top of page

Balancing Student Life with Type 1 Diabetes

Written by Emily Tsai, Edited by Nikhil Chakravarty

What is Type 1 diabetes? 

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system produces antibodies that attack its own islet cells in the pancreas, misidentifying them as foreign. Since the insulin-producing beta-islet cells in the pancreas are attacked. As a result, the body produces little to no insulin, leaving glucose levels in the liver and overall blood glucose levels unregulated and chronically high1. A lack of regulation of blood sugar levels leads to the body’s inability to efficiently and adequately store or use energy, leading to further metabolic crises and long-term organ damage. Other symptoms and complications typical of type 1 diabetes include excessive thirst or hunger, frequent urination or bedwetting, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, and blurry vision1. While type 1 diabetes makes up a smaller percentage of diabetes cases compared to type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes currently has no cure. Instead, it requires lifelong insulin therapy and careful management to prevent serious complications. Therefore, those diagnosed with it have to learn to adapt their lifestyles to live with this chronic disease. 


Type 1 diabetes usually develops early in childhood or adolescence, meaning that many who get diagnosed with it have to learn to manage it throughout significant periods of their lives. Two noticeable peaks where people are usually diagnosed are children between the ages of four and seven, and adolescents between ten and fourteen years old. One of these transformative periods is learning to manage type 1 diabetes while adjusting to college life, a period characterized by significant change and uncertainty. 


While universities may have some policies in place to help students with type 1 diabetes adapt to student life, there are many hardships still left unaddressed. 


College and Type 1 Diabetes

Adjusting to college is already a hardship for many, as the change in environment and the need to manage life without family take a toll on students' well-being. Typical college student life is also often characterized by poor diets due to a lack of healthy choices in the dining hall, heavy alcohol consumption, late-night studying leading to a lack of sleep, and high-stress environments. These factors, in combination with limited campus resources, can make adjusting to student life extremely difficult for those with type 1 diabetes. Balancing these challenges with academic struggles, social life, and diabetes management can be overwhelming without adequate support. Students with type 1 diabetes may feel isolated as they may be missing out on specific aspects of student life due to their diagnosis. 


College campuses can strive to better support students with type 1 diabetes by implementing campus-wide policies targeted towards this population. Many campuses currently include in their disability program accommodations such as on-campus housing with refrigerators for insulin and snacks, campus meal plans, early registration for classes to ensure optimal schedules, and breaks during classes and exams. While many of these initiatives are effective, further initiatives can make life even easier for these students. 


Interventions

One potential intervention includes providing students with type 1 diabetes tailored meal plans focused on limited, overly processed foods and excessive carbohydrate intake, as these directly raise blood glucose levels. Additionally, dining halls could also include clear nutritional labeling and carb counts on their menu items. These would not only benefit students with type 1 and 2 diabetes but could also be used by all students trying to gauge their nutrient intake. Adding labels like these promotes a healthier lifestyle for students everywhere, encouraging them to make informed food choices and think about the food they put into their bodies. Another potential intervention is a mobile app to accompany this targeted meal plan, providing carbohydrate and sugar content tracking for their meals. Making information available to all students through a mobile app at the tips of their fingertips makes it even easier for them to access it. An app like this could also total the macros of their meals, further encouraging healthy eating habits for all. 


Another critical intervention for supporting students with type 1 diabetes is to create multiple diabetes-safe stations around campus where students can access items like glucose tablets, snacks, and cold storage for insulin. While universities usually offer this in dorm rooms, many students do not have the luxury of going home between classes to get essential items like these. It is common for students to have long academic days and back-to-back classes, with no time to go home in between. Student dorms may also be far from campus activities, making it even more difficult for students with type 1 to access these goods. Having accessible, well-stocked diabetes-safe stations around campus would alleviate the stress many students feel, as they will know there are safe options nearby. This would also reduce the risk of any diabetes type 1 diabetes-related emergencies, such as blood glucose fluctuations, and ensure students can maintain their health throughout the day. 


Overall, managing type 1 diabetes is a difficult task to deal with alongside college life and all of the uncertainties that come with periods of change. However, with the help and support of universities, these struggles are surmountable, and students with type 1 can feel at ease.

References


  1. Mayo Clinic. Type 1 Diabetes - Symptoms and Causes. Mayo Clinic. Published March 27, 2024. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-1-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20353011

  2. College/University with Type 1 Diabetes. Beyond Type 1. Published 2015. https://beyondtype1.org/college-university-with-type-1-diabetes/

  3. Cleveland Clinic. Type 1 diabetes. Cleveland Clinic. Published March 9, 2022. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21500-type-1-diabetes

  4. National Library of Medicine. Diabetes Type 1. Medlineplus.gov. Published 2010. https://medlineplus.gov/diabetestype1.html

  5. Fedor A, Schumacher JR, Banning J, McKinnis R, Wilson M. Perceptions of How the Transition From Home Life to College Life Affects Type 1 Diabetes Management. Diabetes Spectrum. 2017;30(4):315-319. doi:https://doi.org/10.2337/ds17-0019

  6. College Diabetes Network | ADA. diabetes.org. https://diabetes.org/advocacy/safe-at-school-state-laws/college-diabetes-network

  7. Sweet K. Tips on Going to College with Type 1 Diabetes - Breakthrough T1D. Breakthrough T1D. Published July 26, 2023. https://www.breakthrought1d.org/news-and-updates/college-with-type-1-diabetes/

  8. Katella K. Dealing with Diabetes in College. Yale Medicine. Published August 19, 2019. https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/diabetes-manangement-college

This post is not a substitute for professional advice. If you believe that you may be experiencing a medical emergency, please contact your primary care physician, or go to the nearest Emergency Room. Results from ongoing research are constantly evolving. This post contains information that was last updated in December 2025.


Comments

bottom of page