Living with an allergy

While you’re settling into a new place and meeting new people, telling people that you have a serious allergy may be the last thing you want to do. Don’t worry – we’re here to help you every step of the way.

How to tell your flatmates

During your first week, you’ll get together with your flatmates to create a living agreement, with the support of our staff and Campus Life Ambassadors if you need it. This gives everyone the opportunity to talk openly and reach decisions on how you’d like to live together.

You may not want to disclose your allergy but, if you do, this might be a good place to discuss it and the practicalities of what this might mean for them and you.

Letting University staff know

Please make it a priority to tell the Student Wellbeing Services about your allergy ahead of your arrival, so that they can support you during your time at university, and make a care plan for anaphylaxis. They can be contacted on studentwellbeing@bathspa.ac.uk.

When you book your room, you’ll have the chance to tell the accommodation team about your allergy. If you have any additional requirements – like a mini fridge in your room for medication – you can request this in your accommodation application. If you allergy is particularly severe, you could consider applying for studio flat with your own kitchen facilities. Please see our Priority Halls page for further information.

It’s a good idea to let key staff members, such as your personal tutor, know if your allergies might affect your studies.

Using a shared kitchen

You may be worried about sharing dining, food preparation and storage spaces. Here are a couple of recommendations:

• Use your own washing-up sponge and tea towel: you can either label it and keep it in your personal kitchen space/cupboard, or keep it in your room
• Wipe down surfaces before preparing food
• If your allergy is severe, keep your food and cooking utensils (e.g., toaster) separate and labelled to avoid cross-contamination.

If you have any concerns or are finding it difficult to communicate your needs to others, please get in touch with the Accommodation team, who will be more than happy to help.

Further resources

You can find more advice and support on the Anaphylaxis Campaign website, the UK’s charity to support people at risk from severe allergies.