Communal Bathrooms

<p>...being the germ freak that I am, I am wondering how hard it is to land in a dorm room that does not come with a communal bathroom. Any word?</p>

<p>Well, there are ten dorms. The ones with private bathrooms (at least for first years) are Broadview (unless you’re in a double) and Blackstone (you actually share with one other person, but it’s pretty damn close to a private bathroom). I know that Pierce, South, BJ, Snitchcock all have communal bathrooms. MaxP you share with your suitemates (there are four of you). If they let first years into Stony Island again, then you’ll share a bathroom (or two) with your apartment (which has 4 people, I think). No idea about Breck or Maclean.</p>

<p>So, your best bet is Broadview. Luckily for you, not TOO many people want Broadview because it’s so goddamn far away.</p>

<p>Breck has communal bathrooms although they’re really not that bad. Besides Broadview and Blackstone, MaxP is your best bet due to the sheer number of suites, although I’ve heard of a lot of first-years who wanted Max and didn’t get it.</p>

<p>I don’t mind sharing with some people. but the idea of a communal bathroom to be shared with 18 others kinda freaks me out.</p>

<p>THANKS</p>

<p>Of the dorms I’ve been in:</p>

<p>Snell-Hitchcock, Pierce, and Burton-Judson have communal bathrooms.</p>

<p>Max Palevsky has suites of 2 doubles each, with 2 half-bathrooms shared between 4 people. I’m pretty sure Blackstone and Stony have private bathrooms. </p>

<p>When asked for housing, you’ll be prompted for your first three choices. Unless you’re coming off of the waitlist, or otherwise respond very late, you’ll most likely be able to receive one of those three choices.</p>

<p>Your best bets for non-communal bathrooms are Max, Blackstone, and Broadview. If I recall correctly, the bathrooms in BJ are only shared by a handful of people.</p>

<p>Bathrooms in BJ are generally per floor; there are usually about 10 to a floor with some floors having less. My floor, for example, only has five people on it because the RH apartment is also there. </p>

<p>I think that if you turned your housing forms in reasonably early and were very clear about your preferences, you could probably get a bathroom you didn’t have to share with many people.</p>

<p>I’ll make a comment on Breck bathrooms (and other dorms bathrooms, as I’ve been in quite a few… that sounds weird.)</p>

<p>Breck bathrooms were the scariest to me-- older dorm, one communal bathroom for 30+ girls… I have never had to wait for a bathroom, and I generally am not grossed out. I am also a germ/neat freak. I have been surprised.</p>

<p>Max bathrooms are a mixed bunch. You would think that they would be cleaner because you are responsible for cleaning your own bathroom (except they do clean them over winter break). But, alas, there is always the one person in the suite who doesn’t want to take their turn cleaning the bathroom. I know you’re thinking that you can just put that you want another neat freak on your housing app… you can try, but my neat freak friend is trapped in a messy double.</p>

<p>Snitch… worse than Breck. >.< I was not a fan. Not the worst, but it depends on if you’re in Snell or Hitchcock and how neat your floormates are.</p>

<p>If you think you can keep up with cleaning and stocking your own bathroom, which will catch up with you during midterms (which are constant), then Blackstone might work for you.</p>

<p>I’ll just say: basing your dorm choice on bathrooms is a bad decision. You should go with dorm culture #1. I made a (kinda bad) decision based on some weird preferences. I don’t really regret it, but it could’ve been bad.</p>

<p>Really, bathrooms are workable in all the dorms. It shouldn’t be a huge worry. You’ll have some privacy regardless (there are stalls for the sinks in Breck-- very private). Thousands of students before you have made it work. You can, too.</p>

<p>As kitkatkatie implies, human beings, especially young adult human beings, have an impressive capacity to adapt to all sorts of bathroom arrangements. The University of Chicago has no bathroom set-ups in its dorms that are unreasonable by any normal standards. You will be fine. This is the kind of thing that looms large in the imagination of many 12th graders, especially those who haven’t had to deal with different bathroom arrangements before, but that really, truly doesn’t matter. </p>

<p>(OK, there are people with special needs or psychiatric conditions for whom bathroom arrangements do really, truly matter. But they are rare exceptions, and they and their doctors know who they are. They will get accommodations and be fine, too.)</p>