<p>Okay, so I'm a freshman at Columbia, and I just thought I'd pass along something I wish I'd have known in your place. When ordering your meal plan, keep in mind that the dining hall only serves two meals a day, brunch and dinner. I thought 11 meals a week was going to be a good amount for me (because I was told by current students to get the fewest meals and the most points), but now there's only two weeks left in the semester, and I have 62 meals left, and they don't roll over. If I'd known they only served two meals a day, I would have gotten fewer meals and more points. Congratulations.</p>
<p>This is good advice. Anyone who didn't get the most points / fewest meals wishes they did. I don't know a single person who wishes they had more meals.</p>
<p>JJ is terrible and the meal plan comes out to like $11+/meal. You probably won't go to the dining hall all the time, even if you like it. You'll go out to dinner, have free pizza at meetings, etc.</p>
<p><em>RAISES HAND ENTHUSIASTICALLY</em></p>
<p>I SECOND BING AND COLUMBIA2002! (I got Meal Plan #2 -- 185 meals and 300 pts -- STILL have 60 left and trust me, I ate there pretty diligently). There are lots of free food opportunities around campus -- no one can use up all their meals.</p>
<p>I had it the worst.</p>
<p>Meal plan 1, 215 meals, about 70 meals left each semester. </p>
<p>And when I signed up for that, I even thought 13 meals a week weren't enough.</p>
<p>I had it way worse than you, soul. I signed up for the least meals, and still USED about only TEN of the meals each semester.</p>
<p>This year, as a soph, my S skipped the meal plan entirely, on account of the $11/meal thing. We are sending him 350/month, which is cheaper than the meal plan, and he's eating better.</p>
<p>you can buy bubble tea with the points but not with the meals (reason for me to get more points than meals)=p</p>
<p>the bubble tea from Tea & Tea is awesome</p>
<p>garland, i'm just wondering... your son(daughter i'm not sure) survives on 350 a month for food? That's like 11 and 2/3 dollars a day, i think I'd definitely spend more than that on food in a month... especially in new york.</p>
<p>I also don't have a meal plan this year and I think $350 is more than enough. Obviously, you can't eat out every meal, but if you just buy some food and spend a little time cooking, you'll get by fine with that. Like Garland's son/daughter, I'm also eating a million times better than I did last year.</p>
<p>$350/month might not be workable for everyone. Some people can't cook for whatever reason (in a dorm without a kitchen, don't have time to cook, helpless guys that don't know how to boil pasta, etc.).</p>
<p>If you eat two meals a day, $11/day is nothing. A lunch sandwich at one of the on-campus establishments will run you about $5. And dinner at a cheap place (chinese take-out, or something similarly priced) is going to run you $10 even if you're really frugal. If you get a soda or a salad or something with your meals, you're talking even more money. If you go out to a nice restaurant once in a while, you're way over budget.</p>
<p>I really don't see how you could eat out (i.e., cheap local restaurants and campus establishments) for less than something in the range of $15/day. And on that type of budget, you wouldn't be able to splurge very often.</p>
<p>He eats out cheap, and sometimes cooks at gf's apartment. Hey, lots of people eat on a lot less than that...if that's your budget, that's your budget. (doesn't look starved to me!)</p>
<p>yes... bubble tea.. mmmm. my friends think they are eyeballs. that just makes me want more. haha. Surprisingly there are multiple bubble tea places in cowtown Columbus, OH. I'm looking forward to even more at columbia.</p>
<p>meh. what is bubble tea??</p>
<p>a drink with tea/milk/tapioca</p>
<p>so delicious, so funky and chewie......yum, yum, yum.</p>
<p>cutxpaste, i will personally take you out for your first bubble tea at columbia(isnt it weird i can actaully say that????)..its so delicious... its a tea/milky/smoothie drink that is some sort of flavor like a fruit, then at the bottom of the cup there are these marble sized pearls of tapioca you suck up withthe drink through a ridiculous straw...its so coool</p>
<p>If you get financial aid from Columbia, does that cover food? I hope so, because my mom's cooking is so bad that my favorite part of airplane trips is airplane food. Some airplane food is really good, though. On Quantas (probably spelled wrong), they give you frozen fruit bars (my favorite food in the world) and lots of other yummy stuff. Also, are the meals buffets? I love buffets. I once got kicked out of one for eating too much.</p>
<p>hehe, bubble tea</p>
<p>the asian club at my high school is having a Bubble Tea Party this friday :D We drink bubble tea and watch performances by students.</p>
<p>I know that was random..but i was just reminded of it :P</p>
<p>Financial aid covers room and board ("board" being your meal plan). Meals at Barnard and John Jay are all-you-can-eat.</p>