Many people share a living space with a non-romantic roommate during and after college.

Living in close proximity with someone else will eventually bring some challenges that may affect the living situation. Sex can impact the harmony of the living situation if one or all of the roommate’s sexual activities become a nuisance.

In his freshman year, junior Angel Avina-Ramirez’s roommate and roommate’s girlfriend started making out and were being loud. At some point, Avina-Ramirez ended up falling asleep while they were making out. He doesn’t know for sure if something happened, he said.

The couple would often make out while he was in the room. He knew when they would start making out because of how the beds were arranged and how he could feel their movements in his bed, he said.

Even if someone is not sharing a room with a roommate, the thickness of the walls will change things for roommates and neighbors.

Junior Jennifer Gutierrez lives with her sister and the walls are … not very thick. Any time her sister brings a guy over, Gutierrez can hear them, she said.

With those not-very-thick walls, Gutierrez can also hear her downstairs neighbors. She hears them when they are close to finishing, Gutierrez said.

Similarly to Gutierrez, junior Karem Gonzalez said she can hear her neighbors upstairs very well — from the screams to the bed movements to a huge pound and then it stops, she said.

While there is not a lot one can do to fix thin walls, there is one other way to reduce sharing the bedroom noises.

“Keep windows closed because sound travels,” Gutierrez said.

Living with roommates can also increase a person’s odds of getting caught in the act. Gutierrez said she has been caught in the act before.

One night, Gutierrez’s sister was having some friends over and Gutierrez was spending time with her then-boyfriend. Later on, she and her boyfriend heard people leaving and thought everyone had left, Gutierrez said. They started making love in the living room.

One of her sister’s friends had forgotten a belonging and walked in on her and her boyfriend, Gutierrez said.

Both Gutierrez and Gonzalez talked about the importance of communicating with roommates.

Gutierrez said talking about sex with her sister has opened up their relationship. Communication about sex does not have to be awkward, she said.

“I think that’s the best thing to do,” said Gonzalez. “You can’t expect your roommates to read your mind.”