When A College Student Has Diabetes

College and diabetes is a challenging pair. A student life is already hectic and diabetes can pose some difficulties in studying, focusing and other activities necessary to succeed in school.

Attending college

Patients with diabetes who attend college have to make extra effort and time for their diabetes care. They are not like the other students because of the presence of diabetes but their self-care is necessary to make everything go normally and well.

Going to college, especially apart from the family is more challenging. Aside from adjusting to a solo life, to a new environment and to a new group of people, students with diabetes have to pay more attention on the food served in school cafeterias, or food sold nearby, check blood glucose levels regularly, manage their medications and book for appointment with doctors.

Study hours

Included in the diabetes care is for college students not to stay awake late at nights and avoid fatigues or overwork. Playing computer games in a college life, or even partying-out are things that students with diabetes should avoid. These alone can make them different from the others. Yet, diabetics are special people. They can be beneficially different and unique. It just depends on how they accept it.

Studies and classes can also be affected with feelings of drowsiness or lethargy at times when blood glucose levels are high. While other students can spend their time studying, diabetics with uncontrolled blood sugar may spend most of the time in bed and feel left out especially when their grades are already adversely affected.

What can be done

Diabetic college students should be aware that colleges can support them with diabetes care. Some campuses have clinics or even special organizations formed by either faculty or students in order to help each other deal with diabetes. Friends, classmates and teachers can be part of the diabetic safety net.

Some students prefer not to be apart from home. They rather stay with their family who can help them with how to take care of themselves. Staying with the family can be a powerful alternative to avoid peer pressures like drinking or staying out uncontrollably.