Michael Levy sampled all that college life has to offer in his first year at Virginia Tech. In addition to taking six courses a semester, the engineering major and music minor marched on the VT drum line, rushed a fraternity, and took a ski trip with friends in the winter.

Levy, now 19 and a rising sophomore, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in sixth grade. He says he’s always strived to fit diabetes into his life rather than fit his life around diabetes. Still, he admits, the transition to college was a bigger adjustment than he expected. “It’s a lot more work,” he says. “The toughest change is not being on a rigorous schedule that you follow every day. If I want to, I can stay up until 4 o’clock in the morning playing video games.” Since his daily routine is unpredictable—it could end in a late-night study session or a party any night of the week—Levy has become more vigilant about keeping his blood glucose in a healthy range throughout the day. “I check about four or five times a day and correct often,” he says. And he never leaves his dorm without a bag that contains his test kit, three juices, and an insulin pen. “Even if I go to a party, I have that bag with me,” he says. “People joke with me about it, but I say, ‘It’s my man purse.’ Just having it gives me that sense of security that if something does go wrong, I’m ready to handle it.”

Figuring out how to survive and thrive at college is a big job for any student who’s living away from home for the first time, but it’s particularly complicated for those with diabetes. Not only do they have to learn how to use the coin-operated washing machine and get along with eccentric roommates, but they also have to calculate carbs in cafeteria specials they’ve never seen before (what’s in Tofu Surprise, anyway?), monitor how walking across campus for different classes affects their blood glucose levels (it may mean lowering insulin doses, for one thing), and remember to refill prescriptions and make doctor’s appointments.

If you are experiencing discrimination at college, call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) for information and the opportunity to speak with a legal advocate. Additional resources are available at: diabetes.org/safeatschool

“Having diabetes is almost like adding another course to your schedule,” says Lori Laffel, MD, chief of the Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Section at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. “It takes extra time. But giving your diabetes the attention it needs will help make everything else go well.”

Many students worry that leaving the safety net of family behind when they go to college means they’ll need to manage their diabetes alone when they’re on campus. That’s not necessary—or even recommended, says Laffel, a member of the American Diabetes Association’s board of directors and chair of its Youth Strategies Committee. “You have to find another set of safety nets,” she says. “Diabetes is managed better when you have support.”