One of the joys of college, besides  football, classes, organizations and such, is the chance to experience dorm life for the first time. For the majority of freshmen, this is a rather incredible experience. Whether one is located in the prestigious Zacharias Village or on the south side (hello, Cresswell!), there are a few things one has to get used to, particularly for those who live in a dorm with community bathrooms.
Ah, yes, sharing bathrooms and showers with a large group of people is one of life’s most unforgettable experiences. For the most part, I have no complaints. It’s not as if it’s as convenient as having one’s own bathroom, but there aren’t a lot of issues. Still, there have been a few things I’ve noticed that have made me want to either file a stern complaint or run screaming from the bathroom, knocking over innocent bystanders in my path. Sometimes a mixture of both.
The thing that really just baffles me is why some people refuse to put on shower shoes. It is incredible how many seem to believe shower shoes are not a required part of going to the showers. Well, let me break it to you: THEY ARE. I don’t even want to know what’s on that floor, (most likely some horrible dirt and hair mixture) but trust me, your feet do not need to be anywhere near touching it. This is for your health’s sake. When I’m showering and I glance down and see your bare feet wallowing in all that filth, all I can think of is what kind of horrible funguses or alien life forms are going to be sprouting upon your feet. I picture the day when the weather gets nicer and everyone starts wearing their chacos and flip-flops, and you’re walking about with some mushroom tree coming off your toes. This is easily preventable! All it takes is some $2 Walmart flip-flops!
Also, when taking a shower, please do not leave personal reminders that you were there. Truly, I do not enjoy opening the curtain to take a quick shower only to find someone has left a lovely “gift” for me to remember them by.  It’s so nice — almost like a disgusting treasure hunt — to find stuff like panties, sports bras, silverware (what, were you eating in there?) and — my personal favorite — a pile of fake fingernails. That last one? There were real fingernails in that pile too. Nobody needs to see that. That’s a crime against the senses. The shower is supposed to be a safe place, not one where there’s a danger of impaling oneself on a fork or accidentally coming out of there with someone else’s undergarments.
One of the most interesting occurrences I’ve witnessed since living in a communal bathroom is the practice of people who go to the bathroom while talking on their cell phone. Now, let me be clear: they are not just standing in a stall with the door shut, blabbing away. No, they are actually using the facilities while carrying on a conversation. If I was on the other side of the line, I don’t know if I would like talking to someone about their great-grandfather’s funeral only to hear a loud flush in the background and the sound of a toilet lid being shut. I remember walking in one day clearly hearing someone say, “Mmm, are we going on that date tonight?” This is a question that should never be asked when one is using the toilet. It’s weird. There are some places where asking someone to go out is not only inappropriate but also borderline rude. And even if that date is super successful, just think about that time you asked your boyfriend out while sitting on a toilet. Romantic, no?
Hopefully after reading this, one will have a greater appreciation for bathroom niceties. It’s not difficult to scrub away those bad habits. Just remember to talk to your grandmother in some place other than the bathroom, pick up your silverware and, for Pete’s sake, put on some flip-flops.