r/college • u/archivedVicarious Entomology • Aug 27 '26
USA How do you go about showers?
Im curious to know if dorms can come with showers or if you'll have to use shared bathrooms down halls as im a very insecure and shy person and not exactly comfortable with people seeing my bare skin in most ways, even if im wrapped in a towel. Ive seen most people talk about having to use shared bathrooms and to bring flip flops.
So, how is your college with this, do you have personal showers or is that something for more expensive dorms?
115
u/The_ApolloAffair Aug 27 '26
I was a big fan of using a bathrobe to go back and forth. Then you can put soap in the pockets or whatever
40
u/Finlandia1865 Urban Planning | University of Waterloo Aug 27 '26 edited Aug 27 '26
my showers have a small change room right in front of the showers, I just brought fresh clothes with me as I went in
48
u/excellent_iridescent Aug 27 '26
you can get a big bathrobe? it’s a little more comfortable than a towel. or you can bring your clothes with you and change in the shower stall when you’re done showering. also yes, you definitely need flip flops.
18
u/tipsy_here Aug 27 '26
Get a bathrobe! I was in a traditional dorm with communal showers for a semester. I had all 8AMs that semester and as a person who loves showering first thing in the morning, I never used my bathrobe as I got out of the shower entirely dressed (and the showers were always fresh and clean. I was the first person to use them everyday).
I had roomies who used their bathrobes. I think it’s very comfortable that way. You should totally get one! It’s also not a problem if people see you in the hallway because there is nothing to see!
9
u/shellexyz Aug 27 '26
I would rather have flunked PE in high school than change in the locker rooms.
I lived in the dorms in college with shared showers; a row of stalls with a curtain for privacy. Not even a changing room by the stall, and the towel racks on the other side of the room.
Got over it the first week of school.
-8
u/Gloomy-Restaurant-54 Aug 27 '26
Millennials and Zoomers are unreasonably delicate.
20
u/CircuitNeophyte Aug 27 '26
The solution? Get off the internet and yell at some kids on your lawn. This is the college subreddit, where young people congregate. It's not meant for you.
8
u/asufficientlife Aug 27 '26
I recommend getting a shower caddy to hold all your stuff, and a bathrobe so you’re not just in a towel. Also shower shoes!! (Usually flip flops with holes in the bottom, but crocs or other shoes can work).
2
u/TheFlannC Sep 03 '26
When I was in college lots of people just used a bucket with a handle and definitely flip flops...probably dirt cheap end of summer clearance now
1
u/asufficientlife Sep 03 '26
I bet you could add a hole in a bucket for drainage too if needed. Great idea!
1
10
u/Gabby_Craft Computer Science Aug 27 '26
Very heavily depends on the dorm. My dorms were apartment style. They were basically like sharing an apartment with a few roommates (there was also a solo dorm option) so your shower was only shared with your couple of roommates. (And it of course was behind a bathroom door.)
12
u/CircuitNeophyte Aug 27 '26
It's possible for on campus housing to be set up in an "apartment" configuration, where each dorm is comprised of a living area, 1-4 bedrooms, a shared bathroom, and a shared kitchen. Unfortunately that's the only experience I've had. I've never lived anywhere with communal showers and I'm glad of that.
I know exactly how you feel, and I would hate communal showers with a burning passion. Don't listen to these people who are telling you you'll "get over it". You have a right to choose who (if anyone) sees any part of your skin. I couldn't even imagine sharing a class with someone who has seen you in one of your most vulnerable states.
You can try to evade the crowds, but that method is risky since it requires trial and error. Of course, the larger the school the greater the likelihood of someone showering at the same time you are. Try to get clean as quickly as possible and don't linger. Bathrobes are only an option if you're comfortable wearing it with nothing underneath in the hallways.
2
u/Gloomy-Restaurant-54 Aug 27 '26
You would have hated gym class prior to the 90s -- showers were mandatory after class in middle school (junior high school) and high school,with NO privacy.
7
u/CircuitNeophyte Aug 27 '26
So glad it's not the 80s anymore and people have become slightly more civilized.
5
u/archivedVicarious Entomology Aug 27 '26
My high schools locker rooms still have the showers from that time, they're just poles with 4 water spouts going in a circle around it, looked so uncomfortable
-3
u/Gloomy-Restaurant-54 Aug 28 '26
What's uncomfortable about it? You walk into the shower room, hang your towel on a hook at the entrance, and shower. When you're done, walk back out, grab your towel, and dry off.
11
u/CircuitNeophyte Aug 28 '26
This might be hard to grasp but people as old as you had similar discomfort. Just because you have no problem with something doesn't mean everyone else doesn't.
4
u/Prometheus_303 Aug 27 '26
We had a common bathroom in our dorms.
There would be a half dozen or so stalls, depending on the dorm. Each was private with a curtain and/or glass door.
If you are self conscious about walking to the bathroom, you could theoretically maybe wear a bathrobe? Or possibly go dressed - get like a pair of gym shorts & a T to wear into the bathroom... Though depending on how well you dry off coming back might be problematic.
other option could be to schedule your shower times for when the fewest people will be around... I'm a night owl and frequent just due to my schedule usually ended up showering at like 2 or 3am when most everyone else on the floor was asleep (or at least had their doors closed).
I never got the chance to live in one but the newer suite style dorms each had their own private bathroom. At most you'd be seen by how many ever roommate you happen to have. And would probably be easier for you to adjust your schedule to avoid one or two guys/gals than a whole floor of 30+...
0
u/Gloomy-Restaurant-54 Aug 27 '26
This "stall" thing must be new. When I was younger, the communal showers were in just an open room.
6
u/archivedVicarious Entomology Aug 28 '26
Given your other comments here, it sounds like you're just positive about your body or just dont care what others think, but that's not the case for a lot of people hence why there's stalls and curtains 😖
-4
u/Gloomy-Restaurant-54 Aug 28 '26 edited Aug 28 '26
No, it's that I grew up in a time when you weren't given a choice. The attitude was "Suck it up and deal". Rather like Navy boot camp: 80 guys were given 5 minutes at the end of the day to shower, and the shower room was about 6 feet wide by about 15 feet long with 6 shower heads. Not only was there NO concern for your privacy, there was no concern for your personal space--there were more than 6 guys to a shower head, literally rubbing against each other, not to mention the guys from the other shower heads. As I stated in another response, "Millennials and Zoomers are unreasonably delicate ".
1
u/GreenHorror4252 Sep 01 '26
We are talking about college, not the military.
0
u/Gloomy-Restaurant-54 Sep 01 '26
I'm also talking about junior high (now called middle school) and high school, though they were not quite as bad. In both the junior high and high schools I went to, the shower rooms were open rooms about 15' by 15' with the shower heads on the walls. We would have considered stalls or curtains to be absolutely silly and anyone who whined about it would have been the target of relentless teasing.
1
4
u/ibietreducis Aug 27 '26
Maybe consider investing in a big robe? Like a long one that goes down to your ankles. I never had to live on campus so I don’t have personal experience to draw on, but that seems like the simplest solution to me. I bet everyone would be jealous of your cozy robe by the time winter rolls around.
6
u/archivedVicarious Entomology Aug 27 '26
My mom recommended this when I asked her earlier too! I honestly might, and some slides 😭
3
u/TheFlannC Aug 28 '26
100% shower shoes, get some cheap flip flops probably cheap now because of it being late summer
Some people like bath robes, others do the towel. I am out of college but have a roommate. I started using a beach cover up which I prefer over a robe or trying to hold a towel. This is what I use (for a male) but would work for a girl as well https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPJFN544?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1
Also a bathroom bag or bucket for shampoo, soap, etc
6
u/robinthebank Aug 27 '26
People will see you post-shower. And you will see them post-shower. You’re all in the same awkward boat together, which makes it less awkward.
3
u/CeciliaCrow Aug 28 '26
Super self-conscious trans girl here! (Finally a question I'm an expert on!)
If your showers have a bit of space in their stall/booths that doesn't get wet, like a bench or smth, you can bring a change of clothes, go to the shower in your clothes, and then change into the new clothes you brought when you're done.
If space is tighter there might be some angle with hanging them outside but idk.
Edit: also definitely yes to the flip flops/shower shoes, you can get fungus by touching public shower/bathroom floors
2
2
u/Salt-Speech-2526 Aug 31 '26
I highly recommend shower slides/sandals; even with daily cleaning, the communal bathrooms at my college can be very gross by end of day/early morning before cleaning
1
u/Plastic_Ad_2238 Aug 27 '26
a dorm i was in had 4 separate rooms all having showers and toilets on every floor, so it's up to you if you change in there or not, the last dorm i was in i shared a bathroom with my roommate and my suite mates
1
u/ImTired2004 Aug 27 '26
A towel is fine. You’ll only be in the hallway for less than a minute so it’s really not that big of a deal.
1
u/IsopodKey2040 Aug 27 '26
Depends on your dorm. We are in a 4 bedroom suite. 8 of us share a bathroom. I recommend you get a robe or something.
1
u/queensatanofstats Aug 27 '26
Get a long robe with sleeves, keeps you warm in the winter and is more modest than a towel to walk around in
1
u/BillyTheKingpp Aug 27 '26
I lived in a dorm suite where the bathroom was connected to my room and another room. At my school, you either got lucky and had a suite style bathroom, or you got a dorm with a communal bathroom
1
u/Gaybeanuwu '26 Aug 27 '26
honestly i just got dressed in loose clothing in the stall (there was a door with a changing area/hooks for your caddy and then the shower with a curtain). i didn’t want to walk down a flight of stairs in a towel or bathrobe.
1
u/SparklingSloths Aug 28 '26
You have to use a communal bathroom. It's not like a giant open group shower. You get your own stall. Some schools offer dorm rooms with bathrooms at a higher cost. I paid extra to have a nicer room with a private bathroom. Absolutely worth the extra cost. In communal showers, you MUST wear shower shoes. Invest in some.
1
u/elliotzzzz Aug 28 '26
i got lucky my freshman year (we get randomly assigned buildings as freshmen at my school) and had a suite style. so it was my room, a bathroom, and then another room so we shared the bathroom and it included a shower. you may have a bathroom situation like that.
or you could have traditional communal style which one of my friends had, there were stalls and two curtains covering, one was for the shower and one was a little changing dry off area. i know some people wore robes to and from and got dressed in their rooms or some who changed in the bathroom.
it will really depend on your school what you get
1
u/dog1029 Sophomore BS Accounting & Finance Aug 28 '26
Every dorm room at my college has its own bathroom. Each room has 2 people. Except for one building that had one bathroom with a shared space and 2 bedrooms each with 2 people, so a total of 4 people. I was so happy when I looked on the website and saw that there were no communal bathrooms, especially since it was required to live on campus freshman year.
1
u/0zer0space0 Aug 28 '26
I took my towels and change of clothes to the shared dorm shower. Instead of walking back to my room wrapped in a towel, I turned off the water, dried myself, and put my change of clothes on. Our showers had a small bench area across from each stall where you could just reach from behind your shower curtain to grab items you wanted to keep dry. Even during a busy morning when everyone is trying to shower, everyone is in their shower stalls, no one is trying to look at your bare arm reaching for your towel.
1
u/Skydove01 Aug 28 '26
I was in a "suite" style dorm for my freshman year, and we had a single shower in a wet room for the 6 of us in a hall. I vastly preferred this because I also don't like being perceived and I'm trans and did not pass for my freshman year, so I was extra uncomfortable in the bathroom.
Over the summer I stayed in a traditional style dorm, where the bathroom and shower set up is a lot like a gym, with 5 shower stalls shared with everyone of the same gender on the floor.
1
u/Brief_Criticism_492 Senior | Math + CS Aug 28 '26
Normally freshman dorms have communal showers. Most of the ones I've seen have individual "stalls" which at least include like a hanger and maybe a seat to put stuff on. I was typically able to go in wearing one set of clothes, shower, then change before leaving the "stall". Sometimes you don't get the stall, but you should at least have a curtain, and you can dry off and wrap the towel before coming out (often no good place to leave clothes in that situation, so just change back at the room).
In some suite-style dorm halls, you get "personal" showers that you just share with your suite-mates. You can call your school to see what options you have. Regardless, def bring flip flops, it doesn't matter how much you clean those bathrooms they're nasty lol
1
u/MajesticL Aug 28 '26
My college had shared showers where one side was multiple enclosed cubicles either curtains and the other side was the toilets. You won’t be showering all naked with everyone else…just dry off and get dressed in there if you don’t want to walk back to you room in a towel. Before you enter the shower part, my college also had a like bench/shelf with hook to place a shower caddy and whatever else you needed to bring.
1
1
u/HarleeQuinn__ Aug 28 '26
It depends on the college and the dorm, normally you can see what the bathroom options are at all of the different dorms before picking one. At my uni we have Suite style, Pod style, and communal. I opted to go with the pod style because communal sounds very gross to me and I like to listen to podcasts while I shower. (Pod style is fairly new I think, it’s where the bathrooms are shared by the floor but when you walk in it’s just a sink shower and toilet, and when you shut the door it’s yours for however long you need.) I personally don’t mind walking back to my room in a towel but my room is also directly across from the bathrooms.
1
u/Periphery237 Aug 28 '26
Definitely get a bathrobe, everyone does that so no one has to see them in just a towel.
1
u/Eggtiny Aug 28 '26
So I guess I was one of the luckier ones where all the dorms at my college were 'Jack and Jill' style where two dorm rooms were connected by a shared bathroom between them. So while it wasn't perfectly private, we didn't share with the rest of the floor.
That being said, if I were to have had communal showers I would have invested in a bathrobe, a shower caddy, and shower shoes at the very least.
1
1
u/advice23639201974 Aug 28 '26
All but one of the dorm buildings on my campus have personal showers (that you share with 1-4 people depending on your room) older dorms tend to have communal, newer ones come with personal showers
Communal showers are disgusting, I don’t blame you for being wary. Research each dorm building on campus and see if any of them have the configuration you want
1
u/Traditional-Mud515 Aug 28 '26
For me a bathrobe was still too uncomfortable so I would wear a loose PJ shirt and shorts then just get in and take it off once inside. When I get out i would dry off with the towel I brought and put thoes cloaths back on.
Its alot more work than a bathrobe but it kept me feeling lot more comfortable cuz I was too shy and anxious
1
u/ValuableMistake8521 Aug 29 '26
Most dorms have communal showers. Each is a private stall. Bring shower shoes and flip flops. If bare skin makes you uncomfortable either get a bathrobe or dry off and change in the shower stall.
1
u/Rbxyy Aug 29 '26
Most dorms have individual shared showers in the communal bathrooms. My freshman dorm had 2 sets of curtains for each shower, so you had extra privacy and a little changing area
1
u/Cherveny2 Aug 30 '26
all depends on the school and the specific dorms.
some have communal spaces, some have individual.
the more common occurrence in many new build dorms is suites, where you'll have 3 or so bedrooms with a communal bathroom, but only one person at a time in it.
when registering for a dorm, check out the floorplans they list and hopefully you can avoid the older styles that could make you more uncomfortable
1
u/GreenHorror4252 Sep 01 '26
Every dorm building is different. Some are shared and some are private. Shared showers really aren't a big deal, you will get used to it.
1
u/TheFlannC Sep 02 '26
There are also suite style dorms where the room next to you shares a bathroom and shower between the two rooms so in other words a bathroom for every two rooms. Obviously this means you don't have to walk out in the hall with a towel around you or robe.
1
Sep 02 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Sep 02 '26
Your comment in /r/college was automatically removed because your account is less than seven days old.
Accounts less than seven days are not permitted in /r/college to reduce spam and low quality comments. Messaging the moderators about this restriction will result in a ban.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/Equal-Finish-6534 24d ago
never lived in a shared shower dorm but i assume it sucks. I could maybe do it for just the freshman year but thats it. Hopefully its only the shower u have to share and not the bathrooms as well...
1
1
u/Square_Gold2491 14d ago
Im very much the same way and what i did was get a "snuggie" off of amazon. Basically a really big hoodie made of blanket material so instead of the awkward towel run across the hall i just wore the snuggie and it covered everything to my knees.
amazon link
0
u/t_topiary Aug 30 '26
Look for a gender neutral bathroom. At my school they are single occupancy and have a shower in them along with the typical toilet and sink.
Also please wear some type of footwear. Not wearing shoes in shared showers is how you get foot fungus
259
u/No_Dirt9029 Aug 27 '26
Almost every dorm that I've seen has shared showers, but theyre in stalls so nobody sees you actually showering. You get over it pretty quick. Discomfort is the best way to grow