Hi there! Katie here! I’m currently a junior in college and I would say I’m pretty comfortable with navigating having food allergies in college. However, when I was a freshman, I was pretty nervous about surviving on my own. I already knew how to cook for myself, but there were so many new factors to consider when living on my own. How would I navigate dorm life? What should I do when I go to parties? What should I do to make myself and others around me comfortable with my allergies? There were a lot of questions to consider and a lot of unknowns causing me anxiety. So, I did what I could and figured it out along the way. I turned out absolutely fine and I want everyone else to know that these pre-college anxieties are absolutely normal and valid.
For one of my college courses, I actually put together a informational pamphlet titled “How to Survive College With Food Allergies: A Comprehensive Guide to Navigating University of Michigan With Food Allergies.” This pamphlet went into detail about my process of entering college as a student with food allergies. I talk about things such as finding a roommate, going out to parties, eating in the dorm and eating at restaurants. While all of this specifically focuses on the University of Michigan, I still think it might be helpful to anyone entering college. It will benefit you to start thinking about the steps you need to take to be happy and healthy on campus. I hope this is helpful to you and if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out!
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