Section 6: Summer Registration and Orientation
Orientation & Registration is the last step before you are an official college student. While it is exciting, it can also be concerning for food allergic students. College is a chance to start over, erase the allergy kid label and start new. That being said, you now have to decide who you tell and how you tell them about your allergies.
Some schools hold summer student-only registration where all or most students go without parents and stay in dorms. Other schools hold dual programs for parents and siblings while incoming students are participating in registration and orientation activities. If your parents are joining you for summer registration/orientation and staying in a hotel and you are worried about staying in a dorm with a random roommate and limited access to safe food, consider staying in the hotel so that you can bring your own food and enjoy the activities rather than worry about what you can and are going to eat. If your school holds a student-only registration/orientation, or if you want to stay in the dorms, you are going to have to ask for the same accommodations (housing and/or dining) that you requested for the school year. Not all cafeterias on campus may be open during summer registration or orientation, so you want to be sure you have access to the cafeteria with allergy safe options.
Also consider that some food during orientation/registration may not be provided by the school at all. Vendors who operate delivery and food service business near and around campus may supply food during picnics and fairs that are part of the university programs to acclimate you to the school. Think pizza and ice cream. So, if your allergies don't allow you to eat that kind of food, you will have to ask the university to provide you with a boxed alternative or bring your own. And for the record, you are entitled to ask them to provide you with a boxed meal. if they are feeding everyone else, they should be able to feed you - if you trust them to do so safely. If you do bring your own food, bring things you can eat standing and walking - like you would at a fair.
As for telling your new friends about your food allergies they will either come up when they figure out you have accommodations, or they will find out when they go to eat with you. Don't be embarrassed by your food allergies. If you act like they are no big deal, your new friends will too.
Some schools hold summer student-only registration where all or most students go without parents and stay in dorms. Other schools hold dual programs for parents and siblings while incoming students are participating in registration and orientation activities. If your parents are joining you for summer registration/orientation and staying in a hotel and you are worried about staying in a dorm with a random roommate and limited access to safe food, consider staying in the hotel so that you can bring your own food and enjoy the activities rather than worry about what you can and are going to eat. If your school holds a student-only registration/orientation, or if you want to stay in the dorms, you are going to have to ask for the same accommodations (housing and/or dining) that you requested for the school year. Not all cafeterias on campus may be open during summer registration or orientation, so you want to be sure you have access to the cafeteria with allergy safe options.
Also consider that some food during orientation/registration may not be provided by the school at all. Vendors who operate delivery and food service business near and around campus may supply food during picnics and fairs that are part of the university programs to acclimate you to the school. Think pizza and ice cream. So, if your allergies don't allow you to eat that kind of food, you will have to ask the university to provide you with a boxed alternative or bring your own. And for the record, you are entitled to ask them to provide you with a boxed meal. if they are feeding everyone else, they should be able to feed you - if you trust them to do so safely. If you do bring your own food, bring things you can eat standing and walking - like you would at a fair.
As for telling your new friends about your food allergies they will either come up when they figure out you have accommodations, or they will find out when they go to eat with you. Don't be embarrassed by your food allergies. If you act like they are no big deal, your new friends will too.