<p>I’d love to hear from any soph students or their parents about how to get three square meals through the dining plans on campus. My son is a freshman this year, and we got him the Freedom plan that allows 8 dining credits a week (which we advised him to use for dinners) and 360 Dining Dollars a Quarter. We thought this plan would be the best one as all the SOAR advisers kept saying “get the plan with the most dining dollars”, the thinking being that Dining Credits can only be used on (I think) 3 restaurants on campus but the Dining Dollars can be used at all food locations including the Campus Market. The plan is falling way short of his needs. The dining credit is valid up to $12.75 for dinner, but he is finding that his dinner costs more than that so he ends up using his dining dollars to make up the difference (I think 360 dining dollars a quarter comes to about $5/day). This leaves him with no money for breakfast or lunch or snacks. Did we choose unwisely? Is there a better way of using the system so he can get food throughout the day? If not, I am facing having to send him another $125/week to cover his breakfasts and lunches (going by the value the dining contract gives for these meals). That’s what I budgeted for his food at home as part of the family weekly groceries, which is ridiculous. My son is very tall and athletic, but everyone on his Week of Welcome group is on the same plan, none of them are happy with it, they’re all constantly hungry. Can anyone help advise?</p>
<p>When my daughter was a freshman I put together a snack box for her with peanut butter, jelly, microwavable soup, peanut butter pretzels, bagels, popcorn, jerky, dried fruit, healthy granola bars, crackers etc. She also had a refrigerator for string cheese, yogurt, fruit and whatever else she wanted. She could purchase fresh food at Campus market using using her dining dollars (I think that’s what they are called). I would send care packages every so often to replenish her snack box. This worked well for her, but she is not a big eater. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Nikole: Thank you for your advice. Like you, I did put together a snack box for my son before we left campus, also stocked the dorm room’s refrigerator with hummus and yogurts. Unfortunately, the college doesn’t have the lounges open (where they would have access to a microwave), as they have it set up as additional dorm space with bunk beds for overflow accommodations. We have been told the lounges will probably open in few weeks (we’ll see if that happens). Until then, nothing microwavable is an option. My son has bought some yogurts, etc., at the Campus Market but they mark-up the prices something rotten (taking advantage of a captive market).</p>
<p>Anyone else got something to add about making the dining plan work?</p>
<p>My son is on the Freedom plan as well (a freshman). I think he’ll be eating all of his breakfasts in his dorm room, just cereal and OJ. He too has said the campus market is very expensive and he won’t be shopping there. He found an Albertson’s that’s right next to a city bus stop, so he’s going to stock up on other food from the grocery. I don’t know how he’s allocating his dining credits and dining dollars so far. He’s not a big eater so I don’t think he’ll be going hungry.</p>
<p>We did basically the same thing - loaded him up with cereal, granola bars, peanut butter, jelly, popcorn and other snacks. I don’t think he wants to get up early for breakfast, and would rather grab something quick on the way out. He takes a back pack and rides his bike over to the supermarket for milk, bread, etc. The prices are much better there than the campus market. I haven’t talked to him about the price of dinner. I’m surprised that $12.75 isn’t enough - it must be pretty expensive. But I figure we’ll have to add some money to his flex dollars before the end of the year.</p>
<p>This is a tough situation since he lives in the dorms, as opposed to Cerro Vista or Poly Canyon – both of which have full kitchens in each apartment. Add to the fact that freshmen are required to have dining plans.</p>
<p>As I’m sure some of the parents are finding out, the dining plan is a total ripoff. The food and groceries on campus are expensive, come in small portions, and are marginally on par with high school cafeteria “food.” Convenience is the only reason to eat on campus, so unless you want to take out a second mortgage just to feed him for the remainder of the school year, I would advise against adding anymore value to your son’s dining plan. Instead, give him money to buy food at the local groceries stores and eateries outside of campus (assuming he’s responsible enough not to waste it other random items). </p>
<p>Does he have a car or bike? If not, the bus rides are free.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for posting.</p>
<p>The Albertson’s is where we stocked up and where I have recommended my son to go to find suitable items for storing in the dorm room, but he’ll have to take the bus as he doesn’t have a car or a bike. Although he is still considering switching plans (which he can do until Noon on Friday this week), in the meantime we have transferred money to his bank account so he can use his debit card either on or off campus for food, and this may be how we’ll deal with the problem long-term.</p>
<p>I guess I was easily fooled into thinking the dining plan would actually cover his eating needs. I should have paid more attention to details and run the figures months ago. For anyone considering sending their child Cal Poly in 2010, I would recommend that they go over the details of the dining contract very carefully, paying attention to how much a dining credit is worth at each meal, and using the Food Budget Worksheet to find out what food on campus really costs.</p>
<p>Please keep posting any more ideas. Thanks.</p>
<p>With all due respect, these kids are getting a 4 to 5 year, all expenses paid trip to unsupervised coed camp, with the only down side is they have to study. Surely they can figure a way to survive on one full course meal and $5 a day. When I went to college, I moved out, got a job, paid rent, and went to the local Reubens at Happy Hour and ate free appetizers. I am more worried about the Freshman 15, the amount of weight the average Freshman gains the first year. A weekly trip to the Supermarket for cereal, fruit, bread, and sandwich stuff should be fine to supplement their dining credits. Anything they can learn to prepare for when they graduate and move out on their own is a good thing. I’m sure that if I give my son more food money, he will spend it. If he has to use his own money, he will probably not.</p>
<p>Our son is a sophmore and lived in Sierra Madre his first year. He was very active - intramurals, sand volleyball, swimming and hiking. He had the freedom plan and it worked perfectly for him. Once he met friends in the dorms that had cars, they would go to the grocery store (off campus) and load up on breakfast items and snacks. He never used the microwave in the dorms. He used the meal plan for lunches and dinners. He would usually eat at the Farmer’s Mkt Thurs nights and would eat out (in Pismo or wherever they were) on Sat. night. He ended up with like $10 he had to use the last week of school before summer! This year he lives in Poly Canyon so he is cooking (amazing) dinners and eats breakfast in his apt. But we did put $$ on his meal card for lunches as he only has 1 hr between classes for lunch and it’s just too far to get up the hill, fix something, and get to class. Everyone is different and has different needs, but the Freedom Plan worked great for him.</p>
<p>My S was on the Freedom plan last year (as a freshman) and it worked great for him too. Maybe it depends on what you choose to eat? If anything, he had too much money for food. He did say the campus market was way overpriced and refused to get things there. However, he always had tons of money left-over. At the end of the year, when it was “use it or lose it,” he started eating dinners once at week at Sage Restaurant on campus, and that seemed to take care of most of the overage.</p>
<p>My son is a freshman living in the dorms this year, and also has the Freedom plan. He said he had plenty to eat and ended up with about 40 plus dollars left at the end of the quarter. I agree that the meal plan is a rip-off. His friends at other colleges are paying a lot less for their plans. Everyone told him to sign up for the Freedom plan (least amount of meals and most plus dollars per quarter), and he’s glad he did …</p>
<p>About the same results for my son as well. The upcoming challenge is the cost/benefit analysis of where to live/eat next year.</p>
<p>I think my son (S1) will live in Poly Canyon next year. I like that he won’t need a car if he stays on campus. If he lived in an off-campus apartment he’d probably lobby to have his car in SLO (S2 is using it this year). S1 is fine cooking meals for himself at Cerro Vista this year so Poly Canyon seems like a good choice.</p>
<p>On a somewhat related note, where do kids store stuff over the summer? Like kitchen supplies, bedding, bikes, etc?</p>
<p>My son is negative on Poly Canyon (and positive on Cedar Creek) for the following reasons:
</p><li>the apartments and facilities are “not that nice” plus they’ve had problems with rat infestations and fire sprinklers going off ruining computers, etc.</li>
<li>the apartments are actually farther away than other options such as Cedar Creek</li>
<li>its ‘on campus’ which means, well, you know.</li><p></p>
<p>As far as I can determine they are on their own as far as summer storage is concerned. My son has a couch in addition to the stuff you mentioned so I’d love to learn about solutions others have come up with; do not want to truck it home!</p>
<p>Rats!!! How awful…my son hasn’t mentioned this little detail. The sprinklers went off in a room in his Cerro Vista building just before Thanksgiving. I guess once the water starts it can’t be stopped until the entire reservoir is drained? Lots of damage, unfortunately. </p>
<p>Where is Cedar Creek?</p>
<p>Cedar Creek is a condo complex (so you rent from individual owners although there is some kind of association) at the end of Stenner St. - [103</a> Stenner St., San Luis Obispo, CA - Google Maps](<a href=“Google Maps”>Google Maps). - a cul de sac just off of California.</p>
<p>There is another popular option, Mustang Village, but I have heard repeatedly that it is a total zoo. Word is Cedar Creek strikes a more reasonable balance between chaos & order.</p>
<p>Hi I am a freshman at Cal Poly who is currently living in Cerro Vista. The fact is, students who live in Cerro Vista can only choose the apartment life meal plan, which gives us 8 meals per week and 90 plus dollars. All I can say is: that is NOT enough for the whole quarter. Why not enough? Because the food that sold here is VERY expensive. A salmon and two sides cost about 12 bucks. 12 BUCKS!! That is just way too much. Besides that, the burgers on campus are low quality but they cost more than the burgers that sold on Firestone, which is one of the best grill restaurants at San Luis Obispo. You guys can go check it out and see the huge difference.</p>
<p>Since the food is so expensive and I dont get enough meal credits, what should I do then? Add more value on my Cal Poly card? Actually a better solution would be buying groceries at local supermarket (Ralphs, Albertson, etc ) and cook on our own. I usually go to Ralphs one every two weeks and spend around $20 to $25, and guess what? The money I spend on Ralphs, which could feed me for two weeks, is equivalents to 2 dinner meals in Cal Poly. As someone mentioned before, the food here is totally a rip-off. We spend more than we get, which is why after I spent all of my plus dollars on the third week, I decided to stop spending money on campus food (well, except the meal plan which is required too bad!!) and go to buy groceries at Ralphs. So whoever is living on campus, especially freshmen, I recommended you guys to spend money on the local supermarkets instead of purchasing food at campus restaurant.</p>
<p>Thank You ChunHui! My son has signed up for Cerro Vista and although his isn’t a big eater, he does like to snack! We are going to figure out where the grocery stores are and he will go there as often as he needs to get better priced food. I plan on hitting Costco 1 time per month and stocking up on food there for him.<br>
Where do you eat for your meal credits? Lunch or Dinner?
How do you get to the grocery store and get home with food?</p>
<p>Any other advice for living in Cerro would be appreciated! Thanks so much!</p>
<p>Has anyone found out any information on summer storage? We are from out of state and my daughter flies back and forth to SLO. She didn’t start out with much, but keeps adding to the amount she has there … now has a bike, snowboarding stuff, bedding/clothes, TV, and all her arch/drafting stuff. Any suggestions??</p>
<p>There are regular storage places where students can rent a locker for a couple of months, but I understand these are expensive. Some students who rent houses have 12-month rentals and might be willing to store things for friends over the summer.</p>