Dorm Life

[justjane]

Hey all!

This is my second year of college and will be my first one gluten-free. The school I go to used to have cooking apartments, but recently we moved so now the dorms are just a room and a bath and all residents of the dorm must purchase a meal plan. I am not really worried about living in the dorm, because I did it last year and everything turned out fine. It's cheaper and closer in the long run than anywhere else. What I *am* worried about is the meal plan!

As I have not *officially* been diagnosed with anything other than Irritable Bowel Syndrome, I know that it might be hard for me to tell the school that I cannot eat anything containing gluten in it. The school I go to is very small, and last year didn't even have a nice cafeteria. Just remembering what they served last year though, I couldn't eat it now. They had wraps, sandwiches, the normal lunch food and that was pretty much it.

The school told me that they would try to help me out in every way, but I just can't see it happenening sinse the school is soooo small and I really don't have anything to *prove* that there is anything wrong with me!

I have two other options. Sinse college is out of state for me I can either find an apartment to live in with a roommate and risk cc, or live with my cousins in the basement where I'd have my own kitchen.

I'm going to the doctor to talk with him in July. Should I ask for a doctor's note? How did you guys manage in college? Have any suggestions?

Thanks!

[jmengert]

I was in college pre-gluten-free, but I have taught at a university for six years now, so I'm still around college life constantly. I would definitely get a fridge and microwave for your dorm room (I had both when I lived in the dorm). In my dorm, we had a kitchen we could share on each floor--will you dorm have one of those? If so, buy yourself some pots that you can use and keep them in your room. You can then go down to the kitchen and make whatever you want, and keep your supplies in your own fridge and room.

If you don't have a kitchen in your dorm or on your floor, I would invest in a single burner (Walmart, Target, etc. sells these) and a rice cooker, as well as a small George Forman Grill. You can do a lot with these alone.

I would then have a doctor's note to give to the university. They should have to cover your needs in the dining hall to a reasonable degree. Hopefully you can at least get plain meats, cheese, eggs, salad, etc., and if necessary, I would do most of my eating in my room.

Good luck--but your school should be able to help you if you have a doctor's note.

[MySuicidalTurtle]

You should go to your doctor so that you can prove your Celiacs or gluten sensitivity. By law your school has to help you by either giving you gluten-free food with the meal plan or not making you take the meal plan and allowing you to cook your own food. However, without any proof they don't have to do this. Do what's best for you because it's hardto get through classes and life being sick.

[kbtoyssni]

I don't know how small your school is, but they should still be able to make accomodations for you. Have you called the cafeteria manager and asked if they can do anything for you? My brother goes to a college with about 6000 students, and they have a special fridge filled with gluten free food. There are about five students with celiac, and they are allowed to go in the back and prepare their own food in one of the ovens, microwaves, etc. When I visited I wanted scrambled eggs, and they gave me real eggs because they weren't sure about the egg-powder mix stuff that everyone else has to use. If you go to school there, the staff is more than willing to sit down and talk to you about ingredients. I'd ask, it's not like food intolerances/allergies are uncommon.

[gymnastjlf]

I don't know how small your school is, but they should still be able to make accomodations for you. Have you called the cafeteria manager and asked if they can do anything for you? My brother goes to a college with about 6000 students, and they have a special fridge filled with gluten free food. There are about five students with celiac, and they are allowed to go in the back and prepare their own food in one of the ovens, microwaves, etc. When I visited I wanted scrambled eggs, and they gave me real eggs because they weren't sure about the egg-powder mix stuff that everyone else has to use. If you go to school there, the staff is more than willing to sit down and talk to you about ingredients. I'd ask, it's not like food intolerances/allergies are uncommon.

Not that it's a competition, hehe, but I go to an even smaller school than your brother. My school only has about 1400 students. I was the first to bring up gluten-free diets, but somehow word got around, and by the end of the year there were a couple of us that were eating the gluten-free stuff (we ordered from ener-g). We aren't allowed to prepare our own food, however the chefs are good about knowing what they put in the dishes that were already on the buffet line. And, a lot of them were really cool about making sure there was something we could eat. For instance, they knew that I always wanted some type of potato/rice with dinner. If they were making scalloped potatoes (which I couldn't do because of the cheese sauce), they'd usually hold just a few boiled potatoes to the side for me. Same with meat-- if they weren't sure if whatever sauce they were making for the day was gluten-free, they'd just keep a piece of meat off to the side for me until I said no I can eat the sauce (in which case the plain piece just went into the sauce with the next batch)! And the best part, everyone seemed pretty willing to learn about the diet! I agree though, just talk to them and don't give up if they're not too willing at first. I had to get the dean involved, and after one conversation, the dining services decided to help out real fast!

[tarnalberry]

Not that it's a competition, hehe, but I go to an even smaller school than your brother. My school only has about 1400 students. I was the first to bring up gluten-free diets, but somehow word got around, and by the end of the year there were a couple of us that were eating the gluten-free stuff (we ordered from ener-g). We aren't allowed to prepare our own food, however the chefs are good about knowing what they put in the dishes that were already on the buffet line. And, a lot of them were really cool about making sure there was something we could eat. For instance, they knew that I always wanted some type of potato/rice with dinner. If they were making scalloped potatoes (which I couldn't do because of the cheese sauce), they'd usually hold just a few boiled potatoes to the side for me. Same with meat-- if they weren't sure if whatever sauce they were making for the day was gluten-free, they'd just keep a piece of meat off to the side for me until I said no I can eat the sauce (in which case the plain piece just went into the sauce with the next batch)! And the best part, everyone seemed pretty willing to learn about the diet! I agree though, just talk to them and don't give up if they're not too willing at first. I had to get the dean involved, and after one conversation, the dining services decided to help out real fast!

My school was 600 when I graduated. They're at 800 or so now. :-)

I wasn't gluten-free at school (I don't believe I developed celiac until a year after college), but did a lot of cooking. See if they have dorms with a kitchen - which might allow you to get off the meal plan - or look into getting a small set of items to cook with electrically. For instance, an electric skillet, a microwave, and a steamer (and maybe a small electric grill) can cook you almost anything in a pinch. You'd need a mini-fridge too, and (for safety purposes), I'd do most of my cooking outside on a coffee table (if the kitchen was full).

But do talk to the dean of students. They can help you deal with the food services people properly.