<p>MEGA Plan $3328 3328 points
Plan A $3064 3064 points
Plan B $2704 2704 points
Plan C $2480 2480 points
Continuous four-year residents and residents of Willkie, Mason, and RPS apartments may choose from the meal plans above or from the following (Continuous four-year residents of Collins and all Hillcrest residents must choose from among meal plans A-E or the MEGA plan).
Plan D $2160 2160 points
Plan E $1000 1000 points
Plan F $900 900 points
Plan F $800 800 points
Plan F $700 700 points
Plan F $600 600 points
Plan F $500 500 points
Plan F $400 400 points
Plan F $300 300 points </p>
<p>I believe freshmen have a limited number of choices, unless that has changed. Basically, it depends on how much you think you will eat college food. My son, as a freshman, chose the minimum plan allotted for freshmen. He did run out by the end of the year, but was able to scrounge points off young ladies, who generally seemed to have plenty left over. (This method may no longer work, as students may now carry over unused points.)</p>
<p>Since basically one point equals one dollar, it probably doesn't matter that much. You can always buy with cash when you run out of points. Just don't choose too many points, if you plan to skip breakfast and make your own lunches.</p>
<p>Here is the info from the IU Dining Services website: </p>
<p>(13) What happens to my meal points at the end of the semester?</p>
<p>Starting with the 06-07 contracts, 75% of the remaining balance of meal points available at the end of the academic year will remain available to students who continue to be enrolled on the IUB campus.</p>
<p>These "rollover" meal points will remain available through the end of the fall semester for those students who have not contracted for a meal plan for the 07-08 year. For those students with a 07-08 meal plan, these "rollover" meal points will remain available through the end of that academic year.</p>
<p>The cafeteria is so overpriced and terrible that getting anything other than the lowest possible meal plan is stupid. So many good eating options in Bloomington, it makes no sense to get the higher meal plan. The C-Store items are ridiculously overpriced. The only good dining option (the McDonalds in Read) is getting taken out.</p>
<p>A2Wolves6,
That's what my son says, too. He eats at Mother Bear's a lot, says it can be cheaper than cafeteria food. Next year he will be in a house, cooking his own, so that will be cheaper AND healthier.</p>
<p>My son had Plan B this year, but will probably go to Plan C next year. The food is not bad--my son says some of the dining rooms just tend to have kind of repetitive menus. </p>
<p>Compare IU to some other schools, though and you'll see how well the students at IU have it. My son's best friends--who are at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and at Embry-Riddle in Prescott, Arizona--have to walk at least 1/2 hour each way from their dorms to get to someplace to eat. My son's dining room is about 100 feet from his front door. He says it always amazes his friends when he's on the phone with them and asks them to hold on for two minutes, then gets back within the two minute time period and tells them he ran out to grab his dinner.</p>
<p>And another advantage is that there are lots of places in town that deliver--and they will accept your "Campus Access" card for payment. All-in-all it seems that getting decent food in Bloomington is not a big problem.</p>
<p>Whats the point of Campus Access when you can use your credit card? It perplexes me severly... the only reason why I even use it is for laundry.</p>
<p>Let me state again, the food isnt bad, the prices are horrendous. After Freshman year, DO NOT get a Plan, you will be saving HUNDREDS of dollars.</p>
<p>For some students (and parents for that matter) credit cards are a recipe for disaster. Students (or parents) think they can live in constant debt, and the cost of things are not considered at the time of purchase.</p>
<p>Since "Campus access" cards are prepaid debit cards, there is no risk of going into debt by using them.</p>
<p>I'm not saying dammitsam falls into this category, and in fact, I have given my own son a credit card on which I pay the balance owed since he has proven himself able to limit his spending. However, for some parents, campus access cards are the better options for spendthrift kids who think credit cards are for drinking, partying, or dressing like J. Lo preparing to go to the Academy Awards. </p>
<p>Of course, students, since they are over eighteen and therefore adults, can always get their own credit cards. But in that situation they also have the responsibility to pay off the debt personally.</p>
<p>As far as the cost of the meals--I have no idea if things are overpriced or not (since I'm not in Bloomington). I'll take dammitsam's word for it that meals are cheaper off-campus.</p>
<p>I think as a freshman you SHOULD get a meal points plan. Yes, as many have pointed out prices are very high. However, the McDonald's on campus does take meal points (but rumor has it they will be tearing out the McDonalds at the end of the year). And, some dorms have C-stores, which are convience stores. Yes, they are incredibly overpriced. However, if you don't have a car and need something quick, they take meal points. At first you will prolly eat at the cafes in the dorms, so obviously you'll need meal points for there too. But they will get old. So all in all, buy a meal points plan but get a very small one.</p>
<p>Here's an example:</p>
<p>I got plan C or D (can't remember which), and after first semester had about 400 meal points left which carried to this semester. By the end of this semester I am estimating that I'll have around 800 total meal points left at the end of the year. Buy a small plan.</p>
<p>here's a sampling of the those crazy prices from the c store and food court (wright):
12 pack of coke - $8.00
can of soup (Cambells select) - 5
yoplait or dannon individual yogurts - 1.30
chicken sandwich - 3.99, which isn't that bad, until you consider that you can go accross the street to chick-fil-a at the library and get a sandwhich that is so much better for 3.
those are the worst prices, some are reasonably priced, but they still don't taste good. the only thing I can recommend are the sandwhiches at the ballantine cafe (take mealpoints), but I could easily make those at home. oh and mcdonalds, but that won't be there next year :-)</p>
<p>Yes, you are correct. A debit card would be just as good as a "campus access" card--and since it's on a regular bank would be accepted at even more places. I presume the school pushes the "campus access" card since they make money on the "float" or maybe since it's more politically correct than telling parents not to trust their child to be frugal.</p>