<p>S will be in Gilchrist in the fall. He is currently in Ragans for summer C. He loves the ability to cook 1 meal a day. He is into healthy eating and usually cooks some sort of chicken with salad and fruit. He would like to not be required to purchase a meal plan because it is a money waster for us (glad he does think about that!) He was a freshman at U Rochester/Eastman last year and I think he was under his meal plan/flex bucks by $500. (Their freshman meal plan requirement included $700 flex bucks + meals--what a rip off). And he ate 2-3 meals a day there since there were no accessible cooking facilities (kitchen was locked and it was a pain to get the key and return it every time you wanted to cook) or anywhere else to eat in downtown Rochester.<br>
Anyway, are there kitchens on every floor or every other floor in Gilchrist? (I have been told both.) And, if he were to try to move to a dorm that does not require a meal plan, could we just purchase Garnet Bucks--which are somehow different from Flex Bucks I think.<br>
And to those that do live in a dorm with no meal plan requirement. . .how difficult is it to find time to cook with a full fall schedule? S has good intentions, but his fall schedule will be much more difficult than his summer C.
Thanks.</p>
<p>There is a kitchen on every floor in Gilchrist. How much time he will have once fall gets going remains to be seen. Certain majors leave less time for cooking, but it is a money saver. He is in a good dorm with a good location. Maybe just get the cheapest meal plan that you can, and he can cook the rest of the meals. He could end up in an older dorm with less access to kitchens and in a worse location. You can use Garnet Bucks when you don’t have to have a meal plan. The cheapest meal plan leaves about 10 meals a week “not covered” which leaves time for lots of self made meals, but the opportunity to eat at Suwanee or Fresh Foods when the course load gets tough, when papers or exams or finals are approaching. Check out the 125 block (any 125 meals a semester). At 3 meals a day, 7 days a week, 15 weeks a semester, that is 315 meals. This way, he can cook half in a dorm that is small, with a kitchen on each floor that is unlocked and very accessible. You get $300 flexbucks with that plan to use for some groceries at the store on campus, or at the campus fast food places.</p>
<p>Thanks SunnyFlorida! Glad to know there is a kitchen on every floor. I told him last night that having a meal plan when he has 15+ credit hours may be a lifesaver. He has a lot of time on his hands now with only 6 hours!!</p>
<p>My D was in Gilchrist last year and liked the location very much. She was close to everything: Landis Green, Strozier, the Union, and many of the classroom buildings. There is a new building project that just started this summer on the Johnston Building behind Gilchrist, but I think that is a minor annoyance, the the finished product will be great.</p>
<p>When the going got tough, having a meal plan was a real time saver for her. We used the 100 meal block very successfully last year. She could also dash in and get a meal to go. I was sorry to see this year that the fewest meal block is 125 :(.</p>
<p>My older D was also in Gilchrist and enjoyed it very much.</p>
<p>I have a question… what exactly constitutes a “meal?”</p>
<p>are there some guidelines or is it just how much you can fit on a plate?</p>
<p>When you dine in, it’s all you can eat. When you get a meal to go, you must fit everything in the provided Styrofoam box WITH the lid closed (so you can’t fill up both sides separately).</p>
<p>Yes, when you eat in, you simply swipe your card and your in, You can stay as long as you want and eat as much as you want.</p>