I even lived on campus to get the college experience. I had five roommates and I still keep in touch with them while I'm on the road.
What I loved about romances was the character, and I think I still bring that to my novels. What romance taught me was that the 'who' will always matter more than the 'what.' It's fun to come up with plots, but I want to make sure the reader cares about who it's happening to.