My roommate (室友) Jerry tries to talk to me too much. I don’t really like him, so I don’t like to talk to him. But whenever he notices that I’m free, he will come over to bother me. I want him to leave me alone, but I don’t want to hurt him. What should I do?

—Peter

I’m a pretty quiet person like you. I don’t really like to talk too much either — even with people I like. I can understand how you feel. And I might be able to give you some advice.

Do you have other friends at school? Maybe you can just try to leave your dormitory (宿舍) and spend more time with your friends. You can also find a new hobby that takes up more of your time. If Jerry sees that you’re busy working on something, he might not bother you.

However, you’d better just tell Jerry that you would like to stay alone. You don’t have to tell him that you don’t like him — just tell him that you’re a little shy. He will probably understand.

—Bob