To shower or not to shower.

Communally Showering
If you are an only child this may be a rude awakening for you. Even if you shared your bathroom at home with a sibling or two it may still be an adjustment, just less of a shock. You’ll share showers, stalls, and sinks. It really isn’t as terrible as it seems. You get used to it quickly, because there is really no other choice.

Suggestions
Come with a shower caddy; it makes the entire process a lot easier. Leave all insecurities on a shelf, along with any history of being privileged with a private bathroom, and fears of being shy. You don’t have much of a choice. It’s either adapt to sharing with 34 other girls, or being the smelly girl on the floor. Your choice.

SHOES!
Although the cleaning staff is undoubtedly amazing; do not enter the dorm bathrooms barefoot. It’s just disgusting in theory and in practice. My best piece of advice: do NOT get flip flops to shower in. Spring for bona fide water shoes, they will definitely be worth the money. Flip flops are slippery, stay slippery, and have zero traction. If you slip leaving the bathroom and your head catches your fall on the tile step that separates the hallway and the bathroom ... you could end up becoming very familiar with the Watauga County Emergency Room, 21 stitches, and a concussion. I can vouch for it, personally.

Other things to watch out for
I’ve never had a problem with getting a stall, sink, or shower to use. Heads up though: if you are in the shower and you hear the toilet flush: MOVE, immediately. The water temperature goes up about 27 degrees, or at least it feels like. And do not treat the bathrooms like you would at home, your floormates won’t like you, and your cleaning staff is way too cool to have to deal with that.