Resident assistants give advice for first-year students

For incoming first-year students, one of the first connections they make on-campus is with their resident assistant.

Pitt has more than 170 RAs, who typically live on and oversee each floor in a residence hall. RAs are trained with skills to help other students adapt to college life and handle challenges that may arise while living on-campus. Each dorm additionally has a resident director who supervises the RAs and has an office in the residence hall. Due to their experience living in on-campus dorms, training and proximity, RAs and RDs serve as resources for first-year students seeking advice.

Senior biology major Billy Wismer is entering his third year as an RA and will be the lead RA in Lothrop Hall. He said one of the biggest problems he sees with new students is “learning how to adjust to living with a roommate and sharing a communal space.” 

“Most people have lived in their own rooms their whole lives, so suddenly transitioning to sharing a place with someone they most likely haven’t known for very long can be quite the challenge,” Wismer said.

Wismer said that in order to coexist as roommates, it’s important to establish “very clear ground rules and boundaries as soon as you move in together.”

“It may not seem like a big deal at the beginning of the year, but something as simple as a cleaning schedule, or established rules on things like having friends over and sharing certain items can avoid a lot of fights when the stress of classes ramps up throughout the semester,” Wismer said.

Annelise Barner, a junior biological sciences major and RA in Holland Hall, recommended that if a disagreement between roommates arises “talk things out first,” though an RA can also “act as a mediator.”

“Be clear and open about any issues that arise,” Barner said. “I always say that [when] living in a community, you’re not going to like everyone and get along with everyone, but what’s really important is that you’re sharing a space together and everyone should be treated with respect.” 

On top of adjusting to new roommates, many incoming first-years might dread using the communal bathrooms.

“Unfortunately, there’s only so much that can be done to make the communal bathroom experience more pleasant,” Wismer said. “The best advice I can offer is to treat the bathrooms as you would your own personal space. If everyone treats the communal areas with a high level of respect and cleanliness, 99% of the issues people have with them could be avoided.”

Barner said that throughout the year, using the communal bathrooms becomes “second nature.”

“I’ve had a lot of residents complain about hair getting in the drains, and I’ve also had a few residents approach me with some of their creative ways of dealing with that, especially getting a ziploc bag and then picking the hair from the drain,” Barner said. “I mean, if that works, that works.”

With the new space and school, Barner said she saw her residents deal with adjusting to a heavier academic load.

“A lot of what I tell my residents is that you are going to face failure. College is nothing like high school, and it is going to be a really tough pill to swallow and a hard truth to face, but it happens to the best of us,” Barner said. “Failure is going to suck and rejection is going to suck, but it’s all a matter of how you learn and how you grow from it.”

Barner said she also saw many of her residents struggle with homesickness. 

“I remind them to find time to talk to family and friends back home,” Barner said, “even if it’s just quick calls every day or a long call every week just to have things to remind them of home, because being away from home is a new challenge that everyone struggles with and deals with.”

Wismer said he believes that turning “your space into something you enjoy being around” can help with the adjustment of moving into the dorms.

“I know it sounds obvious, but coming back to a boring, empty room after a long day can be the biggest mood-killer ever,” Wismer said. “Put posters on the walls, hang up lights, show off some of your cool possessions. I cannot stress enough the importance of being calm and comfortable in your own home.”

Barner said she recommends her residents to find their own space outside of their dorm room and emphasized the importance of “taking a moment to be on your own.”

“It’s okay to get away,” Barner said. “It’s okay to find a little corner, a little hidden nook around campus somewhere where you can just be alone.” 

Foster W. Krupp became the RD of Tower C in March 2024, and is “one of the many resources available to new students who need help with adjusting.”

“We are truly here to help,” Krupp said. “I also suggest getting involved with your community. Going to programs in your residence hall will help you connect with others.” 

Josh Campbell, an RD in Tower B, similarly recommends that students interact with the community by going to RA programs, attending sporting events and joining clubs.

“My best advice for first year students is to take some chances,” Campbell said. “College is a time to explore who you are as a person, and that is hard to do if you don’t go out and explore what this university has to offer.” 

Campbell said that while college can feel “big and intimidating” at first, “it is also such an exciting time.”

“Living in a residence hall is a very unique part of your life, so take advantage and enjoy the fun parts of it,” Krupp said.