Adjusting to dorm life can be difficult, but one of the hardest lessons to learn is sharing pretty much everything with a whole bunch of strangers. Especially when it comes to the bathroom. Here are some of the not-so-pretty truths about using communal dorm bathrooms.
1. The Showers
There will be hair on the shower wall. Most likely it won't be yours. It will be extremely gross to have unidentified hair all over the walls and clogging up the drains. If you do happen to accidentally deposit some of your hair on the walls, make sure to clean it up. For everyone's sake.
2. The Smell
It's a bathroom. An unavoidable facet of bathrooms is the smell. Most times, this smell will not be your fault. But, like it or not, there will come a day where the bathroom will stink and it will be your fault. So unless you want to start carrying air freshener into the restroom with you, don't expect your dorm mates to either. Shit happens. Literally.
3. The Shower Shoes
Shower shoes, or flip flops, are a must when sharing a bathroom with 40 other people. Wearing them isn't that bad, but they are another thing you have to keep track of when it comes to showering. That being said, going home and finally getting to shower without having to wear shoes is a liberating feeling.
4. The Morning Rush
If you thought sharing counter space with siblings was bad, attempt brushing your teeth at the same time as 10 of your hall mates with only 4 sinks for all of you to share. I'll let you do the math on that one.
5. The Walk
It takes a certain amount of bravery to step out of your dorm in only a robe the first time you make the trek down to the showers, especially if you live on a co-ed floor. Trying to juggle your shower caddy and towel while trying to avoid exposing yourself seems to be a harrowing task. Fortunately, it does get easier once you realize that literally no one is paying any attention to you. They've all done the exact same thing.
6. The Best Shower
In every dorm bathroom, there are one or two shower stalls that are just the best. Whether it's because it's the cleanest, the biggest, or has the best proximity to the wall hooks for optimal towel and robe access, there's a least one shower that everyone seems to prefer. If you're lucky enough to walk into the bathroom at a prime bathing time and find the best shower unoccupied, you'd better run to your room and grab your shower things before someone else has a chance to hop in.
7. The Weird Shower Schedule
If you want a quality, unrushed shower, chances are you're gonna have to go at times when the bathroom isn't busy. These times are usually early in the morning, late at night, or some random time in the middle of the day. This can lead to a pretty wacky bathing schedule, but at least you're fitting in a shower at all.
There are definitely lessons to be learned from having to share a bathroom with your floor mates, but it's just a part of dorm living. It's not the most fun part of college, but it gets better with time. Just go with the flow and remember, it's a bathroom, shit happens.
