College Tips: Shared Bathrooms

Most universities have a shower and/or bathroom that you have to share with at least one person, if not your entire floor. To be blunt, get over it. To be nice, you honestly will get used to it and it's not that bad. Everyone else is using the bathroom and is having the same concerns you are. I'd like to go over some of the common questions and worries that new students have, and hopefully give you some good tips (and tricks?).

1. "What are dorm bathrooms like? Will I be naked in front of everyone?"

It honestly depends on your school. Some colleges have dorms that only put 2 people to a room with a private bathroom, whereas some have apartment-like setups and you share a bathroom with your roommates (4 to an apartment). However, the shower setup I had was 2 bathrooms shared by the entire floor. Each bathroom had 4 toilet stalls and 4 shower stalls and some sinks on either side. The toilet side was a kind of standard public bathroom setup: some stalls, some sinks, some mirrors. The shower side would differ from dorm to dorm. Mine had curtained stalls, whereas others had doored stalls. That's pretty much standard to most schools. You are not naked in from of everyone, unless you just choose to be. 

Also, most bathrooms are gender-specific. So only guys or only girls.

2. "What should I take with me to the bathroom? How should *I* go to the bathroom/shower?"

Most people know they need  a shower caddy. What kind you have is totally up to you and they are sold everywhere, especially right before school starts. I got a $1 one from Dollar Tree, but you can get really nice ones from other places like Walmart, Target, and even Bed Bath and Beyond. You put your crap in that. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, razor, just whatever you use in the shower. I would even take my toothbrush with me so I didn't have to go all the way back to the bathroom to brush my mouth bones. 

Now, how you go to the showers is, again, up to you and your own personal comfort level. I saw many a girl and guy go to the showers in a towel or bathrobe, which is fine. I would go with minimal clothing (like no bra and socks and other unnecessary things). For most of the year, I'd simply get in the shower and take my clothes off behind the curtain and hang them over the rod. After I got clean, I'd wrap up in a towel and grab my things and walk back to my room. No biggie! 

Also, DO NOT FORGET THE FLIPPY FLOPPIES. You don't want any athlete's foot. 

3. "Will people judge me?"

Totally not. Everyone goes to the bathroom for a specific purpose. No one wants to walk in there and generate a load of gossip about the mysterious person in the shower, because, seriously, most people don't know who is in the shower unless you already know the person's towel colors. Only people that deserve to be judged are, like if you're overly loud or you stink up the entire room with your poop smell. 

4. "I'm really shy and I'm afraid of being naked around other people."

That's totally understandable. Most people don't want to be naked in front of others. Honestly, no one really wants to oogle at others (unless you do, that's cool). Like I said, most people go to the bathroom for one reason and that's why they're there. If there are others in the bathroom, they are thinking the same thing as you are. Everyone is just as unnerved by a new bathroom setup as you are. No one will bother you  and if they do, talk to your RA to fix it, because that person is weird. 

Also, don't forget that you'll probably meet a lot of people on your floor and even become friends with some. I even sang a duet with one girl on my floor because I knew her from one of my classes. You will get used to your bathroom!

5. "What if the bathroom gets really crowded? Do I need to wait my turn?"

This can definitely be a problem with some bigger schools, but it can be adjusted to. Sometimes, yeah, you might have to wait for a stall. I'm a night showerer and even then there were a handful of times throughout the year where I had to wait my turn. Luckily, my room was right next to the bathroom so I could just hear when the stalls were taken or free. I think more people tend to shower in the morning. The best way to combat a crowd is to avoid it! It will depend on your personal schedule, but I bet no one has the same one. Try showering at a different time (morning instead of night, vice versa) or going in a bit earlier or later. Try learning the busy times when the bathroom is most full and plan around it, like brush your teeth and do your face wash at the sink before your shower, or something like that. 

xx

Alex | Doubt1337