Starting college can be a daunting task. With many of us being pushed out of our comfort zones, we find ourselves not only balancing academics but also the unique experience of living away from home. For many, this adjustment also comes along with one looming factor, living with a total stranger. The idea of being crammed into a small dorm room, and forced to live in a shared space with someone you’ve never met, can easily be a factor of anxiety. Yet, Fairfield takes pride in its ability to find each and every student a strong match with years of success stories to back their claims.
For seniors Emma Falkowski and Grace McGrath, a more perfect match could not have been made. Starting off their first year during the height of COVID-19, the two roommates found themselves in an unusual situation. Having to move in on separate days, to get to know each other better, the girls decided a “roomie date” was in store. Hopping on the Stag Bus, the two endured, “the most awkward thing of either of our lives,” sitting through a dinner full of uncomfortable small talk. Looking back, this moment has become one of their favorite memories as “now people can not shut us up when we are in a room together.”
Over their years at Fairfield, Emma and Grace have seen each other through “the thick and thin;” break ups, sad times, promotions, job interviews and even soon-to-be graduation. Having blossomed their friendship into something unbreakable, the two even joke how they know that “both will be at each other’s weddings in the future,” as they can’t wait to start the next chapters of their lives!
Senior roommates Audrey Didier and Eliza Hogan found themselves randomly paired in their first year. With COVID restrictions, the two spent a lot of their time together after meeting for the first time on move-in day. Now as seniors, the two still consider themselves each other’s “best friends,” and struggle to pick one of their many cherished memories together. Though, one of the best times they spent together, was their trip to Ireland during spring break of last year!
Similarly, seniors Caitlin Murphy and Bronwyn Kelly moved to Fairfield during the height of COVID, meeting for the first time on move-in day. The two started off by living separate lives, waking up in the morning, leaving for class and not returning to the dorm until they went to sleep. Quickly though, Caitlin and Bronwyn found themselves in the same group of friends. With that, they say “the rest was history.”
The two began to spend more and more time together, growing closer and closer. One of their favorite memories was on a night when they decided to stay in. Exhausted from schoolwork, the roommates found themselves setting up their dorm with Christmas lights and throwing blankets and pillows on the floor for extra coziness. Ice cream in hand, the two watched “Thelma and Louise,” a moment they wished they could go back to.
Caitlin speaks to the friendship she and Bronwyn have built, stating that it, “is one of the highlights of my Fairfield experience.” Living apart for their senior year, Caitlin describes the first month as something she is in “deep denial” about. To ensure they stay in touch, each Saturday the girls have a roommate date, where they make sure to catch up on the events of the week.
Seniors Theresa Kelly and Carolyn McDermott technically met over FaceTime a few weeks before the start of their first year. For them, this was a great way to ward off some of the awkwardness that comes with moving in with a total stranger. Even though they both have very different personalities, the two were able to “become great friends very quickly.” Living together both their first and second year, the two find it difficult to find just one memory to share as their favorite, but what stands out the most to them is the late nights spent talking and joking around in their dorm while procrastinating homework. Those moments are what they credit their long-lasting friendship to!
While moving to college can be a stressful, isolating task, Fairfield works to find each and every student their “perfect match” for a roommate. For these seniors, it is clear that they were provided with built-in best friends to share their ups and downs of college with!
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