How to approach roommate about noise during MCAT studying?

[KMS0732]

Hi all,

I am a non-traditional student who has graduated college and is now living in an apartment with a girl who is also a working professional (ie, no longer a student). We have a civil living environment but are not at all close or friends with each other as she is very reserved.

Her family is visiting from another country and I am planning to take the MCAT in June, so I am currently studying a lot in addition to working full time. My issue is the noise-level in the apartment currently. It's not loud to the point where I feel like a complaint is justified, but it is too loud to study properly. If they were blasting music then I would have no problem asking them to be quiet, but it is more like loud conversations. I feel like it would be rude to ask them to talk more quietly since this is probably the only time in a year when she gets to see her family, however it is quite disruptive to my studying. How exactly do I tell her and her guests to be EXTRA quiet during this time when I have to study? In college, I was very good friends with my roommates and it was easy for them to understand when I asked for minimum noise in the dorm in order to study. But my current roommate is very awkward and difficult to talk to, and I worry it won't be taken well.

Couple of notes:
- I specifically bought a desk, chair, lamp, and noise-cancelling headphones in order to study in my apartment because I don't like to study at the library. It is just too draining to commute to the library after working 8+ hours at a full time job each day.
- I already checked our lease and her guests are allowed to stay for the length of time which they are staying for (maximum allowed by our lease is 1.5 months), so I can't ask her to kick out her guests.

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[TheSecretMedMom]

She paid for the space too and shouldn't have to tiptoe around her own apartment. There isn't a way to ask her to be any quieter because it sounds like she and her family are creating a normal amount of family noise, and aren't being disruptive. I don't think it is on her to have her whole family accommodate your life.

You need to focus on what you can do to study effectively despite distractions. Turning on classical music in your headphones? Maybe work fewer hours for a few weeks so you can go to the library without being exhausted?

I think the most you could do is ask for quiet hours after 9 or 10 pm as those sorts of timelines are common in shared living situations.

I say this having had 5-6 boarders over the years in my own home. (Plus a husband and 3 kids)

 

[Siromas]

Hi all,

I am a non-traditional student who has graduated college and is now living in an apartment with a girl who is also a working professional (ie, no longer a student). We have a civil living environment but are not at all close or friends with each other as she is very reserved.

Her family is visiting from another country and I am planning to take the MCAT in June, so I am currently studying a lot in addition to working full time. My issue is the noise-level in the apartment currently. It's not loud to the point where I feel like a complaint is justified, but it is too loud to study properly. If they were blasting music then I would have no problem asking them to be quiet, but it is more like loud conversations. I feel like it would be rude to ask them to talk more quietly since this is probably the only time in a year when she gets to see her family, however it is quite disruptive to my studying. How exactly do I tell her and her guests to be EXTRA quiet during this time when I have to study? In college, I was very good friends with my roommates and it was easy for them to understand when I asked for minimum noise in the dorm in order to study. But my current roommate is very awkward and difficult to talk to, and I worry it won't be taken well.

Couple of notes:
- I specifically bought a desk, chair, lamp, and noise-cancelling headphones in order to study in my apartment because I don't like to study at the library. It is just too draining to commute to the library after working 8+ hours at a full time job each day.
- I already checked our lease and her guests are allowed to stay for the length of time which they are staying for (maximum allowed by our lease is 1.5 months), so I can't ask her to kick out her guests.

I had a similar situation to yours except mine involved my roommate and a number of Tinder dates....

I try to avoid conflict, so I either woke up super early or stayed up super late to study. Yeah, working full time, volunteering, and going to school as a postbacc (which I did) while prepping for the MCAT sucks, but you get through it.

It wasn't until about a week or two before my actual exam that I told my roommate that I needed peace and quiet up until my exam date.

 

[TheRabbit]

Hi all,

I am a non-traditional student who has graduated college and is now living in an apartment with a girl who is also a working professional (ie, no longer a student). We have a civil living environment but are not at all close or friends with each other as she is very reserved.

Her family is visiting from another country and I am planning to take the MCAT in June, so I am currently studying a lot in addition to working full time. My issue is the noise-level in the apartment currently. It's not loud to the point where I feel like a complaint is justified, but it is too loud to study properly. If they were blasting music then I would have no problem asking them to be quiet, but it is more like loud conversations. I feel like it would be rude to ask them to talk more quietly since this is probably the only time in a year when she gets to see her family, however it is quite disruptive to my studying. How exactly do I tell her and her guests to be EXTRA quiet during this time when I have to study? In college, I was very good friends with my roommates and it was easy for them to understand when I asked for minimum noise in the dorm in order to study. But my current roommate is very awkward and difficult to talk to, and I worry it won't be taken well.

Couple of notes:
- I specifically bought a desk, chair, lamp, and noise-cancelling headphones in order to study in my apartment because I don't like to study at the library. It is just too draining to commute to the library after working 8+ hours at a full time job each day.
- I already checked our lease and her guests are allowed to stay for the length of time which they are staying for (maximum allowed by our lease is 1.5 months), so I can't ask her to kick out her guests.

I have a similar problem with the neighbor on the upper floor walking loudly everyday. Maybe you can check out if there is any common area in your apartment that you can make use of. That's what I do when I know my neighbor above me is home. Good luck!

 

[NTF]

The noise-cancelling headphones that you bought don't filter out conversation?