Housing shortages prompted an emergency solution in 2022 and 2023: sharing rooms. Photo Guy Ackermans When there were still a lot of homeless exchange students just before the start of the academic year, WUR and Idealis came up with an emergency solution: room-sharing.
Twenty students are now sharing rooms in the Dijkgraaf residence. How does that work, actually, sharing 13 square metres? Resource dropped in on Giuseppe Macaione (23) and Stefano Fazzari (21).
How did you end up sharing a room?
Macaione: ‘It was extremely difficult to find a room. Many exchange students were struggling and couldn’t find anything.’
Fazzari: ‘Then WUR’s Exchange Office wrote to us with some questions. One of those questions was whether we were open to sharing a room. We both answered “yes” to that and on 29 August – two days before we came to Wageningen – we heard that we had a room.’
Macaione: ‘What is a bit strange, I think, is that other exchange students I know were open to sharing a room but were just given a room to themselves. Nevertheless, I am happy to have Stefano as a roommate. We are both Italian, which makes it easy to communicate. Stefano is at university in Milan and I’m in Bologna, so we didn’t know each other before we became roommates. We got to know each other here and have been living together for a few weeks now.’
Have you ever shared rooms before?
Macaione: ‘In Italy, it is more normal to share a room, because otherwise leaving home is almost unaffordable. In Bologna, I shared a room with a friend for six months. It was difficult at times. Once he was very sad about something personal that he didn’t want to share with me. He then went to cry in the bathroom so he could have some privacy.’
Fazzari: ‘I never shared a room, except when I went on holiday with my friends.’
How have the first few weeks gone?
Fazzari: ‘It’s going pretty well so far. What I like about room-sharing is that I don’t feel I’m on my own. On my first day in Wageningen, I stayed in a hotel. There I was a bit lonely and sad. When you share a room, you have company.’
Macaione: ‘On the one hand, it is almost impossible to have a moment to yourself because you not only share your room with someone, but also the rest of the house with 20 other students. On the other hand, when you start a new adventure, you want to have a sense of belonging. You get that more if there are people around you that you can share the adventure with. If I lived in a studio, I might start to feel lonely.’
I’m not very extrovert; thanks to Giuseppe I’m meeting more people
Fazzari: ‘Another plus: I am not very extrovert but Giuseppe is very sociable. Thanks to him, I meet more people.’
Macaione: ‘And because we share the room, we also share the rent. That’s another big plus.’
Are there any tricky elements?
Macaione: ‘Space and privacy. You have to accept that there is limited space and respect the other person’s space. We share one desk and sometimes I forget to put my things away. That’s not good. Another problem is the fridge: the two of us share one shelf. That’s not a lot. And if I ever want to be alone, it’s simply impossible.’
We share one shelf in the fridge: that’s not a lot
Fazzari: ‘I do have some privacy sometimes. Giuseppe often goes to the gym and then he stays away for two hours and I have time to myself. I don’t exercise as much as he does. Sometimes I might get back from uni a bit later, but not all that much later. So I get more time to myself than Giuseppe does.’
Macaione (laughing): ‘You really need to start exercising!’
Are either of you in a relationship?
Fazzari: ‘I have a girlfriend in Italy. She’s coming to visit in two weeks’ time. We have booked a room somewhere so we can be alone. Of course, we will also come here so she can see where I live and meet my friends. And we will have lunch and dinner here.’
Macaione: ‘I am single. Should I meet someone nice, I hope that person has a nice room. Stefano and I have already discussed how we would deal with such a situation, if it arises. If I want the room to myself for a few hours, we’ll talk about it and then he can plan something to do at that time. And vice versa, of course.’
Room-sharing is intended as an emergency solution. Should it become a standard option?
Macaione: ‘If more rooms are made available for sharing, I think there will be a market for it. Especially if you can choose who you share the room with.’
Fazzari: ‘Right now, I am happy to share this room with Giuseppe, despite the downsides. I wouldn’t want to split up.’
Macaione: ‘I agree with that. For me there are more positives than negatives to living with Stefano. We are up for this new adventure, the exchange and everything it brings with it.’
