DR. WALLACE: My boyfriend and I are high school seniors, and we've already made plans to attend the same college together. Our relationship is well into its second year, and we do see a long-term future together that will most likely include marriage at some point during or after our college years.

I have a really good guy friend who has known me for four years, and we dated each other for a few months back during my sophomore year in high school. This guy is going to a different college across the country, so he has been making it a point to hang out with me as much as possible on campus during our senior year so far. I've noticed this seems a bit much, but out of respect and friendship to him, I haven't said anything yet.

However, my boyfriend told me yesterday that he thinks this guy is a bit out of line with his request for my time. I was pretty surprised because my current boyfriend is typically easygoing, calm and mostly passive. This was only the second instance in all the time I've known him that I've been surprised to hear him speak up like this.

My question is regarding my confusion about this matter. Should I view my boyfriend as being overbearing by telling me not to spend so much social time with what is now a platonic friend, even though he's my ex? Or is my boyfriend well within his rights to request that I spend more time with him and less with this other guy on campus during each school week? — Trying to Figure It Out Correctly, via email

TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT CORRECTLY: Your letter indicates that your current boyfriend has not forbidden you to see or speak to this other guy but rather has simply asked that you not allocate the volume of time you're apparently giving him these days.

Beyond that, your letter indicated that you also feel his request for your time is a bit over the top, but you've accommodated him out of both friendship and the fact that you'll most likely not be seeing each other after the school year once everyone goes off to college.

We are currently in November, and graduation day in May is a long way off. My calculations indicate that you likely have another six months of this present school year! There's absolutely no reason why this guy should be pressuring you to spend extra time with him right now. To me, that would only be appropriate during the last month or a few weeks leading up to graduation. I side with your boyfriend's logic on this matter. My feelings are also even more confirmed by the way you describe your current boyfriend's personality and how rare it has been that he pushed back on anything in the past.

MY BRAT BROTHER BURSTS INTO MY ROOM CONTINUALLY!

DR. WALLACE: I'm 16, and my little brother is 9. As a girl, I don't want him bursting into my room whenever he feels like it. Sometimes I'm changing clothes, or sometimes I'm studying and need to not be interrupted.

But my brother, with all his energy and immaturity, will often fling the door open to my room and come bounding in at the most inappropriate times. I've told my parents about this, and they've told him not to do this. He doesn't do it as often as he used to, but he'll still do it two or three times a week instead of twice a day.

What can I do to get this situation remedied? I haven't said anything to anyone, but I was wondering if it would be appropriate for me to ask for a lock on my bedroom door? — My Brother Is Out of Control, via email

MY BROTHER IS OUT OF CONTROL: At least there has been some improvement regarding the frequency of your brother's interruptions into your personal space, but I understand that still leaves you vulnerable several times a week.

Most parents would not want to see their daughter put a lock on her bedroom door, but your idea may have merit in terms of a starting point for discussion with your parents. See if you can sit down with them and mention that although your brother has made improvement, he's still interrupting you far too often and needs to learn to respect your private space.

You can bring up the topic of a lock on your door, but say it in a manner that demonstrates that while you realize that would probably be going too far, there has to be another way to get your brother to understand the situation. Perhaps you could attach something to your door with a magnet that can be flipped over to indicate a red light or green light for your room. Your parents should instruct your little brother to notice that if there's a red light, he's not to even knock on the door, but if there's a green light, he can knock first, wait for your answer and then enter with your permission.

Hopefully your parents will use this as an opportunity to not only help you but to develop your growing brother's ability to improve his self-control.

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.

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