7 Resident Event Ideas Every RA Should Consider

Resident assistants (RA) play a crucial role in creating a vibrant and engaging student housing community. By organizing exciting and popular events, you can foster a sense of belonging and help students form lasting connections. 

Let's explore seven fantastic community event ideas that every RA should consider to help students make the most of their student housing experience.

1. Educational Workshops and Guest Speaker Sessions

One of the ways to enrich residents' college experience is by organizing educational workshops and guest speaker sessions. These events provide students with opportunities to gain insights from experts in various fields. They could be professors, industry professionals, or even successful alumni.

You can host workshops on topics such as:

• Resume writing

• Interview skills

• Time management

• Personal finance

These practical sessions give students the tools they need to succeed academically and professionally. 

To ensure the success of these college events, collaborate with the university's career center, student organizations, or relevant departments to secure engaging speakers and promote the sessions effectively. 

Use the common spaces within your residence hall, such as lounges or study rooms, as your venue to create an intimate and interactive atmosphere for the residents.

2. Icebreaker Bingo

Fostering connections among residents is essential, especially at the beginning of the academic year. Icebreaker Bingo is a fun and engaging activity that encourages students to interact and learn more about each other. It also helps establish positive behaviors among students where they learn mutual respect and understanding.

Create bingo cards with various prompts or characteristics, such as "has traveled to more than five countries," "plays a musical instrument," or "speaks more than two languages." It helps students engage in conversations and discover common interests. 

This light-hearted activity is perfect for welcome events or floor meetings, as it helps residents break down barriers, resolve conflicts, and initiate friendships. 

You can customize the prompts based on your community's unique characteristics and interests, making it a tailored experience for each resident.

3. Door Decorating Contest

A door decorating contest is a creative way to encourage residents to express their individuality. Set a theme for the contest, such as "Favorite Movie," "Dream Vacation," or "Inspiring Quotes," and provide residents with a deadline to decorate their doors accordingly.

Encourage residents to let their creativity shine using various materials, such as construction paper, markers, stickers, or LED lights. Students can showcase their artistic skills, sense of humor, or personal interests through the door decorations. 

Set up a voting system where residents can cast their votes for their favorite doors, and offer prizes for the most popular or creative entries.

This activity not only adds a splash of color and personality to your residence hall but also serves as a conversation starter among residents. It promotes a sense of pride and ownership in the living space and helps create a warm and inviting student accommodation atmosphere.

4. Movie Night

Hosting a movie night is a classic resident event that brings students together for a cozy and entertaining evening. Transform your residence hall's community spaces, such as a lounge or outdoor space, into a makeshift cinema by setting up a projector and screen or using a large television.

Create a poll or survey for residents to vote on their preferred movie genres or specific titles. This democratic approach ensures that the selected movie appeals to the majority of your community. You can also offer a variety of snacks, such as popcorn, candy, and drinks, to enhance the movie-watching experience.

Organize a brief discussion or trivia session after the movie to make the event even more engaging. Encourage residents to share their thoughts, opinions, or fun facts about the movie. This creates a sense of camaraderie and allows residents to bond over their shared movie-watching experience.

5. Game Night

Then there's game night. It's an excellent way to bring residents together for some friendly competition and laughter. Set up various game stations throughout your common spaces, offering a diverse selection of fun activities to cater to different interests and preferences.

Include classic board games like Monopoly, Scrabble, or Pictionary, as well as popular party games such as Cards Against Humanity, Mafia, or Charades. 

Don't forget to include video game consoles for those who enjoy digital entertainment. You can even encourage students to bring their favorite games to contribute to the event's variety.

Game nights provide a relaxed and informal setting for residents to interact, strategize, and have fun together. 

6. International Food Night

Celebrating diverse cultural backgrounds among students is a fantastic way to promote inclusivity and cultural awareness. And what's better than food events? It allows students to showcase their culinary heritage and share their favorite dishes with their peers.

Encourage students to prepare and bring a dish that represents their cultural background or a country they have a connection with. Invite them to share interesting facts or personal anecdotes about their chosen dish or culture to make the event more engaging. 

This event strengthens community bonds. It also nurtures understanding and appreciation for the variety of perspectives and experiences within the student housing community.

7. Trivia Night

Trivia nights are excellent for an evening of friendly competition and mental stimulation. This event allows residents to bond over shared interests and discover new facts together. 

It could include challenging and entertaining questions covering a wide range of topics, such as pop culture, history, science, or sports. Keep the atmosphere lively and engaging by offering bonus points for creative team names or introducing mini-challenges between rounds.

Trivia nights are not only entertaining campus events. They also strengthen teamwork, critical thinking, and quick decision-making skills. 

Increase Your Sense Of Community With Housing.Cloud

Your efforts in organizing engaging and meaningful student events can help build a vibrant and inclusive student housing community that promotes personal growth, friendship, and lasting memories. And purpose-built student housing tools such as Housing.Cloud can help ease the entire process.

You can leverage Housing.Cloud's features to simplify operations, communicate effectively, and engage residents. The platform's intuitive design and powerful capabilities make it an ideal solution for building a connected and supportive student housing living environment.

Schedule a demo to learn more. Let's build a stronger, more connected campus community, one event at a time.