Moving away to university can be a daunting prospect for many students, but adding the additional element of having allergies can make it even worse. I know that I was certainly worried about sharing a communal kitchen with others and being fully responsible for managing my allergies since my parents would no longer be with me every day.

I graduated this year (2021) and despite the initial worry that I had felt, I have had an amazing university experience! I wanted to share some of the things that I did to help me feel more comfortable and safe while living away from home to help those of you with allergies who will be starting university soon.

Things to do before arriving at university:

1. If possible, choose one colour for all of your kitchenware

This might sound like a bizarre thing to do, but a lot of students share cutlery and crockery which increases the risk of cross-contamination if things aren’t washed very well after use. I chose to buy all red kitchenware so that my flatmates knew exactly what was mine and what not to use because they understood the risks.

2. Check your medication supply

Check that you’ve got all of the medication that you need and that it’s all in-date. It can take a little while to get registered at your new medical centre so you don’t want to be worrying about getting any prescriptions as soon as you arrive.

3. Stock up on all of your favourite foods

I think that it’s fairly common among those with allergies to have some foods that you can only get in certain supermarkets because of the different allergen labelling, but when you’re at university you may not have the option to go to multiple supermarkets. There was only one big supermarket within a 20 minute commute from the university that I went to, so I made sure to stock up on all of my favourite safe foods from different shops before moving into my accommodation.

4. Order a free EpiPen or Jext trainer device from their official websites

These trainer devices are great for practising how to correctly use your auto-injector. I remember using my trainer device to show my flatmates the correct way to administer my EpiPen, and then afterwards, they were all able to practice with it themselves.

Things to do once you arrive at university:

1. Register at the campus/local medical centre

When you arrive at university, it’s really important to register at your new medical centre as soon as possible to avoid any future delays in getting prescriptions.

2. Tell your flatmates about your allergies

This is something that I know I was worried about doing. I knew that from a safety point of view it was really important, but it can be difficult when you’ve only just met your flatmates. When I told them about my allergies I made sure to stress the severity. I told them where my EpiPens would be kept should I ever experience a reaction, and showed them how to use one. I also explained what they could expect to happen if I did react and what they needed to do. All of my flatmates were so kind and understanding which made me feel so much safer and more reassured living in the flat.

3. Be careful when ordering drinks

If you go to bars or clubs I would recommend telling the bar staff about your allergies when ordering any drinks, but especially if you’re ordering a cocktail. Often the cocktail shakers and utensils are only rinsed between making different cocktails rather than being thoroughly cleaned, so even if you know that the contents of your cocktail are safe for you there could still be a risk of cross-contamination from the previous cocktail that was made.

4. Take precautions when using the communal kitchen

I would definitely recommend cleaning any surfaces that you’ll be using each and every time before you cook, and this includes things like inside the microwave (something which is used a lot by students!). When possible, I also used to cook at times when no one else would be cooking because then I’d be much less worried about possible cross-contamination.

I hope that these tips are helpful and have provided an insight into some of the things that can be done to make university a much less stressful experience for people who have allergies. Remember that moving away to university is an exciting opportunity to gain independence, and having allergies doesn’t have to restrict that.

Blog by Hannah @LetTalkFoodAllergies

Tips for Starting University When You Have Allergies

Things to do before arriving at university:

Things to do once you arrive at university: