<p>Why don't you Americans just adopt Milton Friedman's negative income tax so there isn't any of this nonsensical business about a minimum and/or living wage? Sorry, tangential economic rant.</p>
<p>Ooooooo -- that would be the dreaded "socialism," which we Americans seem to be allergic to.</p>
<p>How ironic, considering that Friedman is usually (rightly IMO) considered the antithesis of a socialist. Minimum and living wages are far more socialist than an income-indexed handout, ironically.</p>
<p>rightnotleft - you must either be a student spending your parents' money or fanatstically well off- hopefully a Dartmouth alum... in which case maybe all's well that end's well in four years ...</p>
<p>i'm actually neither, but thanks for stereotyping me. </p>
<p>what i'm trying to say here is yes, DDS costs too much, but so does everything else in Hanover. Unless you expect your kid to go to the Co-op and cook their own meals, though, you're going to have to deal with it. All in all, complaining about the $4500 or so you're paying a year for a dining plan isn't nearly as much as a heist as charging $36,000 for tuition.</p>
<p>Regarding how the menus are used: until students are negative (or very close to being so) on DBA, it's very rare that prices are considered - kids will get what they want for the most part. Also, by that point it's very likely that you'll have friends who have excess DBA and are willing to donate some - because otherwise it's their wasted money come spring.</p>
<p>Also, while this hasn't really come up on this thread, one of the pluses of having DBA instead of a "meals" plan or an "unlimited" plan is that it forces the student not to be wasteful and instead get only what they actually plan on eating. At many other schools, so much food is wasted because people take food and do not eat it, simply because they can.</p>
<p>Dartmouth food is way too expensive. Students and parents should complain!</p>
<p>rightnotleft - I would do cartwheel sat this point for $4500/year. Before I hit the roof - the run rate was $40/day. Now my S is a run rate of $30/day due to scrounging - eating day old leftovers from floor meetings...</p>
<p>In Japan - they charge twice for food - once what you purchase - and again - for what is leftover.</p>
<p>I'm not saying an all you can eat plan doesn't have a downside - but my s cannot possibly be the only one who needs the equivalent 2 Big Greens a semester to get enough to eat. He is razor thin. How do football players and other athletes manage?</p>
<p>rhino- "write" on!</p>
<p>That's impressive, phase2, because I rarely spent over $15 per day. Figure a bagel, cereal, or fruit and juice for breakfast, a sandwich and soup for lunch, and either a salad or the special for dinner. Sprinkle in the occasional free food meal, and you've got a healthy diet for not a lot of money. </p>
<p>Frankly, I'm kind of amazed that everyone is complaining about this--in my circle of friends, which included several varsity athletes, no one ever went over the basic plan by more than $100 per term, let alone needed 2 Big Greens.</p>
<p>is taht true for this year? I thought plans had changed since last year - more organic food - free range chickens etc.</p>
<p>It probably did change from last year, but I don't see how it could have changed quite that much. I'm pretty sure DDS would have realized it if they hiked termly expenses that much per student, and would have bumped up their meal plans to accomodate.</p>
<p>My son seems to be eating only two meals a day on M,W,F when he has his classes and four meals a day on T, Th when I presume he has more free time. Even on T and Th he seems to be at or below $30 but, of course, he may be buying some food off-campus so I can't really tell. I don't want to bother him with questions about this now- based on our last phone call, even though he insisted that everything was "fine", I could hear in his voice that he is feeling some pressure-probably the combination of the fast pace of the classes, along with crew practice 6 days a week, is more challenging in terms of time management than he expected.</p>
<p>since last year, the size of the plans have all increased by $50/term. Prices have increased a bit too, but nothing has seen a price increase of more than 25 cents. Salad prices, and specials have not changed prices. Some of the everyday items have gone up slightly.</p>
<p>Momofrower: At least you got him to say he was "fine." My S is tied up with rugby practice several hours a day (this is a club sport??), plus his classes -- one of which is known to be pretty intense (Honors Physics) and which is proving true to its reputation. When I call, all I get is "I'm really busy" and then that's the extent of it for another four or five days until I call again and get the same thing.</p>
<p>I'm not sure whether to be annoyed or worried.</p>
<p>jeez... parents are more active than students :o</p>
<p>Managing your time is difficult for freshmen - I was talking with a couple of '10s yesterday, and according to them, no freshman manages their time well in their first term. I guess I'm fortunate in that I'm coping - but then again, unlike a lot of people I know, I don't play any sports.</p>
<p>some club sports are really intense, especially if it's a sport for which there is no varsity alternative and thus essentially functions as a varsity team. the other sport for which this is certainly true is the ultimate (frisbee) team.</p>
<p>Honors Physics is a good class. It's somewhat intense, but it really forces understanding over simple plug and chug formula use.</p>
<p>My s is spending more time at the boathouse than in the classroom. Crew was a surprise activity - but he really enjoys it. It has turned out to be a great way to start off freshman year. I have asked if he thinks he could manage 4 classes in the next trimester - but says the 3 are keeping him very, very busy. Do most upperclassmen start increasing their class load once the shock of transitioning from high school is over? </p>
<p>ajayc - I hope you get into Dartmouth. You sound like a great kid.</p>
<p>My understanding is that three courses per quarter is intense enough. And all you need to graduate is 35 courses, so at 3 per quarter, that's what you do.</p>
<p>Rightnotleft, thanks for the info about Honors Physics and about rugby. That makes me feel a (teeny tiny) bit better.</p>
<p>Phase2, DD took 4 classes once and it was tough! The college limits the number of times that you can even take 4 classes - twice, I think - although I don't know how strictly they enforce that. It is very different than where I went to college, we paid by the semester hour, and you could take as many classes as you could afford, or could squeeze in. At Dartmouth you don't pay extra if you take 4 classes.</p>
<p>the college doesn't limit how many times you can take four classes, it limits how many times you can take four without an increase in tuition.... which is essentially the same thing.</p>
<p>taking four classes is tough from what i've heard from my friends who have (never had to do it, and hopefully never will), and would be made that much harder in the winter quarter, which is a week shorter than the others. Furthermore, for upperclassmen, classes get harder (for the most part) so taking four becomes even more of a challenge. Though some people manage to do it just fine.</p>