College and Shared Bathrooms!

[tabster]

OK I am starting to panic here. I go away to school on the 9th, and I will be sharing a bathroom with 3 other people. My fear is that viruses and such are always all over the school, and what I get a sv* and have to run in the bathroom, but someone is already in there?! Or what if THEY get one, and they don't wash their hands or clean it up the right way and the germs are everywhere? Or what if someone gets drunk and v* in the bathroom?! (That one actually happened to my cousin).

I'm trying to think of practical solutions: What types of medications should I bring? Should I bring a sick bucket? What are the best cleaning supplies for killing off germs? I already have this feeling that I will be the one cleaning the bathroom every week, just because I don't trust anyone else to do it right.

[person54321]

First off, those things are REALLY unlikely. I've never lived in a suite, but I have lived in big dorms for seven years (!) and have very rarely encountered v*. I can count all the instances on one hand, over seven years. And that's having always shared the bathrooms with at least 20 or 30 people, and only once was it just sitting around from a drunk person, and that was when I lived on a floor with 50 or so other women. I never worried about catching a sv until this past year, meaning I'd almost never bother washing my hands and I didn't catch one.

Don't bring a sick bucket. Also even if someone gets drunk and v* in your bathroom, just keep telling yourself it cannot possibly hurt you. You can't catch anything from it and it's not dangerous. It's also unlikely to happen.

[tabster]

See it's the people that don't wash their hands that freak me out.....yeah you were okay even though you didn't wash your hands but you could have been a carrier and spreading everything everywhere! Dorms are so unclean....

[person54321]

Well since I wasn't sick, I wasn't a carrier. In fact there were only two instances of outbreaks in my seven years of dorm life, and only one person in my group of friends got it, and she's EXTREMELY stomach bug prone. Dorms are cleaned fairly thoroughly. Since we had common bathrooms the toilets were and faucets were cleaned daily and showers scrubbed cleaned twice a week.

The point I'm trying to make by saying that I didn't wash my hands much (and also touched my face all the time) is that dorms AREN'T that disgusting. They really aren't horrible germ breeding grounds of filth. I had so many opportunities to get sick as did my friends and none of us were sick with anything more than the occasional cold (and one instance of influenza).

[crd08]

I shared a bathroom with a whole floor of 12-14 girls and I never got ill/experience anybody getting ill or had a sick roommate.
The university cleans them every single day. I always washed my hands of course, but I'm not real strict about touching my face. I actually am always touching my face out of habit, and was still fine.
They really aren't that dirty, probably not any more than your own home. Have you ever been in one? College is enough stress as it is, so don't add more for yourself. Just try to enjoy the experience. I don't have to live in dorms anymore, but I'm glad I did and it was actual very pleasant, other than some noise issues

[tabster]

I've lived in a dorm before, but I had my own bathroom one year, and the next year I shared with one other girl.This year I am sharing with 3 other girls, and since it is not a community bathroom we are in charge of cleaning. When I shared last time, the girl NEVER cleaned it. And it was disgusting.

Yes I know I am worrying too much....I'll probably be fine once I get there, it's just the anticipation.