For most young adults, the prospect of moving away from home to share a living space with a friend, or even a stranger, could be an experience to look forward to. Keene State College students spoke out on their roommate experiences.
KSC roommates Kate Marinelli and Amy Buonpane said they knew they were meant to be best friends.
“We locked eyes across the Quad one day, and knew it was destiny,” Marinelli joked.
The two now-sophomore students met their first year at KSC as music majors who both play the flute.
Surprisingly, the roommate/best friend duo has managed to make it work.
Buonpane explained, “We work great as roommates because we respect each other’s living habits.”
When asked, Buonpane and Marinelli had a hard time coming up with issues they have with each other.
“I honestly have yet to find something about living with Kate that bothers me,” Buonpane said.
Marinelli agreed, “Amy and I just get along really well.”
The pair of roommates explained that they acknowledge each other’s schedules and habits, and that respect
Sarah Morrison/ Equinox Staff
is key to sharing a space with someone.
“When one of us wants to go to bed, the other will find another quiet space to do homework,” Buonpane added, “If someone has to get up early we make sure to be quiet.”
“I like to nap and she is good with doing her work silently so I can sleep,” Marinelli said.
Marinelli explained that her biggest fear last year was having roommates whose living standards were different from hers.
“My roommates were really nice people and I’m still close with one of them now,” Marinelli explained, “But it definitely took a lot of work to make our rooming situation work. We dealt with it by talking to each other. Communication is key. If you don’t like something that your roommate is doing, tell them.”
As a first-year KSC student last year, Rob Rein met his roommates on move-in day.
“There were occasional mini problems here and there throughout the year,” Rein explained, “But they were always addressed and we never left any room for bad feelings between any of us.”
Rein and one of his roommates got along so well last year that they decided to live together again this year.
“Some of my friends, including my roommate last year, decided we all wanted to live together, and we decided we wanted to be in Butler,” Rein said.
Rein continued, “My roommate and I are just good friends honestly. We are very relaxed and chill and both have the same interests. He’s a really easy person to live with. Since everything was fine last year, I just thought it would be a smart idea to live with him again.”
KSC student William Poling met his current roommate last year through a mutual friend. The pair has similar interests in movies and shows, and similar habits when it comes to sleeping and eating.
Poling’s only complaint, however, is that he finds it difficult to have time to himself.
“I seem to never have any time to myself because he doesn’t leave the room a lot. It feels kind of like we’re always in the same place. It’s just kind of mildly annoying,” Poling explained.
“Personal space can be a big issue,” Poling warned, “And it makes it more manageable if you’re on the same page with smoking and drinking, and that sort of thing.”
Roommate relationships can be a complex thing, especially on a college campus amid the chaos of young adulthood.
When choosing future roommates, Marinelli offered some easy advice to follow.
“In general when you pick someone to live with, pick someone who has the same living standard as you. Living with your best friend may seem like the best thing in the world. But they may snore in their sleep and you find that you don’t like that. They may be really messy. A healthy roommate relationship starts with someone who wants the same things as you,” Marinelli said.
Jill Giambruno can be contacted at jgiambruno@kscequinox.com
