How are the communal bathrooms in USAFA?

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FLUXZiON

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I'm new to this idea of communal bathrooms, and from relatives in other universities I have heard bad things about them.


1. Are they co-ed?

2. Are you assigned to a specific bathroom?
2.5. How many people are assigned to one bathroom?

3. Do the fine cadets of USAFA keep the bathrooms clean? (From what I have heard, this is a no for other universities.)

4. Are they open 24/7 all the time?

5. Can someone PM me or post a picture of how these bathrooms look?
(I live way too far for a tour so the internet is my only resort until I am 100% sure I'm going to USAFA.)
(I understand if this isn't allowed.)


thank
 
1. They are not co-ed.

2. You are not assigned to a specific bathroom. The bathrooms are evenly spaced throughout the dorm. There’s probably a bathroom closest to your room that will become your “normal” bathroom.

3. There are contractors that clean the bathrooms throughout the week. Cadets are expected to keep them in general good order, but are not cleaning toilets, sinks, or showers. They can get a little messy over the weekends.

4. They are open 24/7.

5. Sorry, I don’t have any pictures.
 
I've seen many interesting questions on SAF. I have not seen any that are this, um, interesting. Not sure what to think. And maybe I shouldn't think about it at all.

I trust this is just general curiosity and not someone trolling. Or someone making a career decision based on communal bathrooms. Not sure which one of those would be worse.
 
MidCakePa said:
I've seen many interesting questions on SAF. I have not seen any that are this, um, interesting. Not sure what to think. And maybe I shouldn't think about it at all.

I trust this is just general curiosity and not someone trolling. Or someone making a career decision based on communal bathrooms. Not sure which one of those would be worse.
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I do recall a thread some years ago where an applicant had a concern about shared bathrooms. The SAF community shared insights about toilet and shower facilities in remote and combat locations, and how you just accept and deal with it.
 
On other college sites it can turn into a bit of a cultural journey as kids (and parents) that have grown up with their own bathrooms learn that they not only must share, but may have to share with everyone. Standard replies include "You've been sharing with your brother/sister for years" and "That sort of thing is already illegal." I wouldn't expect to find the academies anywhere near the leading edge on shared bathroom protocol, but there's even less chance they'd be providing a lot of suite-style living with private bathrooms. This is preparation for the military, after all.
 
Our son is an only child and grew up with his own room and bathroom (same at boarding school). Then he had to shower with 40 of his closest friends in a communal shower at USMA. He got used to it. Just keep your eyes on the soap, do your business, and move on. This is the least of your worries, especially as it sounds like the bathrooms at USAFA are a bit more private.
 
As a doolie/freshman/4 dig, you are limited to the restrooms within your squad (my squad has two restrooms for each gender). I don't think you would want to traverse through squads in a robe anyways haha. Women's restrooms usually have 2 stalls and 4 showers compared to the men's 4-6 stalls and six showers (at least in my squad). I have never had any issues with the restrooms being overcrowded...either way, people shower pretty quickly here.
The showers are separated by walls similar to those of a bathroom stall so you still somewhat have your privacy. Whether or not there are curtains depends on the squad
 
I will add that there will be a time that you have to shower in a completely communal shower (basically a room with 14 showerheads) it's not weird, no one cares. What is weird is overthinking a shower
 
DD was at the AFA & said that sometimes the Girls' bathroom closest to the squadron would be down for no hot water, etc. so they would have to go to the next one. Definitely not the cleanest esp. when one is down which @ that time was common. The girls chipped in for curtains in her sqd. Echo @emanke above about walking the halls in a bathrobe!
 
When I was in college, everyone walked around in bathrobes and the bathrooms were co-ed as my dorm was set up with every other room male-female-male-female-male-female... on every floor, so it would have been inconvenient to make one sex or the other have to use a distant bathroom. My parents were appalled but, hey, it was in the 70s.

I say suck it up buttercup. ;)
 
VelveteenR said:
When I was in college, everyone walked around in bathrobes and the bathrooms were co-ed as my dorm was set up with every other room male-female-male-female-male-female... on every floor, so it would have been inconvenient to make one sex or the other have to use a distant bathroom. My parents were appalled but, hey, it was in the 70s.

I say suck it up buttercup. ;)
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Me too with coed dorms in the '70's. Then, in the frat house, the toilets had no stalls (like in Full Metal Jacket) and the showers were six nozzles in one shower stall. Deal with it.

I also say suck it up buttercup.
 
A college dorm bathroom from my school had freestanding urinals at least a foot from the wall. the shower room walked past those at an angle where you were basically peeing in front of folks as they walked by. Oh, and had windows behind them that had to open to keep from melting the room during the winter radiator days. And definitely no stall doors on the actual toilet stalls.

But the uncomfortable part of those bathrooms was easily the checkered tile floor that moved in weird directions when you were drunk and heaving.
 
I've used the stalls, they are pretty clean, and I saw shower curtains, so you got some privacy.
 
emtet said:
I will add that there will be a time that you have to shower in a completely communal shower (basically a room with 14 showerheads) it's not weird, no one cares. What is weird is overthinking a shower
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What is weird is focusing on the bathrooms Because it is what it is !!!
 
I’m pretty sure in college, my dorm’s communal bathroom was way cleaner than the bathroom I shared with three roommates in an apartment the following year. When left to their own devices, college students tend to not keep a very clean bathroom.
 
Well, you folks in the OTHER academies can go and share the Shower Rooms with however many of your "closest friends".
At USNA, there is a shower in each room in Bancroft Hall so you share only with your roommates. You and your roommates keep the shower clean.
As for bathrooms, they are scattered throughout Bancroft Hall and are cleaned by contacted folks as are the hallways and other common areas.
 
OldRetSWO said:
Well, you folks in the OTHER academies can go and share the Shower Rooms with however many of your "closest friends".
At USNA, there is a shower in each room in Bancroft Hall so you share only with your roommates. You and your roommates keep the shower clean.
As for bathrooms, they are scattered throughout Bancroft Hall and are cleaned by contacted folks as are the hallways and other common areas.
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My DD stayed overnight at USNA,USCGA, and USAFA and she did say that in her opinion USNA had the best set-up for bathrooms. With that said, you also are NOT in there very long so it doesn't really matter.
 
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