This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bentley chapter.

When the new school year begins, the open-door policy seems like a great idea. You are able to meet new friends by leaving your door freely open for visitors to enter. As mid-terms begin to arise, you may begin to second guess that policy you initiated on move-in day. It seems difficult at times to tell your good friends and acquaintances on your floor that it is not the time to hang out and that you need to focus on studying. There are always those few people that you wish would leave your dorm, but they never seem to receive the hints and non-verbal cues you give them. It may seem rude to flat out say “get out,” so here are a few ways to discretely tell them that you want your room to be empty at the moment:

1. “These chips are sooooo good”

Everyone hates a loud chewer, especially when they are trying to focus on homework. If you purposefully smack your lips while eating your favorite chips, you might aggravate the person enough that they will leave.

2. “I’ve got to shower”

Once you leave the room, hopefully the person will understand it’s time for them to leave rather than sitting in your room alone. A good excuse to leave your room is to take a shower, which is awkward enough for the other person.

3. “I have tons of homework to do”

Unless the person is your “study buddy,” he or she will most likely leave the hangout zone when you bring up the HW word. Nothing kills the vibe more than saying you need to do work. If the person is someone you typically do homework with, hopefully another one of these ideas will help.

4. “It’s getting pretty late”

Some people may say “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” If you are like me, however, you need a minimum number of sleep hours a night to function the next day. If this is you, this excuse if fairly easy to use because the other person will understand that you will be grouchy in the morning if he or she does not let you sleep.

5. “I think I’m getting sick”

Cough, cough. If you are feeling sick, it’s best to tell people in your room because college students HATE getting sick. Even if you aren’t sick, it’s a great way to get people screaming “ewww germs” as they run out of your room.

Photo Sources:

http://www.youvisit.com/collegePhotos.php?college=79865

http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-sleep-time/

http://newreflections.co.uk/procrastination/

http://thelandoftheswoo.wordpress.com/2013/07/31/top-dorm-picks/

http://www.frequencynews.com/wordpress/gossip/gossip-fix/man-shot-for-chewing-popcorn-too-loud-during-movie/attachment/mature-man-eating-potato-chips-in-movie-theater-auditorium/

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/02/health/secrets-women-preventing-sickness/