For students at SUNY Oneonta, there is a mandatory two-year on-campus living requirement. If you’re like me, and are super involved and pretty extroverted, this seems perfect. It makes me very close to everything, surrounded by a lot of people, and there is always something to do.
For others, living on campus can be daunting. You’re thrown out of the comforts of your own home. You’re LIVING with people you barely know. You’re suddenly sharing a bathroom, dealing with the screaming people down the hall and that one kid who feels to blast music with the bass turned up WAY to loud at 2 A.M. It can be frustrating. It can be uncomfortable.
That being said, I decided to interview my quad-mate Allison. I asked for her side of the story, and how she feels about living on campus and living with others.
Q: How did you meet your quad-mates?
A: I met my roommate Rachel through our campus class Facebook page. We decided to become roommates for our freshman year and then decided to room again this year! I met my other quad-mate Kristina one of the first days of freshman year. She lived next door in our freshmen resident hall. I met you (Natalie) through a leadership program one of the first few weeks of freshman year. We both decided to audition for our school’s dance company and have been friends since.
Q: Were these pretty fast friendships or did they develop over time?
A: Kristina and Rachel wound up being very fast friendships- mainly because we saw each other every day. My friendship with you grew over time. It wasn’t until around Thanksgiving that we became super close and I considered you one of my best friends. It’s interesting how each friendship develops in a different way!
Q: How did you all decide to live together?
A: It just was a conversation that sort of happened. I’m glad that it did because our living situation is great (so far)!
Q: What is the best thing about living with three of your best friends?
A: That’s it; we’re all best friends. If someone needs someone, we’re all right there. It’s very convenient and has allowed for a lot of memories to be made.
Q: What is something not as great about all living together?
A: We call it “panic hours.” That’s when one of us is either really upset or really happy and they bring a lot of emotion into the common room. This causes other people to get riled and usually ends in us all yelling excitedly, interpretively dancing around the common room and blasting a Post Malone song. Yes, we’re the loud people who somehow still haven’t gotten a noise complaint yet.
Q: How does everyone communicate in order to keep order in the room?
A: We have a very active group chat that can converse about anything from meal times, to our common room interior design, to communicating if something is happening (ex. We had a slight bee infestation and would let people know when they appeared in the room). This also allows us all to check in and see how everyone is.
Q: So when people ask, on or off campus living, what do you say?
A: That is a very hard question because it’s mandatory to live on campus for me at this time. I will say this; on campus living is great because everyone is so closely connected. Everything is easily accessible and there are certain leadership opportunities available to on campus students only. However, off campus does allow you to have more freedom (for example you can live with as many people as you want, and you can cook for yourself). Either way, both are good options. It truly is what is most comfortable to you. I will say living on campus is great for new students because of the immediate community you are surrounded in. Off campus living could be more comfortable for some, due to the fact that it is a little more private and individualized.
We want to thank Allison for her contributions! Hopefully this helps you as you look into on or off campus living. Thanks for reading!
By Natalie Costanza