<p>The meal plans for freshmen are kind of a dilemma. The relatively cheaper plans (Gold, Cardinal) tie you into the cafeterias for 10 meals a week, with only $500 of Dining Dollars that can be used elsewhere. The problem is that after a week or so you are sick of the cafeteria and have 18 weeks to go. The cafeterias are perfectly fine, just monotonous for 10 meals a week, week after week after week.</p>
<p>The Trojan plan, which is all Dining Dollars, allows you to eat anywhere you want to, but is way too much. There is no way any normal person can eat or buy enough food alone to use up a Trojan plan in a semester, so normally it is kind of a waste. There is a trick, however, that is perfectly legit. The Trojan plan works out well if two people are going to eat together a lot. The person with the plan can buy the guest’s meals too, and together they can plan it out so it is all used up at the end. The hard part is to find the right friend with the right schedule and no meal plan obligation of their own.</p>
<p>From what we’ve learned, unless you’re a very hearty eater, it makes sense to get the basic mealplan and use discresh money to supplement. We sure don’t want to be stuck at end of semester buying boxes of junk food. We were pleased to hear about the organic food market & my D will be checking it out on Facebook.</p>
<p>For those who live in off campus apartments–do all the students cook or are they still eating on campus? Thought my son should eat breakfast in the apartment and other meals on campus.</p>
<p>In off campus apartments, it depends on the person. I cooked most of my breakfasts/dinners, and generally ate lunch on campus. However, I knew how to cook. If you don’t, that could be harder. I recommend cooking lessons over the summer! It will help save money, which is always good!</p>
<p>Anybody who eats is going to have to learn to shop and cook for food some day. What better time than when you are in college, learning all kinds of new things? You can’t expect to go on eating what essentially are restaurant meals forever.</p>