What to do about noisy neighbors

The Universe can be very cruel. How else can you explain the fact that I uniformly end up living next door to the noisiest person or group of people in any given building, especially considering my abnormal predilection for peace and quiet? I've lived across the hall from brash British youths with a love for punk rock, next door to four boys whose interests include drinking, drinking, listening to Meatloaf and banging on things, and in a hall full of shouters and door-slammers. As such, I've accrued a lot of experience in dealing with noisy neighbors. Here are some dos and don'ts:

Do

-Invest in a nice pair of noise-canceling headphones

-Master the art of the timid knock and "I'm so sorry to bother you, but I have to wake up early tomorrow and the music is a little loud..." (this works especially well if you're a girl and the offending neighbor is a boy; copious batting of the eyelashes and skimpy pajamas can only help)

-Keep your RA (if you're a college student) or building manager (if you're not) abreast of the problem should your courteous attempts fail

Don't-Back down. You have the right to live in a peaceful and comfortable environment.

-Lose your temper (I speak from experience on this one; I once got into a shouting match with a noisy neighbor that only exacerbated the situation)

-Fight noise with noise. Although it may be tempting to blast loud, angry music to try to drown out your neighbor's noise, all it will accomplish is making you look like a hypocrite if you should confront him/her in the future.

Next time your neighbor decides to host a heavy metal singalong party or a tap dancing class, consider some of these tips (and good luck!).