Natwerk Designs

Whats up with bathrooms and showering in college dorms?

I'm reading up on residence stuff, and some of the dorms mention a private bathroom, some dont mention bathrooms at all. So whats a private bathroom really, and what's a communal bathroom like? and showering for that matter too--whats communal showering like? are there private showers in private bathrooms?

Public Comments

1. My daughter lived on a typical dorm hall with a shared bathroom. There were 3-4 individual shower stalls (either with doors or shower curtains -- I can't remember which), so the girls did have some privacy. There were 4-6 sinks with mirrors and a bunch of toilet stalls. So while the girls did share a bathroom, they still had some privacy. A suite-style arrangement usually has 3-4 double rooms, a common living area, and a shared bathroom, but you're sharing it with fewer people. Each university has their own bathroom arrangements, so if that's something that concerns you, ask about it. If you can visit the campus, ask to see a typical dorm hall and bathroom.
2. Very few modern American colleges have truly communal showers, where everybody's naked together. More commonly they have partitioned shower stalls with curtains or doors -- like at a health club. This may be different from what you grew up with, but it's not that big a deal. Private bathroom means it's accessible only to the residents of your room/suite. A suite typically has 4-6 people, so there would be 1-2 private shower areas for that group. Go visit and ask to see the dorms -- including both kinds if you're concerned about this difference.
3. Communal showers means there is a big bathroom with like 5 showers. Each shower usually has its own changing area where you can leave your clothes, and then a curtain in front of the shower. So there is a door and a curtain. I did this for 3 years. It's really not a big deal. You get used to it.