<p>D was initially thinking 19 per week, then down to 15 per week and 125 points and now saying she wants 10 per week and 275 in points because just won't go to meal halls that often (Dickinson) as classes not real close to dorm. We changed once and now have one more chance to change.</p>
<p>My thinking was as follows. I figured like 15 or 16 weeks, 5 meals a week, is 75 or 80 meals and for that you get an extra $125 in points. I realize that's very rough but not that rough. Is the idea that they don't expect you to eat all the meals so they load it that way? </p>
<p>I realize if you don't use the meals, you lose them but that seems like a really bad trade. Any suggestions? Wait some more days?</p>
<p>bill, I think the one thing that has made me crazy is the meal plan. To me, there is no one clear winner or best bet. Most of the other schools we went to seemed to have that “best value” meal plan and the prices ranged a bit more than UD’s option. I might also add the other schools were a bit cheaper too in regards to meals. </p>
<p>My D went with ten meals a week but it kills me to know I exchanged all those extra meals weekly for an extra hundred or so dollars! Being at dickinson too I think it may work out OK for her but I’m telling her to keep an eye on what she’s eating and be aware of the sept 11th meal change deadline. </p>
<p>I wish I had an answer for you but I in exactly the same boat!</p>
<p>Students can go to any dining hall. Kent and Russell are closer to many, but not all, classrooms as compared to Rodney and Pencader. The best bang for your buck (if that is your main interest) is in more meals in the dining hall and less points. I will spare you all the math. You actually can get meals to go at the dining halls and take them with you to eat at your leisure (i.e. pick up a lunch meal when you leave in am for class -there is a procedure you must follow to do this). If you purchase the same amount of food with points at a student center it would cost you more than the amount you would pay on the meal plan (for the prorated meal). Many students, however, still find it more convenient to get the plans with a larger number of points. So there is no single definitve answer as to which plan is better, depending upon your eating habits.</p>
<p>Agree, agree, agree that the meal plan options are essentially a rip-off, especially when you consider that the same vendor operates both the dining halls and the other on campus food spots. If the students get high point plans, those points will generally run out after a few months and then the dining system gets paid again when students add points or use cash! Would add that there is some amount of social pressure to freely throw money around on meals outside of the dining halls, both during regular meal times, birthday dinners out, and at non-meal times as well … some students have the money for that, and other don’t (and a third group doesn’t have the money but spends it anyway). The dining hall lacks a certain coolness, I suppose. Even so, most students do have the time to eat most of their meals in the dining halls, especially considering Kent has continual service M - F, there are take out meals (not as glamorous as Chipotle, but paid for), and there are dining halls relatively near most classroom areas. Btw, I don’t think Dickinson is too bad dining hall-wise, the Rodney dining hall is on the way to and from class … and only about 5 minutes from Trabant, where lots of those points are spent. In my view, its better to train our students to think frugally about their food dollars, that will pay off later (and I live in NYC where there are many many people who don’t cook and essentially get food out every day).</p>
<p>My D did the 10 meals per week her first semester. Some weeks she didn’t use them up because she really didn’t like the food in the dining halls. Second semester she went to just a block set of meals with more points. She used just about all the points and still had a lot of meals left over (complete waste of money). I think towards the end of the semester, she gave her id card to some of the boys who ran out of meals. Boys tend to eat more than the girls.</p>
<p>Add me to the list of disgruntled meal plan parents. This annoys me greatly, particularly since my daughter mostly microwaves stuff we send from home. She has a closet in her room with shelves and I swear to you it is more stocked than most people’s home pantries. Every month or so either a friend, boyfriend, relative or touring acquaintance heads down to UD and we send a cooler of home cooked food in sealed, vacuum bags that she puts in her freezer. We shouldn’t really be doing a meal plan at all because she rarely uses it.</p>
<p>This year S is an off-campus apartment, and I know that our cost for his food this year will be much less than a UD meal plan. They are something of a rip-off.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your responses. Told D to think about it some more and if she reallly isn’t going to use 15, then better to go to the 10. I also made clear that she can go to more places than Dickinson and get take out – and while I would opt for that, D isn’t likely going to want to be seen “brown bagging” it (unless she were paying). She actually thought the dining hall last night was “amazing”, just don’t think she’ll want to go there often and spend time sitting there.</p>
<p>I should warn you this is unsolicited parenting advice, given from someone very much in the process of figuring this issue out. At the risk of sounding harsh … look at her class schedule. If not eating in the dining hall seems to be a matter of choice (not necessity), perhaps she should take at least some of the responsibility for any money she spends over her points allowance (either from her own money she has earned, or from whatever spending allowance you may be giving her for other purposes). That may make her reconsider her daily choices (no matter which plan she elects), and will also help her think more economically when she does buy food outside the halls. As stated, I hate the plan set-up and wish it was more equitable, but I think this is also an opportunity for students to begin to think like an adult with their finances and make choices in their own financial interest. As your post implied, that is much more likely to happen when one’s own money is involved. :)</p>
<p>Thanks. I agree and once she gets a routine, will pursue that. I also note that I spoke with the Dining Halls and this year there are 2 express lines - one in Russell and the other in Pincader. No need to fill out paperwork in advance. The Rusell details are posted on the Udel dining hall website for Russell and Pincader dining hall told me its 11:-9:30 monday through Thursday, continuous. That must make it easier though doesn’t help with the social issues of buying at one of the fast food places around campus.</p>
<p>I think Bill mean it may be perceived to be “uncool” by others to actually plan ahead and take food out of the dining hall. lol… I could totally picture that with my kid. (insert eye roll here) lol!</p>
<p>Give them time, the “uncool” factor disappears as they see what things really cost.
I recall my D having many “revelations” her first semester. Time management, health center visits when ill, money budgeting (frantic phone call she needed money put on her card to do laundry, but too lazy to walk over to Trabant to use her debit card, meanwhile it was Thursday evening, money transfer then took 3 bank business days. So it was either get off your butt and walk/ride bike to Trabant, or have dirty clothes till Wednesday.)</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s perceived as uncool. It’s perceived as the action of a busy person. Thinking taking food out is uncool is a carryover mentality from high school. Once the kids get involved in many things they don’t think that way anymore. When she started, my D had a horror of going to Trabant by herself. Now with a full schedule, a job, and activities she just doesn’t have time to make breakfast or lunch a social event. She does make plans for dinner almost all the time, but she sees herself as an employed woman with a schedule and commitments.</p>
<p>Lefty 1 has it right. The “uncool” factor. Borne of unjustified expectations of perpetual entitlements and a place in the world fueled by over-indulgent parents that should have known what their actions would create. </p>
<p>Samiamy I hope you are right. I learned about the 3 days with PNC but there is a lot in there that she won’t run out. Does it also take 3 days to load up the flex? I don’t remember at this point.</p>
<p>Back then it was WSFS bank, and it was by no means as convenient as it is today I think then they only had 3 ATMs on campus. Under Udel bill pay you can transfer money into flex by local check, but don’t think it is available immediately we didn’t know that back then. she was used to having money available at a moments notice, didn’t tell me she was running low on card till it was just before a weekend.
Never did that again.</p>
<p>I opened a local joint account with her, linked to my account, transfer funds directly into joint account, no 3 day waiting etc. Available immediately.
Found it most needed once renting and buying food, not so needed when living on campus.</p>