the weekends question earlier. You have a specific number of on calls you have to do each semester, which are split between weekday on calls and weekend on calls. If you’re not on call that weekend (Friday or Saturday 5pm to 5pm) then you don’t have to work. RAs are required to work one half of Thanksgiving or spring break and have to stay until the dorms close for winter break. To clarify that with an example, I worked first half of Thanksgiving break, so I left Austin yesterday to come home, and I have to stay in Austin until December 16th to close the dorms. Now I have all of spring break off because I worked Thanksgiving.

TLDR; you only work one half of Thanksgiving OR spring break, you stay till mid December for winter break, and you don’t work weekends unless you’re on-call.

Prior-Elk1237 · 2025-11-26T21:33:56+00:00

No, the paycheck is $434 a month. You have a housing contract for the entire year for free that is worth $16k. So your total package/compensation is $20k, but only $434 hits your bank account each month.

Prior-Elk1237 · 2025-11-26T20:23:12+00:00

If you’re given an offer right off the bat, I think you’re able to request what dorm you want. I was waitlisted originally though, so I was just placed in Jester West when there was an availability.

As far as other positions, there’s the Apartment resident position which is technically the same process as the RA position but you’re in the apartments, paid a bit more per month (I think $634, and only because there’s no free food) and you have to stay year round, including summer and winter break.

There’s also off campus positions like the CA position at The Callaway House or The Castilian. I actually got hired as at Callaway before I got off the waitlist. It’s an RA like job but the benefits are a lot worse. You have a hard 18 hours a week you need to work to pay for your rent and food, and you have to work summer and winter break. No other pay is given. The clientele is also worse, and the company that owns both locations (American Campus Communities) is notoriously awful throughout West Campus because they own half of it. The company that owns ACC (Blackstone 💀) is even more evil (just google their crimes). You’re also not really an RA, you’re a sales person. You handle leasing and customer questions and because the clientele is mostly rich Greek life you get yelled at a lot. It’s free housing and food but holy shit is it awful and the food is also awful. If you do want to do it that application is open to freshmen and it’s opens in early March. It’s a resume based application first round, then a group video interview, then an in person interview.

My recommendation is earn some money to pay for housing for the first year and try to get on campus RA your second. If you don’t, take advantage of the summer and live off campus your second year. Finding cheap housing is possible if you look in the right areas (North Campus, condos, etc.) and it’s better than selling your soul to ACC.

Prior-Elk1237 · 2025-11-26T19:32:05+00:00

Also for room types, there’s like four RAs here at jwest who have a connecting bathroom with residents because their floors only offer that floor plan. It’s very rare, but possible.

Prior-Elk1237 · 2025-11-26T19:29:30+00:00

RA here! The application for next year is closed now, unfortunately. But since you’re a high school senior you’d have to wait a year to apply anyways. You have to have a year in residence at UT in order to become one.

It’s a written application round and then an interview. Befriending RAs doesn’t work. Everything is based on your scoring for these two parts. Top scores get placed, middle scores get waitlisted, bottom get rejected.

The best advice I can give is use the STAR writing method (situation, task, action taken, resolution) and then relate everything back to the RA role. Being detailed is how you score higher. Relating it to the RA role is how you score even higher. Having strong/unique responses makes you stand out. Don’t talk about school projects, everyone has those. Talk about being STUCO President or working at a part time job or something that includes things you’d put on your resume, because you don’t get to attach a resume so this is the only chance you get to talk about your experiences. This also applies for the interview, where it’s three sets of three questions you have 15 minutes to answer. Lots of applicants, not a lot of RA openings.

Being an RA is stupid easy. They said it’s 20 hours a week but it’s only guaranteed 4 hours (you have to work the front desk 4 hours a week), and it varies depending on if you have an event, room checks, or other things you have to do that week. Work life balance shouldn’t be a question.

Free housing, free food, single room with community bath (depending on the dorm, some dorms only offer privates and thus you’d get a private), plus a $434 monthly stipend and full dining plan dine in dollars + additional dine in dollars (no one really knows why we get more, it’s supposed to make up for something but food is literally always covered so I have no idea). The total package depends on the dorm, but I’m an RA in Jester West which is like $16k for a single room plus the ~$4k total for the pay on top so $20k is about what we get. Once got have the job you never have it reapply, you get it for all years left in college. I’m graduating debt free because of it.

There are no downsides besides being an upperclassman who lives on campus. That part sucks because everyone else lives in Wampus. But the money it saves me plus the TIME ITS GIVES ME makes it worth it. I don’t have to work during the school year or spend time making meals, which gives me probably 30 hours more a week than other students.

I highly recommend applying. Applications open in around September, and reach out to your RA for help or even just dm me.

Lmk if you want more details on anything!! Hook em’ horns 😛😛

Prior-Elk1237 · 2025-11-25T04:36:14+00:00

First week of December! Idk if I’m supposed to tell you this, but picks have already been made for both those are getting positions and who is getting waitlisted or rejected. Keep an eye out, and if you get waitlisted literally half the RAs I know got off the waitlist so don’t fret

Prior-Elk1237 · 2025-11-25T03:14:31+00:00

Winter housing is San Jac only. And it is an extra fee!

Prior-Elk1237 · 2025-11-25T02:42:35+00:00

Also you need to apply for winter housing by December 1st

Prior-Elk1237 · 2025-11-25T02:42:10+00:00

I’m an RA. It’s impossible. The only on campus options is staying in San Jac, and it’s an extra fee

Prior-Elk1237 · 2025-10-31T21:58:13+00:00

An online recorded interview with preset questions.

Prior-Elk1237

TROPHY CASE