If you have IBD and college is on your horizon, you might be worried about the prospect of living in a dorm room. While I’m sure there are a million ways to finagle a way around this rule, I suggest sucking it up and living in the dorms for at least your freshman year. Living in the dorms is a rite of passage and a great way to start your academic career. It will help ease the transition of living on your own, force you to grow as a person, and most importantly jump-start your social life.
Don’t get me wrong, living in the dorms has its drawbacks, and if you’re a freshman with Crohn’s I’m sure you have at least a few concerns about the dreaded dorm bathroom.
I understand the fears, but knowledge is power, and everything is a little less scary when you know what to expect. It’s been over a decade since I last lived in a dorm room, but I’ll never forget how the different dorm styles each offered their own unique bathroom situation. So, without further ado, I have created a comprehensive list highlighting the pros and cons of the most common types of dorm bathrooms.
Suite Style
This is a lot like living in a one-bathroom apartment with four roommates. Sometimes it is an actual apartment-style dorm, but at my school, this meant two dorm rooms with a connected bathroom in-between that is shared by both sets of roommates.
Pro: Semi-private and personal. You can choose your TP and even keep wet wipes stocked. Also, you can share the cleaning duties with your suitemates.
Con: There is one bathroom for four people and one of you has Crohn’s Disease. A flare-up could be embarrassing if you aren’t close to your suitemates, plus if the one bathroom is occupied, you could end up with a few extra trips to the laundry room, if you know what I mean.
Private
Exactly what you would expect, much like having an apartment to yourself. Most kid’s eyes light up when they hear about this option.
Pro: Complete privacy, you have a bathroom all to yourself. Guaranteed to never have to wait to use the can.
Con: These are scarce and are usually twice as expensive as other options. Also, there is no maid service, and you may not realize just how much work it is keeping a bathroom clean.
Communal Style
Personally, this is my favorite option and definitely the most common. There is a public bathroom on each floor. Depending on if the residents are comfortable with it, these bathrooms are sometimes coed, but this is rare today and a college or university would never force students to feel uncomfortable about a bathroom situation.
Pro: There is a good chance there will be a toilet available when you need one. Plus, a custodian will clean and restock the bathroom at least once a day so you won’t have to worry about that.
Con: Complete lack of privacy, and the TP could be a bit rough.
I hope this gives you a little extra information when deciding on living arrangements in your first few years of college. And while you may not be able to choose your bathroom situation your freshmen year, trust me when I say you CAN get through any bathroom situation.
Do you have any other bathroom situations to share? Let us know in the comments section below!
