<p>When I was at Duke for BDD, it was really easy to spend five/six dollars on a sandwich or salad. How well does the freshman meal plan work? Do most students have to add FLEX points? If you miss breakfast, how does that translate with swipes ("meal equivalencies") or things?</p>
<p>This was asked on the Duke Class of 2017 facebook group and this is what one of the current students had to say on the subject:</p>
<p>this is one of the most difficult questions to answer, but i’ll do my best:</p>
<p>with the meal plan, you get 5 breakfast swipes at the marketplace (i’ll call it MP from now on) per week. you also get 7 dinner/brunch swipes at the MP per week. breakfast is on weekdays, and brunch is on weekends. dinner is every night.</p>
<p>if you miss a breakfast swipe, you get a 4.00 equivalency to use at MP for lunch THAT DAY or at the Great Hall for breakfast. if you don’t use the equivalency that day, you lose it and can’t redeem it any other day. if you miss a dinner swipe, you get an 8.00 equivalency at the trinity caf</p>
<p>One thing I’d like to clarify is that while some people spend all of their food points, many students (especially upperclassmen) still have plenty left over at the end of the semester. Even as a freshman with the smallest food point allotment (around $350), I had $100 in food points to blow at the end of each semester. </p>
<p>If you’re thrifty, the meal plan will be adequate. If you don’t monitor your food points and budget, you’ll likely end up having to add. Either way, I recommend starting with the smallest meal plan and just adding food points accordingly. There’s no reason to get the largest meal plan when you can just get a cheapest plan and add later if you need to.</p>
<p>The best part about having food points left over at the end of the semester is using them up at a fancy meal at the WaDuke at the end of the semester. It’s a hotel and golf club on campus whose restaurant accepts food points. Food points don’t carry over semesters but that’s just all the more reason to treat yo’self!</p>
<p>The freshman dining plan was honestly one of my biggest complaints about Duke. Make some friends with upperclassmen, please.</p>
<p>^I agree, even years later when they did the whole “Last Market Place meal/reminisce about freshmen year” dinner at the marketplace for graduating seniors I couldn’t really bring myself to like the food.</p>
<p>I agree with LondonGentleman about getting the smallest plan and adding accordingly. </p>
<p>A clutch move is making sandwiches at MP during breakfast and eating them for lunch. They have bread, PB&J, bananas, etc you can use.</p>
<p>Be worth it to have a supply of sandwich bags or plastic containers. Don’t go overboard, but people generally turn a blind eye if you “happen” to take a bit too much and don’t want to trash the extra food…</p>