<p>Any current or former W&M students have advice on which meal plan to choose? Should I just go for the plan that gives me the maximum amount of dining dollars? Thanks!</p>
<p>I don’t know what the choices are now… but the first decision you should make is whether you are a person who eats breakfast. If you wake up 2 hours before class and eat everyday, then you will need more meals than if you wake up 30 minutes before class and head out the door.</p>
<p>My first semester I got a plan with unlimited meals, so I could stop in to a cafeteria anytime and just grab a drink or something. Turns out I never did that, and it was a pretty big waste.</p>
<p>When I was there, you could add more dining dollars (flex) to your plan during the semester if you wanted to. If you spent them all at Wawa or ordering pizza, lol.</p>
<p>Soccerguy is right. Totally depends on your eating habits. Some people find it hard to use the unlimited or other large plans while others put it to good use! Since all freshmen live on campus and since you all need to eat and will be without cars, dining on campus is very convenient your first year and a great way to meet up with friends on a daily basis so you’re likely to make good use of your plan.</p>
<p>This is perhaps a foolish question, but here it is…comparing the Gold 14 and the Gold 19 dining plans. They cost the same, but one allows 14 swipes per week, and $175 flex dollars, and the other, 19 swipes and $150 flex dollars. Okay, drum roll on the dumb question… for the flex dollars, is that PER WEEK, or PER SEMESTER? if it is per semester, why on earth would anyone accept 5 fewer swipes per week, to gain $25 over the entire semester?</p>
<p>Another feeding question, while I am at it… how do the plans work ‘after hours’; it appears that feeding times end at 9 pm, and begin again at 7 am. For habitually late night eaters, what options exist, and how do those fit into the meal plans offered? Thanks for any insight you can share…!</p>
<p>I ended up going with the smallest meal plan possible (not that there’s that much of a difference between the three options freshman have…) I am definitely not a breakfast person, so I can’t see using more than 2 meals a day.</p>
<p>Bandmom-</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure dining dollars are per semester. 5 swipes are definitely worth more than $25 dining dollars, but I still went with the Gold 14 plan because of the fact that I’d probably never use those 5 extra swipes.</p>
<p>BandMom - the flex dollars should be per semester. If you multiplied the $150 by 15 weeks, it would probably be almost the cost of the meal plan, which would mean you are getting all meals for free, if it was per week.</p>
<p>After hours, people generally go to Wawa. Wawa takes flex dollars. The Wawa is right across the street from Monroe Hall, and is generally full of students until well into the morning hours, including in the ‘after 2am’ range on friday and saturday. You can also order pizza from a couple places with flex dollars. The Delis right next to Wawa are also open later, but they might go 21+ at some point in the evening.</p>
<p>You can also buy food and keep it in the fridge in your dorm, and cook it in the kitchen (or microwave).</p>
<p>ps is your son/daughter going to continue with his/her instrument in college? Some fun groups at W&M if he/she wants to keep playing, either seriously or just for fun =)</p>
<p>We’ll send your questions on to our Dining Services colleagues BandMominPA and provide you with some answers on the meal plan price differences and late night eating.</p>
<p>Here’s Dining Services’ response to the question about hours of operation and late night options. Sounds like there are several ways to procure campus dining after 9:00 p.m. We will follow up with more information about pricing.</p>
<p>Though dining hours of operation for fall semester are still being finalized for the upcoming year, based on this past Fall/Spring semesters hours, there were several dining locations that were open after 9pm including the Commons Java City & C-store which closes at Midnight, as did the Lodge1/Quiznos (which is being converted to another concept for the upcoming year), and the Students’ X-Change (c-store) stayed open until 10pm during the week. The C-stores provide snacks, beverages, coffee, grab and go sandwiches, wraps, and salads among personal hygiene and many other items.</p>
<p>Thanks, all. I think we will go with the Gold 19, and be prepared to load his card a bit with flex dollars for those late night snacks. </p>
<p>And yes, he is planning to participate fully in music. He is a well-rounded percussionist. Our public school district has a very strong music program here, so he has been exposed to all sorts of musical literature. </p>
<p>The only regret I can think of about his choice to attend William & Mary over some of his other options is its lack of a true marching band. But he can audition to play snare in the pep band, drum set for Jazz, and timpani in Wind Ensemble, so he will have plenty of opportunity to ‘keep the beat’! I found the music selections in the W&M course catalog to be diverse and interesting, so perhaps he will find some new musical avenues to pursue!</p>
<p>yay. As a former director of the pep band and a 4 year member of the wind symphony, I fully recommend both groups. The orchestra is also good, if that is more in his interests than band. The Wind Symphony is getting a new director in the fall, and I’ve heard that he is really good (he was there for a ‘working interview’ in the spring).</p>
<p>Are you sure Wawa takes Flex? I know they take Express, but I never heard they took Flex. It’s been two years since I had a mealplan though.</p>
<p>oh… Malvenuto, I think you are 100% correct. Wawa takes express, not flex.</p>
<p>I guess I spent all my flex at Dominoes for parties…</p>
<p>Yes, WaWa does take Express as do some other local-area businesses. Here’s a list of locations that take the W&M Express ([William</a> & Mary - Where to Use W&M Express](<a href=“http://www.wm.edu/offices/auxiliary/idoffice/idcardandwmexpress/wheretousewmexpress/index.php]William”>http://www.wm.edu/offices/auxiliary/idoffice/idcardandwmexpress/wheretousewmexpress/index.php))</p>
<p>We’ll check with Dining Services to see who might accept Flex Points</p>
<p>From W&M Dining Services: Flex points are only accepted at W&M Dining locations on campus and for Dominos delivery. No off campus eateries accept Flex. This may be getting confused with W&M Express which can be used for many locations both on and off campus (both food and non food related locations).</p>