MSU graduate Jade McGuffey served as an RA during her junior and senior years after applying in the fall of her sophomore year. McGuffey said being an RA was "worth" any extra time or work, despite the uncertain waiting period between sending in her application and receiving a job offer. 

Many sophomores hoping to rent a house have their leases signed by late October; those looking for apartments have them signed by January. That is, “If you want to stand on your toes and be ahead of the game,” as McGuffey put it. Prospective RAs don't know their application status until February or March, months after either application deadline. 

McGuffey and her roommate wanted to rent an apartment together. Hopeful of her RA placement, she held off on signing a lease despite the growing time crunch. 

In January, McGuffey received an email asking if she’d like to be put on an alternate list. Wanting to have housing security for herself and her roommate, she nearly declined the offer. However, a good friend of McGuffey told her to “just say yes,” so she accepted the alternate position. She was not very confident she’d get it. 

In mid-February, McGuffey received a phone call offering her the RA position. 

“I was elated to have received the offer, but by then, I had signed a lease for an apartment just a week earlier because I thought I wasn't going to hear back,” McGuffey said. 

Despite the lease being signed and the $200 security deposit that was already paid, McGuffey took the offer with zero hesitancy because of her dream of becoming an RA, and RHA staff helped her move into her new dorm within three days. 

“They were incredibly efficient and helpful and kind,” McGuffey said. 

Now, faced with the time-consuming task of backing out of her lease, McGuffey and her parents spent hours trying to find a subleaser who would be a good fit for her former roommate. She also had to pay $50 to back out of the lease. 

“I spent hours upon hours upon hours looking for a subleaser,” McGuffey said. “Being in a situation where I have to get out of a contractually bound agreement — that was just a new experience for me that I had to navigate." 

Urban planning senior Kalyn Woznicki, who transferred to MSU from the University of Michigan-Flint, knew she wanted to be an RA as soon as she got to MSU despite the long and uncertain process. 

“Just because of the financial support, I felt it would take a lot of financial stress off of me,” Woznicki said. 

Residential student leaders receive free housing and dining plans as compensation.

Woznicki had friends that wanted her to sign a lease, but she turned them down in favor of the potential RA position. She was unclear on whether she could cancel a lease once signing. 

She applied for her both the ICA and RA positions, since they were similar processes. She was denied the ICA position, but got an alternate position for RA and accepted. 

“I had already committed basically to living in the dorms my senior year,” Woznicki said. “That was the only way I could have that flexibility of whether or not I got the position.”

It wasn’t until May that she got a text from an ICA supervisor that someone had dropped out and a spot for her had opened up. She accepted the position happily. 

Despite the rollercoaster, Woznicki cherishes her time as an ICA. She said it’s been a great help to her not just financially, but as an opportunity to build leadership skills. 

McGuffey echoed a similar sentiment. When asked if the months of uncertainty and money lost was worth it, McGuffey said, "Though it can be stressful or even intimidating at times, it is manageable so long as you have a plan B in line. It just takes work, communication and effort to make things happen.”