<p>I'm a transfer student and I still haven't applied for a dining plan yet but I was planning on getting the cheapest plan and just added money on it if it runs out. </p>
<p>Is this a good idea?</p>
<p>I have no idea how much money I would end up eating per day on average since I don't know how much the food there costs.</p>
<p>I usually eat 3-4 meals a day though.</p>
<p>What do you guys get?</p>
<p>I got the second cheapest plan (plan B I think?). I’d imagine that you’ll run out of food points with the cheapest plan if you do eat 3-4 meals per day, but it probably is a good idea to go with the cheapest and add as you go since you don’t have a very good idea of how much you’ll eat and spend. Adding food points during the course of the semester is extremely easy. Just talk it over with your parents so they’re not shocked when a $200 food points charge shows up on your bursar bill.</p>
<p>If you haven’t already, check out the Food Points Usage charts on the dining website ([Duke</a> Dining Services: Upper Class](<a href=“Duke Student Affairs”>Duke Student Affairs)). It’s a little outdated but it gives you an general idea of how much money per day each plan gives you. I’d guess that the average breakfast is ~$3-5, lunch is $5-7, and dinner $7-10, but that completely depends on where and what you eat.</p>
<p>Get the cheapest plan. All upperclassmen plans are essential debit accounts with “points” that you use instead of cash. It costs nothing to add more points and adding is instantaneous and can be done many ways:</p>
<p>1) Duke card office can add it for you by Cash or debit
2) Through ATM-like machines at select campus locations by bursar’s account or cash
3) Online by charging it to your bursar’s account. </p>
<p>If you need more, simply use one of the methods above and you can start using the points right away. </p>
<p>Be sure to note, however, that if you don’t use all your food points, you get the first $100 back at the end of the year and 50% of everything after that. So I’d say don’t go crazy with the food points, having cash that you can use anywhere is always better than having food points that you can only use in some places.</p>
<p>Since it doesn’t cost anything to add more points, I think getting Plan A is the best choice.</p>
<p>Thank you for both of your inputs!</p>
<p>On a side note, can you guys give me a quick summary on what Central Campus is? I just know that some juniors/seniors live in the apartments there instead of the dorms in the West Campus</p>
<p>Just be sure to tell your parents. I know that I don’t like getting any surprise bills from the bursar’s office for my son. The Duke card is a debit off your parent’s checking account.</p>
<p>^Not really, I’ve always made it a point to add money to my food/flex account with my debit card at the Duke Card Office when I needed to. Granted, when I started doing that senior year, I was living off campus and my parents agreed to give me a monthly allowance in exchange for not paying for a dining plan. But I still did all the micromanaging of my finances without having to surprise my parents everytime I wanted to buy a big mac. </p>
<p>But I do agree that one should probably work out some sort of arrangement with one’s parents so that these things aren’t a total surprise when they pop up down the road.</p>
<p>Central campus is basically a giant apartment complex for upperclassmen and graduate students. There is a restaurant, scattered laundry facilities, a small grocery/convenience store, a small converted computer lab, and some outdoor recreational facilities (basketball, tennis courts, etc). And there might even be a small indoor gym by now. Overall, though, I wasn’t a big fan because it always felt really detached from the main campus and rundown.</p>
<p>You may want to check out a recent article by The Chronicle on the “new” Central Campus: [Central</a> Campus: Renovation projects attract student interest | The Chronicle](<a href=“http://dukechronicle.com/article/central-campus-renovation-projects-attract-student-interest]Central”>Central Campus: Renovation projects attract student interest - The Chronicle).</p>
<p>Ok thanks for the information! Central Campus sounds pretty cool but it’s too far of a walk for me=P</p>
<p>I can’t wait to get my dorm assignment at the end of July!</p>