Noisy neighbors can hinder academia

College is a time for exploration, adventure, growth and learning. These are not always quiet affairs and BYU-Idaho is no exception.

All students deal with noisy neighbors at some time or another while attending college.

BYU-Idaho’s Apartment Living Standards states, “Quiet Hours are from 10 p.m. until 8:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday and all day on Sunday. Quiet hours are designed to help students have adequate time for proper study and sleep. Each resident is expected to refrain from disturbing activities such as loud conversation and laughter or loud playing of music. Residents do not have the right at any time to be so excessively loud that it is an unfair disturbance to other residents.”

Many students find themselves at odds with neighbors about what defines excessive loudness and what crosses the line of being inconsiderate to those around you.

Many people have sleep habits that can clash with those of their neighbors.

“It’s part of college, people are going to be noisy, but sometimes neighbors think because it’s the weekend they can be loud early,” said Austin Roney, a senior studying history. “I sleep in on Saturdays to make sleep from the week. Waking to a stereo system ruins my morning.”

Noise can affect more than just the quality of study time and sleep; it can also affect performance at school.

Not all noise is a malicious attack on neighbors. Many students play in bands or play instruments and use time to practice and develop their skills.

Also, students may not always find on-campus practice rooms available.

Matthew Jensen, a senior studying business management, said that he was tired of getting in trouble when people complained to the managers at Nauvoo House where he used to live.

For that reason, he moved to Southgate Apartments so he and his roommates would bother fewer people when playing their instruments.

“There’s just nowhere for bands to practice in Rexburg. That’s why we moved to Southgate and requested an apartment on the end, so we would have the least neighbors possible,” Jensen said.

“We’ve also talked to our neighbors and asked them if we’re being too loud and let them know that we play music and try to do it at times that won’t disrt people studying or sleeping, but it’s impossible to please everyone all the time.”

Campus security officers may respond to noise complaints at on-campus dorms, but students are encouraged to voice complaints to apartment managers first.