College, Hostel and Living Alone

Moving out for college or work is the transition where Type 1 control most reliably slips. Nothing about the condition changes; everything around it does.

What changes: meal times stop being predictable, sleep becomes irregular, nobody notices if you skip a check, alcohol enters the picture, and you become responsible for reordering supplies before they run out.

Alcohol deserves specific attention because it is a recognised cause of low blood sugar, particularly on an empty stomach, and its effect can arrive hours later while you are asleep. If you drink, eat carbohydrate alongside it, check before bed, and make sure whoever you live with knows you have Type 1 — someone who thinks you are drunk will not treat a low.

Practical things to arrange before you go: a pharmacy near you that stocks your insulin, somewhere reliable to keep it cool, a buffer stock split between two places, and a doctor you can actually reach.

Tell at least one person in your hostel or flat. They need to know what a low looks like, where your glucose is kept, and when to call for help. This is not a conversation to have during an emergency.

Then expect it to be untidy for a term. Irregular hours make Type 1 harder for everybody, and reviewing a week of readings is more useful than trying to be perfect daily.