<p>So I will be a first year in fall and I had a question about the dining plan. I hope to live in Cerro Vista apartments, and I see that they are about $1,000 more than the dorms. But… the food is also about $1,000 less. When I looked at the meal plan info page ([Dining</a> Options Comparison - Campus Dining - Cal Poly Corporation](<a href=“http://www.cpfoundation.org/campusdining/DiningPlanChart.asp?pid=2]Dining”>http://www.cpfoundation.org/campusdining/DiningPlanChart.asp?pid=2)), I was utterly confused.</p>
<p>Can someone please explain them to me? What are dining credits and Plus Dollars? How many should I have? Why is the Cerro Vista one less expensive? </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>The Cerro Vista one is less because it gives you less credits for food.</p>
<p>Simply put: Cerro Vista= Less Food.</p>
<p>Its all the same price</p>
<p>The Meal Credits are not what they seem to be. It’s worth a certain amount of money at certain times of the day at certain eateries. So, at 8:00 AM, a meal credit is worth $7.50 (I think, I could be wrong on the amount) at Sandwich factory and VG’s Cafe (or any other establishment that takes meal credits and is open at that hour), but utterly worthless at Campus Market and the Avenue (since they don’t take meal credits). At a certain time of day, it becomes a “lunch” credit, and the amount it’s worth (again, only at the eateries that except meals) with is wroth ~$8.00. Then, even later, it becomes a “Dinner” credit that’s worth $9.50. Oh, and there are certain times of the day no one will accept a meal credit at all, the meal credits are only accepted at only a handful of eateries, and they expire at the end of the week (ouch).</p>
<p>Plus dollars are just dining credit. You have $n plus dollars, you can buy $n dollars in food/stuff from any campus eatery that is open. Thus, get more plus dollars if you have the choice.</p>
<p>But why does cerro vista get less food? Are they generally anorexic? </p>
<p>And I still wanna know what dining credits and plus dollars are used for.</p>
<p>Cerro Vista has kitchens in the individual apartments. Thus they reason you can cook some of your own food.</p>
<p>Thank you! If I had waited about five seconds to post my last message I would have had the answer. haha.</p>