DR. WALLACE: I'm a first-year college student and I truly enjoy entertaining. I like inviting friends over to just hang out, talk about current events or socialize. Sometimes we've even prepared food together.

My problem is that my roommate always seems to get agitated when I invite my friends over. I don't do it very often, perhaps once every other week for four or five hours, but she doesn't seem to tolerate it well.

Am I being selfish by bringing my friends over to our place? Should I look for other places where we can meet instead? — This Upsets My Roommate, via email

THIS UPSETS MY ROOMMATE: As a first step, if you haven't already, perhaps invite your roommate to join in the festivities if she's interested in them. If not, give her as much advance notice as you possibly can, but I feel you have every right to continue having friends visit you for a few hours every other week as long as there's nothing illegal or immoral going on with those get-togethers.

If there are nights you plan to be out, you could give your schedule in advance to your roommate in case she wants to invite anyone over at a time you're not around. At least this way, you'll be sure to be considerate in both directions. Finally, if she wishes to hold an event, you could offer to help out!

I CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY HE DOESN'T LIKE ME

DR. WALLACE: My style is to be warm and friendly to everyone, but recently I've come across a guy who truly gives me the cold shoulder, if not an icy shoulder! One of my two closest girlfriends has been dating this guy for the past five weeks, and the few times I've seen her with him, he seems not to answer my questions when I politely ask him anything, and he gives me what I consider to be "dagger" stares all of the time.

I actually asked my girlfriend a few weeks ago if he was a tremendous introvert or if he was painfully shy in public and she told me that he was not. She said he talks a lot to his friends when they are all together and when they go out, he's very calm and normal in conversations and so forth.

All of this has me extremely curious. Should I continue trying to draw him out of his shell whenever I see him? I'm beyond curious as to what he has against me. — His Attitude is Perplexing, via email

HIS ATTITUDE IS PERPLEXING: I recommend you let it go, especially the part about trying to draw him out of his shell. Forget about your curiosity and focus on your friend and feel free to make polite general comments to them as a group, rather than to specifically address him by his name.

Who knows if they'll stay together for a long period of time or not, and if they do, he may eventually warm up to you to the point of being able to hold at least a short conversation. Until then, worry not and carry on with your life.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Dorien Monnens at Unsplash