I woke up to what sounded like a tsunami in my room this morning. The alarm went off. The bunk bed was shaking every so often. Flip-flops were flopping away with gusto, back and forth across the floor. The sink was turned on to full blast. It was evident that my roommate was getting ready for her 8:30AM class.
Having a roommate is no longer new, so why is it that I am still so surprised by the amount of noise in the morning?
Maybe our ears aren’t used to noise by the time we wake up, or maybe some of us are just not morning people, but I know I’m not the only person with this problem. Our roomies simply do not realize the amount of noise they are making. Besides waking to the sound of flip-flops racing across the room, it is not fun to wake up to your roommate’s alarm while somehow she is coolly snoozing through it. This is puzzling because the clock is literally right next to her ear. We’ve all been through this.
Freshman year is a giant learning experience — especially when it comes to living with another person. We leave our comfortable beds, fast internet access, spacious rooms and complete privacy behind for a life of nonstop exposure to other people. The trade-off is a room the size of some people’s walk-in closets. Within the first few days on campus, we have to acclimate ourselves to another person’s living conditions, rituals, and sleep habits. We try not to be judgmental, but we cannot help ourselves, only to later force ourselves to be tolerant. Living together with a random person from a random town in perhaps a random state is all about tolerance, cooperation, and respect. If you’re lucky, you may even a find a best friend in your roommate.
At the same time, it is natural to get annoyed at our roommates. We crave privacy and our roommates’ presence can come at the most unwanted times. Unfortunately, we cannot help that we are forced into such close quarters. The noise situation can get infuriating, especially when your earliest class is at 12:30PM yet your roommate has class at 8:30AM. You either wake up to her alarm as she sleeps through it or you hear her getting ready for the day. Or perhaps at night, as you are trying to fall asleep, you hear your roomie up and about, dancing across the floor.
Here are some tips to limit noise as your roommate is trying to get some well-deserved sleep. Sometimes we do not realize how loud we are being, especially come nightfall or in the morning hours.
Walk around your room in socks.
Don’t have your flip-flops act in place of slippers. Flip-flops make LOTS of noise. It’s not summer yet. This is not the bathroom. Unless you are just getting out of the shower, take them off.
Turn off all the lights when you exit the room.
Even if you are only leaving to take a shower. Some people can only fall asleep in absolute darkness.
If you’re doing homework, use your desk lamp.
If you fear you are making too much noise, perhaps go into someone else’s room, the library, or a lounge to finish.
Try not to make noise until your roomie wakes up.
Wait to use your printer, blow dryer, microwave, and anything else that makes noise until your roommate wakes up.
Don’t spray Lysol or any other aerosols as your roommate is sleeping.
The chemical smell combined with the noise of the spray can is rather alarming if your roomie wakes up to it. This has happened to me.
Be cautious of your alarm.
If you know you do not have to be up early and you know you are probably going to sleep through your alarm, just forgo setting one. It bothers your roommate when the Cucaracha is going off every hour on the hour and you are not getting up.
Be courteous.
Don’t have people in the room while your roomie is sleeping.
Julia will be charting the course of freshman year here at TCNJ, giving voice to her fellow first-year collegiettes and bring back memories for our upperclasswomen.
Comment below if you have a suggestion for Julia to write about!