One of the biggest concerns of incoming freshmen is the dreaded communal bathroom. It's quite intimidating to think that you may have to share a bathroom with over 20 other strangers come fall, but in reality, communal bathrooms aren't that bad. Truly. I'm not just saying this!
Although community bathrooms have their downsides, in my opinion, the positives outweigh the negatives. Coming to school as a former athlete, I was well used to using public locker rooms to shower and change after practice. And honestly, I've come to learn that communal bathrooms are not much different. Even if you aren't used to using public changing rooms, it's not hard to get used to a communal restroom! Communal bathrooms are often rather convenient.
Here are some of the benefits of communal bathrooms:
- There is almost always something available for you: Communal bathrooms are usually equipped with a decent amount of toilets, sinks, and showers, and most times you'll find at least one open and available for you to use. I've only had to wait for a shower once my entire freshman year, and I've never had to wait for a toilet.
- You have choices: If one shower has weak water pressure, breaks, or is slow to warm up, you have several other options! You're not stuck with using the same shower every time. Trust me, this is a valuable aspect of communal bathrooms. Not all showers are made equal.
- You don't have to clean them: Most colleges have a janitorial staff to clean all the communal bathrooms. This may not seem like a big deal, but you'll be really glad that you don't have to clean the bathroom that a girl down the hall puked in.
- You don't have to stock them: Again, most colleges keep the bathrooms stocked. You don't have to spend extra money on toilet paper and paper towels. Plus, they're already furnished with curtains and the like; no need to spend your money!
- Your rooms are usually some distance from the bathroom: This may not seem like a positive thing. Who wants to walk out the door of the dorm room and all the way down the hallway just to use the bathroom? But this means that you don't have close proximity to the various sounds and smells of the bathroom.
- People will respect your privacy: Everyone else on your floor wants the same things as you do when concerning the communal bathrooms. They'll respect your privacy in hopes that you'll respect theirs.
- It'll help you to meet all the people on your floor: Unlike a suite-style or private bathroom arrangement, communal bathrooms force the entire floor to have a common space. You'll meet the girls from all the way down the other side of the hallway really soon into the school year. Some people with their own bathrooms never interact with the others on their floor because they have no reason to.
So don't worry about communal bathrooms if you find yourself living in a dorm that has them! They're really not that bad. You'll learn to appreciate them as the year goes on, trust me.
