Everything I Learned, I Learned as a Resident Assistant

4 buildings, 16 RAs, ~600 residents

Friends Are Good
Especially when you need to switch duty nights with someone.  Friends also came in handy when planning programs and activities.  50% of what I used came from previous RAs who had passed their goodies on to me.

Use Your Resources
In addition to getting hand-me-downs, one of my most successful programs was the Finals Week craft party between my floor and the one below.  The RA downstairs and I divvied up the responsibility, and the advertising we did was genius.  A couple of weeks before, we put a plain paper background on one half of the bulletin board on each of our floors.  Then we wrote out "Craft Party" in really large letters using yarn and I think Scotch tape.  It was a pretty big hit.

Your Beginning Attitude Makes a Difference
Unlike most of the general population, I went to very few athletic events in college.  That being said, it was always helpful for the RA's to know who won (football, basketball, or baseball) so that they could know what kind of drunks they would be dealing with.  Parties were worse when the team won, and I always went for Friday night shifts for my weekend duties since all the games were on Saturdays and coaches had stricter expectations the night before a game than they did the night after.

One Look Can Say It All
True anecdote: I wrote a kid up about something I never spoke to him about, and he respected me for it. 
True story: I was in an office with my duty partner and the friend of mine we were training.  I was sitting on the side of the desk next to a large glass wall overlooking the foyer of that particular building.  I happened to look out at the very moment a particularly troublesome male resident was exiting the women's restroom.  I caught his eye, shook my head, he shrugged, and I turned to my companions.
"We have another incident report to write," I informed them.
"I know," said my friend.
"No, besides the one we haven't got to yet.  I just saw NoDak walk out of the women's restroom."

Things Are Not Always as They Seem
Continuing that story, I had sold my loft earlier in the week to NoDak's fiancee, and he was going to pay me half.  I went down to brunch the next morning and sat by myself against the wall.  (It had been a long night.)  He walks over, plops down in the chair across from me, and lays a $50 bill on the table.  I looked up from my pancakes and right at his face.  "You know what this looks like, don't you?"
"Yep.  That's why I'm doing it."
"Okay," I said as I pocketed the money. 
Also, it was common knowledge that 2 beer cans can fit inside a Pringle's can, and no matter how many backpacks you saw at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, there would be no studying going on.