College Bound with Allergies

I just started my junior year of high school, and I’m starting to feel the excitement and pressures that come with knowing college is quickly approaching. I’ve been working to maintain my GPA, prep for the SAT, and compile a list of colleges I want to visit. The thought of leaving home, meeting new people, and living on my own is thrilling. But, if I’m being honest, my excitement sometimes gets swallowed by worry. How will I find a roommate who won’t bring nuts into the room? How annoying will I appear to other kids, who just want to have fun, when I need to turn the conversation heavy with a discussion about my severe nut allergy? Who will be tolerant and sympathetic to the fact that I can’t be near nuts and sometimes faint from the panic I experience when they are present? How can I prove I am a normal teen when this allergy and the anxiety I have about it make me so different?

I’m writing this in hopes that others may have suggestions or relate. For kids with severe food allergies or other medical situations that require caution and accommodations, is there a way to feel both safe and normal when you go to college? How did you find a roommate or friends who were supportive and understanding of your needs?