<p>20 meal plan/wk or 14 meal plan/wk? It’s only a $200 difference but I don’t think I’ll be eating on campus on weekend nights and I really don’t want to waste meals. Is flex points sufficient enough to cover this or should I just get a 14 meal plan? What do you suggest for an incoming freshman?</p>
<p>Just get the flex plan. Then you can stock up on food from the eateries, grab quick snacks, etc., get more flex points, and your meals roll over week to week. Most people I know on flex didn’t use the whole thing: start on the highest flex, then, if you need to, drop to the lower one. The highest flex, i think, is equivalent to the 14-meal-per-week plan, but with a lot more flexibility, and some extra points.</p>
<p>Personally I was on the Flex 460 my first semester and downgraded to the Flex 240 in the Spring. I don’t think I can offer any specific advice because so much depends on your dining habits. If you are “disciplined” enough to visit the dining halls a fixed number of times a day, then go on one of the weekly plans because they give you more bang for your buck. The meal credits disappear at the end of the week, so you have to spend them or else they will be forfeited.</p>
<p>If you are (like me), not disciplined about going to the dining halls, then go on one of the Flex plans. You get slightly less value for the money you’re paying, but have the flexibility to spend your credits and points as and when you wish. Credits and points on the Flex plans stay with you throughout the semester, and rollover from Fall to Spring (but not Spring to Fall). So if you have too much leftover from Fall, you can downgrade in Spring, as i did.</p>
<p>I think this piece of advice has been given before, but just to reiterate: If you plan to go on Flex 330, DON"T. Go on Flex 460 in Fall and downgrade to Flex 240 in Spring. You pay less, get more credits, and get more points.</p>
<p>Where can you spend the flex points and credits? In contrast to the meal plan, that is.</p>
<p>Each meal plan comes with flex points and credits.</p>
<p>Flex points can be used at any eatery on campus and credits can be used at most, but not a couple of the small snack places at B&H, the Rock, and the Sci Li. A credit has a value of 6 flex points except at the Ratty or VW, where a credit is worth between 10 and 20 (rough estimate) points, depending on the meal.</p>
<p>On a 7, 14, or 20 meals a week plan, you get some flex points. You are limited to 3 credits per day, but unlimited flex points. No more than 2 credits can be used outside of the Ratty or VW a day. The meals don’t roll over but are replenished week after week.</p>
<p>On a flex plan, you get many more flex points and you get your credits in a lump. The above restrictions don’t apply.</p>
<p>In general, then, the former is better if you’ll have a regular eating schedule and the latter is better if you have an irregular one.</p>