Undecided/Undeclared Anteaters Blog

Hello, everyone! How were midterms? Hopefully not too stressful? Today I’m here to briefly talk about a term that most, if not all, college students should be familiar with. Quiet Hours. It is a specific period of time where all noise and voices should be kept at a reasonably low level, almost like in a library, so not to disturb hall members who are trying to sleep, study, or simply relax. The day time is usually hectic and loud, so for some people quiet hours is a blessing.

For both Mesa Court and Middle Earth, quiet hours are in accordance to this sign…

But not everyone follows the rules, do they? While some people can sleep and study through loud noises and the likes, others cannot. So when it comes to dealing with noises that shouldn’t exist during quiet hours, here are a few suggestions on how to handle it.

1. Ask the person(s) to keep it down.
• A natural response. If a person is playing their music, laughing, or talking too loudly it is only logical to think that one would go out and ask them to lower their volume, right? Keep in mind, however, to be polite with your words and body language so you don’t instigate any unnecessary conflict.
2. Tell the RA.
• Your RA is the big brother, the big sister of our Hall. They make and set the rules and whatever they say goes. Though I would suggest you only go to your RA after the previous suggestion fails. And no, this is college so that won’t be considered “tattle-telling”.
3. Put in earplugs.
• These things are extremely useful, especially in sudden situations (example would be when a friend of mine used them during a six hour fire drill in Middle Earth). Though I don’t think it is a common item amongst students to have in their rooms, I suggest you to go and buy a pair because they really are a good investment.
4. Put in head/earphones with music.
• Another alternative if you don’t have earplugs is to simply plug in your earphones (or headphones), with or without the music playing. With the music turned on, it could help block or drown out any unwanted outside noises. With the music off, the outside noises would sound muffled. It’s a nice alternative if you do not own any earplugs, it’s also what I do most of the time.