Avoiding Fire Drills During Your Shower
My biggest fear of living in a dorm, beside not getting a close parking spot, is having the fire alarm go off when in the middle of a shower. This fear has become even more real due to the spike in use of electronic cigarettes. People will “vape” literally anywhere at any time, even if that means right under a smoke detector. There was a point in this semester where we had practically the fire alarm go off almost twice a day.
Beside being a nuisance and breaking my ear drums, the worst part of that alarm is it’s unpredictability. You could be in the middle of sleeping, typing an essay due in 15 mins, a huge rain storm or even worse, showering.
Although the risk of their being caught in the shower is little to none, the chance is there and so is the anxiety. Here are my tips for easing your nerves so you can finally have a relaxing shower again.
Preparation is key! Have a quick hoodie/sweatpants combo out on your bed before you hop in the shower. This way, god forbid the alarm goes off, you can just quickly run back into your room and change into it! For the love of all that is good DO NOT leave your dorm room in a bathrobe or towel. You will be the joke of the next week. Keep a hair tie on your wrist. This is so, even if you are full of shampoo, you can tie your hair up into a bun and get out fast.
One Step at A Time! Avoid using a hair mask, face mask, body mask, foot mask, etc all at the same time. How would you be able to rinse everything off in a hurry? You wouldn’t. Although more time consuming, do one step, then wash it off. This will increase your chances of being able to hop out of the shower in a jiffy.
Keep Track of Fire Drills! Colleges are required to have a certain amount of drills. Most of the time they will have those drills whenever the most amount of resident students are in their dorm. Try to shower at times where you know people are not around. Maybe the middle of the day? Depends on your campus. This may seem dramatic, but if your schedule allows for it, why not? This doesn’t work for people accidentally setting off the alarm with their vape, but it will decrease your chances!
Personally, *Knocks on wood*, I haven’t been in the shower when the alarm has gone off. I have seen men in ONLY bathrobes and socks outside the building during it though. Those images are stuck in my mind forever. Don’t be like them, it’s a real turn off.
Take my advice and cross your fingers. It’s all apart of the college experience. If it happens, remain calm and try to remember that everything happens for a reason!
Good Luck!
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