In every moment of my life, I am surrounded by other people. I wake up in a building full of thousands of other students. I go to a locker room filled with twenty-some other girls. I eat meals and attend classes in rooms full of other people. Living in such close proximity to others has taught me the importance of good parenting.

When I was younger, my parents would admonish me whenever we were staying in a hotel and I was being too loud. They would repeat over and over that it was rude to be noisy, especially when it was late at night. No matter how loud our neighbors were, I was always supposed to be respectful. Though in hotels, I was always able to leave after a night or two and go home to my quiet house.

The dorms in college are like the Hotel California; we are not allowed to leave. And not everyone was raised to be respectful. Some students run wild through the halls at 4am, screaming and slamming doors. They ensure that no one gets a good night’s sleep. On the other hand, some neighbors are extremely courteous and never play loud music or blast the TV at any time of day.

I believe it all comes down to parenting. The students who were raised well are the ones who are respectful to others. They never wake others up, leave their laundry in the washers and dryers for days on end, or trash the lounge. These are the kids who say please and thank you, open doors for others and smile at me when we pass in the hallways.

Unfortunately, not all of my peers received lessons in appropriate behavior and etiquette. These are the students who think that their problems of running late supersede the courtesy of holding an elevator for a fellow classmate. They see their issues as everyone’s problem instead of an individual concern.

Personally, good parenting leads to good karma. My neighbors who respect me are then respected by me in return. I am a big believer in what goes around, comes around. So the kids who had good parents and are now instilled with solid, moral values have good things coming for them.

It is easy for me to pick out who was raised well among the students at my university. There are common themes among all kids who have good parents – kindness, respect and cooperation, among others.

So thank you to my parents for doing their best in raising in me. They tried to guide me to be a good person and respect others. They taught me to say please and thank you, and respect my elders. Maybe these are outdated ideals for some, but for me they are at the core of who I am.

Thank you Mom and Dad because by parenting me well, you set me up to do well in life.