T1D at School: My Low Plan, What I Carry, and How I Advocate.

If you’re in school with Type 1 Diabetes, I need you to hear this first:

You’re not “too much.” You’re not dramatic. You’re managing a full-time job while trying to be a student. And most importantly, you're not embarrassing.

I’m writing this from a student perspective, and I’m keeping it real — because school with T1D isn’t just classes. It’s timing, supplies, alarms, food, stress, and trying not to draw too much attention to yourself when your body needs something right now.

My #1 rule: have a low plan before you need it

The worst lows are the ones where you’re stuck thinking: “Do I leave class? Do I tell someone? Do I wait til the class is over or when it's louder in here so no one hears me opening a juice box?"

So I keep a simple plan that I can follow even when my brain is foggy and when i'm stressing over the low.

My go-to low treatment at school (low-key + effective)

When I go low during school, my go to is a small juice box — "Juicy Juice."

Why? Because a lot of students don’t want to draw attention to themselves. It’s small, it’s quick, and it has a perfect amount of carbs to bring your number up without making it a whole scene.

What I keep in my school bag (the essentials)

• Fast carbs: juice box (Juicy Juice), glucose tabs, candy, or a small pack of gummies, and definitely a glucagon.

• Longer carbs/protein: something that helps you stay up after you treat (granola bar, crackers + peanut butter, apples, etc.)

• Water (especially if you run high)

• Extra supplies: pods/infusion supplies, insulin, alcohol wipes, and anything you personally need, these do have to stay in the nurses office at most schools.

• Backup plan: an extra charger / battery pack if you rely on your phone for Dexcom.

Dexcom at school: alarms, anxiety, and not wanting everyone to hear it

If you use Dexcom, you already know the struggle: it’s helpful… and it can also feel obnoxiously loud.

My mindset is: the alarm is information, not embarrassment. But I still try to set myself up so I’m not stressed all day about it going off in a quiet classroom or while i'm taking an important test.

If you can, talk to your teacher/professor early so you don’t have to explain it in the moment.

How I advocate for myself (without feeling awkward)

You don’t owe anyone your whole medical history. You just need a plan that keeps you safe.

Here are a few scripts you can literally copy:

• To a teacher/professor: “I have Type 1 Diabetes. If I need to step out, eat, or check my phone, it’s for my medical device.”

• Before an exam: “If my blood sugar drops or goes high, I may need a quick break to treat it."

  
  

Highs, stress, and school life

Stress can spike you. Skipping meals can spike you. Walking across campus can drop you. And sometimes it feels like your blood sugar is reacting to your schedule more than your food is.

If that’s you, you’re not alone. School is a lot — and T1D adds another layer.

The part nobody says out loud

Sometimes the hardest part isn’t even the diabetes tasks — it’s doing them while trying to look “normal" to everybody else.

But you don’t have to earn safety by being quiet about it. You’re allowed to take care of yourself in public, without feeling embarrassed about what you have and who you are.

Question for you

If you’re in middle/high school or college with T1D, what’s the hardest part for you — treating lows in class, Dexcom alarms, food timing, or advocating for yourself?