Be your own advocate
As someone who has spent entirely too much time at university, and now teaches undergraduates, there is no better lesson I can give to my students than to be their own advocates. And I think this is absolutely true as well when it comes to Type 1 Diabetes.
A lot of students don't know that universities have a ton of resources for everyone with special circumstances, and that life can be so much easier if those resources are taken advantage of. For instance, type 1 diabetics can get disability dispensation to miss class, have food in class, or otherwise accommodate all of the surprises that come with T1D. Visit your disabilities resource center to find out what they can do for you.
But most important of all, it's important to communicate with your instructors. If you don't want your pump mistaken for a contraband cellphone, just talk to your prof at the beginning of the term and it won't ever be a problem. A simple conversation before classes get going can head off all of those stupid, annoying questions like, "Where are you going?" "Why are you late?" "What's with the giant bag of Skittles all the time?"
Because I have T1D I'm a little more in tune with these specific issues, but most instructors won't be. It's not their fault that they don't know one of their 100 to 300 students has special needs; it's up to you to make sure that your needs are met. Life will be so much easier, and you'll have much greater peace of mind if you have a chat.
















