Quinnipiac students are constantly busy juggling homework, class work, jobs, friends, and for some, a relationship.

Quinnipiac couple Chris Bateman and Jennifer Gaffney have been together for about six months. They met their sophomore year in the spring of 2006 at a bar on Bateman’s birthday.

“I bought him a drink at Oracle in honor of his birthday and we ended up having a great time talking and dancing. After that, we remained friends until the spring of our junior year when he asked me to come over and watch ‘Walk the Line’ and we have been inseparable ever since,” said Gaffney, a senior print journalism major.

Bateman and Gaffney were instantly attracted to each other’s dynamic personalities.

“I noticed how sweet she was right away and I remember how beautiful she looked that night, which definitely made me notice her,” said Bateman, a senior international business major.

Gaffney noticed similar traits in Bateman when they first met as well.

“Chris is just a ball of energy and is constantly making me laugh with the crazy things he says and does,” she said.

According to Gaffney and Bateman, the key to keeping a good relationship going is communication, trust and the ability to have fun with each other.

“Communication and trust are the most important things in a relationship. Without that no relationship can succeed,” Bateman said.

Bateman is currently studying abroad in Prague. However that has not altered his relationship with Gaffney.

“Not being with Jen is tough, but I know that no matter what, she’s going to be there for me,” he said.

Even with Bateman away, they still communicate regularly.

“We do as much as we can to show each other overseas that we are thinking of each other. We e-mail and put Skype to good use,” Gaffney said.

Gaffney is planning on visiting Bateman in Prague this semester.

Even with everything that comes their way as college students, couples are still managing to find time for each other.

“When you really care about someone you can always find time in your schedule for one another, no matter how busy life may get,” Gaffney said.

Wes Shay and Kelly O’Connell met through a mutual friend at the café and have now been dating for about 14 months.

Even with exceptionally busy schedules they still manage to spend time together.

“Especially this year, it is a really hard thing to do. We just try to plan out the following day. Even if it is only 20 minutes in between classes, we just try to see each other whenever we can,” said Kelly O’Connell, a senior print journalism major.

Like all relationships, problems still occur. However, Bateman and Gaffney always find a way to quickly solve them.

“Jen and I know each other pretty well and we know when to let go of things and to just apologize and make up,” Bateman said.

Shay and O’Connell both believe that communication is key in their relationship.

“A lot of couples lie to each other or hide their true feelings. If something is upsetting me, I’ll tell him and vice versa,” O’Connell said. “Even if it hurts a lot at first, it’s better to be honest. If not is just builds up and causes much bigger issues.”

Even after all this time, Shay and O’Connell still surprise each other keeping their relationship new and fresh.

Shay, a senior diagnostic imaging major, likes to keep O’Connell on her toes.

“He’s more adventurous and spontaneous than me. He may suggest going hiking or to an amusement park,” O’Connell said. “My favorite thing to do is just hanging out together, doing nothing.”

O’Connell has her fair share of surprises for Shay too.

“I try to do something sweet every so often to remind him of how much I love him,” O’Connell said. “I love surprising him with simple things.”

Bateman and Gaffney constantly look for new and exciting things to do together to keep their relationship fresh as well.

“We watch movies together or go out with friends. We hang out with our families and travel as much as we can. This summer Chris taught me fly fishing while we were at his house in Maine,” Gaffney said.

For Gaffney’s 21st birthday, Bateman bought her a new puppy [Riley] for them to share.

“Chris wanted to get her for me for my 21st birthday to keep me company while he was gone because by chance he ended up leaving on my birthday,” Gaffney said. “We were ready for that next step, it was just a matter of when and Riley couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Mutual friend, Cassie D’addeo, a senior legal studies and criminal justice major, hasn’t spent a lot of time with the couple because she was abroad last semester but can see this is a solid relationship.

“Christopher speaks so highly of her and misses her dearly,” D’addeo said. “It’s very cute.”

Has love been found here at QU?

“Absolutely. I have never met anybody like Jen before and what we have is very special. I can’t compare it to anything I’ve ever experienced before,” Bateman said.

O’Connell believes she has never been happier. “He makes me happier than ever before. He makes me a better person and we compliment each other so well.”

Mutual friend Hollis Skrainski, a senior english major, believes O’Connell and Shay are definitely a couple that will last.

“They are just so grown up. They are not one of those couples that you see around school who are so consumed in just each other,” Skrainksi said. “I don’t know, I just look at the two of them and it fits.”

It seems the biggest mistake people do when trying to find love is looking for it.

Shays advice is to, “Let it happen. Don’t go looking for it, as soon as you stop looking and constantly searching and just relax, someone will appear.”