The first step? Find out what kind of plans your college offers, and in some instances requires, and think about your own eating habits to pick the one that’s right for you. Sound easy? It can be, as long as you are honest about how (and how MUCH) and when you really eat. Some plans offer a set number of meals per semester, which means you show up for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day and eat as much as you want. Sounds good, right? But are you really going to get up every morning to eat before class, or would you be just as content with a PopTart you can store in your room? And what is your class schedule like? Do you have a 4-hour studio class in the middle of the day that would prevent you from making it over to the dining hall for lunch? Be realistic so you don’t wind up at the end of the semester with a lot of paid for, but uneaten, food. If there’s one thing worse than wasted food, it’s wasted MONEY spent on food. See if your school allows roll-over dining dollars—some places do. Other plans offer an option in which you pay for each meal on a pre-paid debit card until your balance has run out. Again, think about how much you REALLY eat and whether or not your balance will last until the end of the semester.
Secondly, know the dates the plans start and end AND research the hours of your dining hall and other dining venues. Getting to school a week early to move in and meet your roommate? What are you gonna do when your meal plan doesn’t start for another seven days? Plan on eating breakfast when you wake up every morning (ahem, every noon hour) to get to your afternoon classes? The dining staff just might turn that waffle iron off before you get there, buddy. It’s not like home where you can pop down to your kitchen in the middle of the night for slice of cold pizza or a bowl of ice cream (although some campuses do offer 24-hour coffee and snack bars).
Thirdly, find out what’s on the menu! Do you have a food allergy or other type of dietary restriction? Find out if dining services offers options and substitutions. Can’t bear the thought of eating in the cafeteria every day? See if your plans include meals from other on-campus joints that can offer everything from burgers and pizza to sushi and smoothies.
Lastly, prepare for the unexpected. What happens if you run up the balance on your meal card two months into the semester? What if your living arrangements change mid-semester and you wind up in an apartment where you decide to buy your own groceries, or you move into a fraternity house that has its own meal plan? Find out if you are bound to the meal plan you paid for, or if there is any penalty for canceling it.
Better go think about my own options...all-u-can-eat buffet???
My nose knows where to find it.Woof,
Clyde
