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S#.1 I can’t sleep because I hear other people getting drunk and making noise. S#.2 The next person who uses the washroom feels really inconvenienced when the person before does not clean up after themselves and organize their toiletries. S#.3 Some people who use the washing machine don’t take the laundry out, so the next person can’t do their laundry. S#.4 Some people do not wear masks indoors, causing inconvenience and anxiety to others. S#.5 Some people do not properly dispose of their food waste, which causes odors and discomfort to others. |
- Recent Increase Students Living in JBNU Residence Halls Leads to Many Conflicts
As the spread of COVID-19 decreased, the proportion of face-to-face classes increased. The residence halls are becoming crowded again as the number of students using them increases, which has led to a rise in conflicts. As a result, posts expressing the inconveniences to residents have been uploaded recently. The posts criticize the absurd behavior of students who are shouting and drunk, washing shoes in a common washing machine, and putting detergent for washing machines in a dryer. What kind of efforts should everyone make to reduce such conflicts and to help foster caring residence halls?
- Conflicts and Solutions of Students Living in JBNU Residence Halls
The JBNU Globe interviewed anonymous students who have lived in the residence halls for more than a year. Let's find out about the students' experiences of various conflicts while living in the residence halls. In addition, they told us how they solved them, and their thoughts about rules to be followed when living with others.
[Student A]
Student A experienced inconvenience because her roommate didn’t clean the bathroom properly, but she taught her roommate how to clean the toilet and sink using clorox. Then, they divided the cleaning duties.
[Student B]
Student B was uncomfortable because many students did not wear masks indoors such as the residence hall corridors and in the elevator. At that time, there was no way to stop it personally, so he couldn’t solve it. He wanted the residence hall administrators to actively supervise this problem. If the residence hall assistants or administrators supervise it frequently and implement a monitoring system, it could solve the problem. Although there are residence hall regulations that penalize people when they don’t wear masks, it is not properly managed. However, if such a system is managed properly, people will wear their masks indoors.
[Student C]
Student C had a hard time being able to sleep at night because his lifestyle didn’t match with his roommate’s. He had many discussions with his roommate, but he couldn’t solve the problem. In the end, ‘anonymous’ changed the room through the residence hall administrator.
[Student D]
During the exam period, which has no curfew, students talked loudly on the bench in front of the residence hall, distracting student D from sleeping soundly. Therefore, she had no choice but to keep the windows closed until the students left, even though the weather was hot. ‘D’ believes there should be a notice requiring only quiet conversations on the benches in front of the residence halls.
- Residence Hall Students Voice Their Views on Residence Etiquette
Those four students were inconvenienced by some rude people’s lack of manners in community life. Besides conflict, they interviewed themselves and other students living in the residence halls about their recommended rules of community life. Some suggestions included avoiding eating smelly food in their rooms and wearing earphones when watching videos. Some also urged others to immediately retrieve the laundry after using the washing machine to be considerate of the next user. These considerate behaviors can help make life easier in the residence halls.
- Suggestions for Residence Hall Issues
When a matter arises while you live in the residence hall, you can file a complaint using the "I want to say something, too" suggestion box installed in each residence hall. The advice for each problem can be found on the JBNU residence halls website. In addition, JBNU residence hall administrator said, “Since the residence hall is a space where students live in groups, I hope it will be a space where students can follow the rules of each place.” She also added “I hope students will be considerate of each other so that they can live together in harmony just like in their own house.”
- Cultural Differences in the Residence Halls for Foreign Students
Recently, international students are also experiencing conflicts due to cultural differences in the residence halls. What kinds of discomfort are the international students experiencing? The JBNU Globe interviewed international students E and F. E said that “When I lived in a Korean dormitory, I was surprised that my roommate even cleaned the floor”. This is because in the case of the West, there is a culture of wearing shoes indoors. Student E then said that “I am trying to adapt and understand Korean culture more.” Meanwhile, student F stated that Koreans lack consideration for people who want to sleep at a decent hour. “Usually in our country, people sleep around 11 p.m., but it was difficult for me to sleep because Koreans sleep after 12 p.m”. F said.
The residence hall is a place where we live together. To respect each other’s space, we should practice good etiquette. In other words, it is necessary to put aside self-centeredness in order to live in peace with one another.
| Park Jeong-Cheol Reporter, Kim Doe-Hye Cub-Reporte