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22 April ‘13
Features
Roommates: home sweet hell? CARMI HEYMAN When studying at university, students find themselves having to make a decision regarding accommodation. Whether it be in res, communes or flats, this question is bound to arise: will I be sharing a room or not, and if I do, with whom? This question should be carefully considered before entering into any agreement. You never know who you might be sharing your space with and you don’t only want to find out when it’s too late. In res, you are not always allowed to choose who your roommate will be and are assigned one instead. Living with a roommate may either be very fun or very painful. Zanelle du Toit, a first-year BSc Biological Sciences student and resident at Jasmyn, told Perdeby that the first day she met her roommate, they did not get along at all. Du Toit believes that this was due to stress and the fact that they had to get used to living in each other’s space. “We’re in the same boat now. We look out for each other because not only did we realise that we are a lot alike, but that we both take our studies seriously. We make turns when cleaning our room and we stay out of each other’s way when needed.” Unfortunately, not all assigned roommates are meant to be. Anthony Müller, a secondyear BCom Economics student, says that his last roommate was a burden. “Not only was he always late with his electricity bills, but I constantly found him taking some of my food without asking and then never replacing it.” Müller is currently staying alone in a flat and says that he will never live with a roommate again. Dr Irene Levine, who has a PhD in
MARKO SVICEVIC Picture the following: you have three assignments due this week, are writing two semester tests and are preparing for an upcoming exam. To top it off, you have a social with friends and are going clubbing on the weekend. A busy schedule is nothing new to students, but then again, neither is sleep deprivation. Although it is often not seen as a serious concern, lack of sleep has several detrimental effects. According to an article published in 2010 by the Journal of Adolescent Health, stress is cited as the major cause of sleep deprivation among university students. The study shows that stress has a bigger impact on a person’s quality of sleep than alcohol, caffeine or late-night browsing on the internet. While there are those who can shut their eyes and immediately fall asleep, not everyone is so lucky. For most, going to sleep often becomes a problem because of noise pollution from cars hooting or dogs barking. Staying in a campus residence with noisy neighbours can be just as challenging. For a great deal of students, not going to bed at the right time is due to the endless amount of work that needs to be done. Whether it’s researching for an article, studying for a semester test or finishing off an assignment, labouring late into the night is often seen as the only way to cope with the workload. However, sleep deprivation impacts negatively on your physical and mental health. The World Health Organisation states that “sleep is a basic human need and is essential for good health, good quality of life and performing well during the day.” According to a WebMD.com article by clinical psychologist Michael Breus, prolonged sleep
psychology, says that you need to change your mindset when you decide to live with someone and that you need to approach the relationship in a specific way. “Reframe your thinking so that you approach the relationship as roommates rather than friends. Remind your roommate about the lease and tell [them] that your goal is to work out a peaceable arrangement. [They don’t] have to be your friend but you live together, and you don’t want your relationship to have an adverse impact on your primary reason for being there: completing your education.” According to Roommates4You.com, a website dedicated to helping people find suitable roommates, any parties that choose to stay together should develop basic ground rules
which they call the “roommate pre-nup”. Scott Acord from the website says, “You may find it helpful to put [it] in writing and have everyone sign it, but if this is too much, you should at least discuss the essential potential hot topics such as rent and other shared bills, living space, who gets the good room, cleaning, food, guests, noise, moving out and the best way to handle disagreements.” But what if you choose to stay with friends? Many would believe that because of the already established friendship, the living arrangements would be easier. According to Dr Cara Sprunk from Psychology Today, this may not be the case and living together could take a toll on your friendship. “When you live with someone, you get to know them better than you’d want
Sleep deprivation:
what you need to know deprivation decreases alertness, impairs memory and the brain’s ability to think and process information. The ability to memorise information and to recall it, as well as to maintain concentration during the day, are much greater when a person is well rested. Depression, moodiness and aggression are also a result of staying awake for too long. Another WebMD.com article goes on to say that sleep deprivation has other serious health risks. These include heart disease, heart attacks, heart failure, strokes and diabetes. Negative effects of sleep deprivation have been linked to obesity, where
loss of sleep causes an increase in the hormone ghrelin which makes people feel hungry. Sleep deprivation can even lead to death. When a person does not get enough sleep, their immune system is weakened and they are more prone to disease, especially respiratory infections. Sleep deprivation also has an effect on your sex drive. Sleep-deprived people have reported lower libidos and have less interest in sex. A study by the Journal of the American Medical Association found that men who don’t get enough sleep produce less testosterone. Sleep deprivation also has an effect on women’s sex drives and decreases the desire for sex. There are ways of overcoming sleep deprivation and its negative effects. Since sleep deprivation might sometimes be a matter of choice (for example, choosing to pull an all-nighter to study for a test), deciding to go to bed earlier
to. You know how clean they are, how often they shower – every little thing you didn’t need to know. Again, you can’t penalise your roommate for being kind of messy in situations outside of your room if you intend to continue a friendship with them.” But not all students find living with friends difficult. “I guess you could say we all have our personal space troubles, but once you establish who you are open enough to share space with, it could be a lot of fun,” says Melissa O’Conner, a second-year psychology student who shares a flat with her best friend in Menlo Park. “But I still believe some people are just meant to stay alone and [others] ought [to] be around someone all the time.” Because of the many complications coupled with living with someone, some students have decided to avoid it completely. Wian van der Walt, a second-year BSc Human Physiology student and a resident at Mopanie, chooses to stay in a single room. “Having my own room gives me a feeling of privacy that really helps when I have a bad day and [am] not in the mood for a conversation. It also makes you a lot more independent as you have your own responsibilities in your room. Nobody is there to clean it for you.” Whether it is deciding to move in with friends, or being assigned to a new roomie at the end of an academic year, be cautious of whom you pick (if you have that luxury). “My best advice for living with a roommate can be summed up in [one word]: communicate,” says Dr Sprunk. “Communicate rules, boundaries, and expectations. Then, if you want to have a relationship with the person beyond just roommates, keep roommate issues in the room.” Image: Hendro van der Merwe
and getting enough sleep is a good way to start. Avoid spending the entire night cramming information into your head as this could possibly do more harm than good. According to new research done by the University of California (UC), Berkeley, there are several side effects to pulling allnighters, one of which is short-term euphoria. Researchers at UC Berkeley and Harvard Medical School found that the neural pathway which stimulates emotions of reward and pleasure, especially after a sleepless night, may also lead to risk-taking behaviour. Lead author of the study, Matthew Walker, said that a sleepdeprived brain will swing to extremes and will not be optimal for wise decision-making. Students often have hectic schedules and these are mostly out of their control. This is when time management is necessary. Try to develop a regular sleeping pattern: if you wake up early on weekdays, do it for the entire week, then sleep late on weekends. Messing up this schedule confuses your brain’s “internal clock” that keeps track of when you need to sleep and when you need to wake up. Ambient noise can be reduced by wearing ear plugs or your headphones (if you can sleep with music, that is). If you’re still battling with sleep deprivation, seeking help is another good idea. Take advantage of Student Support by asking for advice on how to deal with your sleep deprivation and the causes behind it. Some people need more sleep than others. Do whatever works best for you, but be aware that just like sleep deprivation, too much sleep is also unhealthy. Illustration: Eleanor Harding