The Student Room Group

ensuites and periods at uni

sorry for this being a little tmi but it's something that's been bothering me and nobody ever talks about it. i'm going to uni in september (dk which one yet) and idk if i should apply for a room with an ensuite or not. i know most people say it's not worth the extra expense but i'm still not sure because especially being a girl, periods are obviously going to be an issue and i was just wondering how hard/easy they are to deal with when you don't have an ensuite (very specifically and this is a bit tmi sorry again but when i get up first thing in the morning the first thing I have to do is try and sprint to the bathroom in 5 seconds to avoid a mess and surely that would be super hard to do when you're sharing a bathroom on a floor? like you would look weird running and then by the time you get there it would be a mess already) but yeah just generally what is it like
I mean personally I think it would be fine - not having an ensuite still usually means you have a loo very nearby (at least where I am). Halls is full of people doing odd things and even if anyone saw you I really doubt they'd even think twice about it.

Of course, if you don't have an ensuite there's always a risk the closest loo is occupied. If you're really stressed about it and can afford the extra £20 or whatever a week for an ensuite you may as well get one just for peace of mind.
You do know you’re supposed to wear sanitary products to bed too? So you wouldn’t be making a mess by walking to the bathroom.

Using a shared bathroom is no different to using a public or school bathroom when you’re not at home. You’re definitely making it more of an issue than it is.
Hi I'm a girl too and I understand what you mean, I'm also going to uni in September but still, dk which one yet. I'm also considering applying for a non-ensuite accommodation as I realised that the difference in money is quite huge between an ensuite and a non-ensuite. I'm gonna tell you what I'm planning to do and hopefully, that helps you too. So I think asking for a single-sex or all girls flat/accommodation could be a good choice as it probably would be less awkward for you and it might make you feel a bit more comfortable in general. Also, trying to move in as early as possible so you can get the room closest to the bathroom/toilets that way the distance will be shorter for you !! and yh really I hope that helps good luck btw !!
Reply 4
It's strange, the question of ensuites and periods has come up twice recently.

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6976818
Original post by blueysun
sorry for this being a little tmi but it's something that's been bothering me and nobody ever talks about it. i'm going to uni in september (dk which one yet) and idk if i should apply for a room with an ensuite or not. i know most people say it's not worth the extra expense but i'm still not sure because especially being a girl, periods are obviously going to be an issue and i was just wondering how hard/easy they are to deal with when you don't have an ensuite (very specifically and this is a bit tmi sorry again but when i get up first thing in the morning the first thing I have to do is try and sprint to the bathroom in 5 seconds to avoid a mess and surely that would be super hard to do when you're sharing a bathroom on a floor? like you would look weird running and then by the time you get there it would be a mess already) but yeah just generally what is it like

If you feel very uncomfortable about the idea of sharing a bathroom, I'd just go for the ensuite if you can afford it. I know I feel very uncomfortable thinking about not having as much privacy and having to take a shower in a public bathroom so for my own peace of mind I'm only looking into ensuite rooms. But if it's just the period you're worried about, just think about the fact that you're not gonna be the only girl there, they will all have periods too, nothing to worry about :smile:
Reply 6
It really depends a lot on your flatmates too. I think having shared bathroom facilities would not have bothered me half as much if the people I shared with hadn't been absolute... I don't know, orcs, without a sense of hygiene. I survived that too (I'd second the 'most likely no one will care what weird stuff you do' plus you'll most likely have flatmates with periods, too) but now that I'm considering my options for postgrad I really think I won't do it again. But that didn't really have to do with my period specifically, just a general thing.
there will always be other problems when it comes to sharing a toilet with strangers, please get an ensuite..have the extra privacy

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