Whoever thought that putting 100+ young adults together in one building was a great idea needed psychological help. It’s not that I absolutely hate living in the dorms; it’s fantastic living on campus and having the ability to walk everywhere I need to be. The negative part of it is the fact that you have to share walls with other people.

I live in Tolman Residence Hall, where the walls are thin and the people are nice. They seem nice because I can hear their conversations even when I have my door closed and earbuds in. The only time I mind is when it’s midnight and I’m trying to sleep.

There are simple courtesies everyone should follow when living in the dorms. Be respectful during quiet hours. Obviously, I don’t expect you to go to bed when I do, because I’m usually exhausted by eight and shoot for ten to actually go to sleep.

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When quiet hours hit, which is at ten Sunday through Thursday and midnight Friday and Saturday, please don’t shout for no reason. Please don’t vacuum or sing karaoke at ridiculous times.

Try not to slam your doors. I don’t need any more distractions when I’m trying to study. I’m already looking for an excuse to take a break. It really doesn’t take a lot of effort to catch the door before it hits the door frame and breaks my concentration. Someone just slammed a door…what was I saying?

Don’t play your music loudly for more than an hour. I’m guilty of this, I have a wireless speaker and a terrible taste in music. I love screamo, nu-metal, and punk; it sounds the best, as with any genre of music, when it’s being played at extreme volumes.

Except your neighbors probably don’t have the taste in music as you. If you want to have a jam session, great, just don’t overdo it.

Be friendly with your neighbors. If I can fake it, you can too. A simple smile when you pass them in the hallway takes no energy and it makes them think you’re somewhat nice. Actually, it’s a good idea to smile at most people you pass, but especially your neighbors.

Respect common areas and facilities. Tolman has community bathrooms—ghastly, I know—but they’re not as bad if people leave them as they found them. They’re not the end of the world if you remember that other people also use the facilities.

The laundry room is the place people have the most trouble. Try to be down there on time to switch your clothes over, someone might not see your stuff and throw their stuff right over yours. Trust me, you’ll both feel like idiots after the fact.

I’m not sure if every dorm has this problem, but Tolman does. Vents. The vents inside the rooms are directly connected. If someone is speaking while standing close to it, the next room over can hear everything clearly.

If there’s a huge vent on a shared wall, don’t sit next to it and tell your roommate about all your problems because now your neighbor also knows about your problems.

Living in the dorms is a privilege. Yes, they may be weird, cold and rarely quiet, but they’re a great way to meet new people and be close to all the places you need. I walk to class, work, dinner, club meetings and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Keep other people in mind when you’re going about your day. It’s that simple. Be respectful, friendly and clean up after yourself. Following those three rules should put you on good terms with your neighbors…unless your neighbors are hermits; in that case, you’ll never see them anyway.