<p>I have a couple of questions about meal plans. When do we have to sign up for meal plans by? Are we allowed to have the meal plan for only one semester? Are meal plans even worth it? Which is the best one for the value? I usually don't eat 3 meals a day so I need help deciding if I should get one and which one I should get.</p>
<p>1) you can purchase one whenever you want. they are prorated per week.
2) no. when you get a meal plan, even for a day and then cancel it, you are obligated to purchase one in the spring. you can, however, convert it to declining balance.
3) i don’t think they are worth it. thats a decision you have to make for yourself, but if you’re not eating 2500 calories or more per day (read: if you aren’t seriously working out), i would highly recommend doing the math to see how often you’d have to eat there to make it worthwhile. i also implore you not to buy the meal plan until the second or third week, for the reason stated in 2). don’t get the plan until you know for sure you will eat there 2-3 times a day, every day.
4) ‘value’ is relative to what you need. if you don’t eat much, you’d be crazy to get the 7 day unlimited, but if you eat there 4-5 times a day, you’d be crazy not to.</p>
<p>several of the preview staffers and several of my friends already at the university said they hardly used a meal plan. Also, you dont get a refund for unused meals, so unless you plan to eat allday go with declining balance. remember in the dining halls seconds are unlimited, unless you choose a to-go box, so getting full isnt an issue.</p>
<p>You have to decide: if you think you are going to eat at the dining hall everyday, then I say to definitely get the meal plan. If you try to eat at the dining hall without a meal plan, it is super expensive (especially for mediocre food). However, if you don’t plan on eating there all the time, DON’T get the meal plan. A lot of my friends use declining balance. There are A LOT of restaurants and fast food joints right around campus that are WAYY better than the dining hall. Plus, there are places that will deliver to your dorm/apartment for cheap. I feel the options are WAY better off the meal plan and I personally would not get one.</p>
<p>Oh and if your want the “Freshman 15” to actually become reality, then by all means go for the meal plan… 
Nothing like an all you can eat feeding trough to pack on the pounds. Or so I’ve heard…</p>