Living on Campus – A Resident’s Perspective.

Whenever I give a college tour of Saint Rose, I always get this question from parents and students alike: What is it like to live on campus? Well, finally, your questions shall be answered! Here is an in-depth look at a student’s point of view of what it is like to live on campus!

First, let me preface that I have lived in a double in freshmen year, triple in sophomore year, and have just moved from a triple to a double in my junior year. I have lived with some of my closest friends, some who have grown to become my closest friends, and friends who, it turns out, you sometimes just can’t live with, and that’s ok. That doesn’t mean you can’t still be friends with them; it means you can’t live together, and that’s perfectly ok. I have never regretted living with any of these people, and they have helped me to grow as an individual.

Let’s begin with the scariest living situation: Freshmen Year Dorming. When you come to St. Rose, you either live in Lima Hall or Brubacher Hall in a double room (well- now Golub is also an option). Yes, incoming students, I know this is a terrifying topic for you guys, but I promise that it will be ok. I remember very vividly my thoughts about coming in and living with a stranger: “Oh God she’s going to hate me, she’ll end up being a goth and hating my peppiness and she’ll hate me forever and ever.” Well, everyone, that did not happen! After filling out the little roommate survey that St. Rose makes you fill out, I ended up living with an amazing person – Hazell Imbert! She is an absolute sweetheart; we ended up being able to live in perfect harmony (literally!) and had little to no problems. Of course, at first, it’s awkward getting to know someone, but once we did, we became very close. We had so much more in common than we thought, and we became very good friends. I look back on that time in Lima Hall with fond memories, filled with laughter, joy, and happiness. To this day, we still say we could live together and be perfectly happen. And for another semester, we did, but with a pleasant addition!

Enter Sophomore Year Dorming (Upperclassmen Dorming)! During freshmen year, students participate in a housing lottery and choose to live in either a single, double, triple, or quad room on campus. You can either live in a Victorian House, Alumni Hall (which has suite-style living), or the newest addition to housing, Centennial Hall. All of these dorms are wonderful places to live, which adds to the positive reasons as to why to live on campus!

In my sophomore year, Hazell and I moved into a triple with Lauren Russo in Fontbonne Hall! That living situation was honestly the best living situation I have ever had the pleasure of living in. I was completely and utterly happy; I was living with two of my closest friends, and every day was filled with fun. We loved each other so much, and just enjoyed each other’s company. The triple itself was gorgeous; it was the old library of the house, and therefore very big (to be honest, it could be a quad, but oh well, we were happy in our triple). It even had a fireplace in it, which I used for storage. Lauren, Hazell and I had a great time living together, but, alas, all good things come to an end. Actually, the good thing ended with a great thing – Hazell became a Resident Assistant! That resulted in her moving out, and Lauren and I welcoming our good friend, Liz Edwards, into our home! The three of us had an amazing time living together, and I loved all three of these people (Hazell, Lauren and Liz) like sisters. I couldn’t have been luckier, and it’s all thanks to St. Rose!

Now, we move to the present – Junior Year Dorming. I stayed in Fontbonne Hall, but instead of living with Lauren and Liz, I moved in with two of my friends from the music department, Jilian and Ellie. While we had some good times, we discovered that some people are just not meant to live together. I love these girls very much, though, and am grateful to have gotten to live with them for the time I did, but alas, I did venture on to a new living space on campus – 974 Madison. I moved in with a girl that I had never really interacted with before – Cathleen Fahey. A computer science major, Cathleen is absolutely a sweetheart, and welcomed me into her room (and essentially her home) with open arms. We live in a nice and comfy double in the Victorian House that is closest to the Massry Center , which is convenient for me, since I basically live there half the time. Hazell is now the RA of Hahn Hall, and Lauren lives in a quad in Centennial Hall (which I also half live in). All of the houses are lovely, and I feel so grateful to have lived in all of these places and have experienced everything I have experienced.

So, to recap, this is how housing works on campus:

• In Freshman Year you either live in Lima Hall, Brubacher Hall, or Golub.
• As an upperclassman you take place in a housing lottery where you can either live in a Victorian House, Alumni Hall, or Centennial Hall.
• You can either squat in your current room, or apply for new housing at the end of the academic year.

And there’s some insight about living on campus at St. Rose! It’s really a wonderful thing to do when attending any college, but it’s especially wonderful at St. Rose. When you live with another person here, you don’t just live with a roommate, but with a friend. You make connections that last a lifetime and truly enjoy yourself (at least I have anyway).

I hope you enjoyed this week’s blog post! Where have you lived on campus? Leave a comment and let me know!

Now, back to cuddling on my very comfy bed. 🙂