Community Living 101: How to Cooperate with Fellow Dorm Residents

If you're moving into a college dorm this fall, you've probably already read plenty of articles about how to get along with your roommates. While it seems easy enough to get along with one person, how can you maintain good relationships with everyone else on your floor or wing?

Community living is an important aspect of dorm life and you need to respect the other 20 or 30 people you may be sharing space with. Your RA may give you guidelines for getting to know each other and cooperating, but it's up to you to use your common sense and make the floor a pleasant place for everyone. Here's how to do that:

First of all, the bathrooms: You will probably be sharing a bathroom with all the other girls or guys on your floor. Your school may hire a cleaning crew to work in the mornings, but that doesn't mean you can trash the bathroom as you please. If you get toothpaste or hair in the sink, clean it out with a paper towel. Don't leave any of your personal care supplies lying around either.

Most importantly, always flush the toilet. No one wants to see the remnants of your business when they go to use the bathroom.

When your RA tells you about quiet hours, respect them. Not only could repeated violations mean paying a fine or facing other disciplinary action, you will upset your neighbors who want to study, sleep, or just relax. It's your decision to stay up until 3 a.m. but don't spend it running down the hall screaming or blasting your music.

If someone asks you to lower the volume in some way, apologize and immediately agree to their request. If you don't comply, you could be reported to your RA. Don't get nasty with the person who asks you to be quiet; even if they are nasty to you first.

If you must go out and get drunk, don't disturb others when you come back. You will be in trouble for underage drinking if you are being loud or throwing up and passing out in the hall. Don't try to enter other people's rooms. Go back to your room and close the door. If you can't contain yourself either on your own or after being told repeatedly, perhaps you should try a non alcoholic activity.

Don't vandalize your hall in any way. You risk damaging other people's property and could cause the whole floor to get yelled at or punished. It's almost certain that your neighbors will not be happy if they face punishment for something they had nothing to do with. If an RA or other Residence Life official wants to know who committed vandalism and you are the perpetrator, turn yourself in right away.

When you want to visit a friend on a different floor or in another dorm, make prior arrangements with them first. There are certain hours of the day where it's not acceptable to just walk in to someone's room. Some schools may have rules about visiting hours, so keep those in mind as well.

If you are visiting someone on your floor, only go into their room after you knock on the door and they let you in. If they are studying or taking a nap, make arrangements for a later visit right then and there.

There is more to dorm life than just being concerned about yourself and your roommates' needs and wants. Everyone has the right to live in an environment without noise disturbances or lack of cleanliness, so start doing your part to form a harmonious community as soon as you start meeting your neighbors on move in day.