<p>Thanks Denz. I guess it's a good thing I chose plan 4 then.</p>
<p>So how much did you guys spend in total? I guess the meal plan won't be enough, since ppl have mentioned that they eat out once or twice a week. I guess 2500$ would be reasonable?</p>
<p>
[quote]
"you need to keep in mind that you won't be able to eat in JJ twice a day"</p>
<p>How come, I thought you could desing your schedule in a flexible way, no?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>actually, its become a lot easier this past year </p>
<p>i think they've always had the box lunches you can get for a swipe (i think its a sandwich, bag of chips, apple, and cookie or something) but they now do a take-out option for a swipe too. they give you a little plastic box and cup and you get 15 mins to fill it with whatever is being served in the dining hall</p>
<p>its convenient but i still stand by the meal plan 4</p>
<p>Wait Denz, wouldn't that mean that you're paying less money for the same amount of food by going with plan 1?</p>
<p>
[quote]
i think they've always had the box lunches you can get for a swipe (i think its a sandwich, bag of chips, apple, and cookie or something) but they now do a take-out option for a swipe too. they give you a little plastic box and cup and you get 15 mins to fill it with whatever is being served in the dining hall
[/quote]
</p>
<p>actually both of those are new options...neither existed my freshman yr....i guess that makes JJ a bit better...but think about it if you do the takeout thing or the boxed lunch you are paying 10-13 bucks for a sandwich and a bag of chips or one plate of food?? sounds like they still have the upper hand.</p>
<p>"but think about it if you do the takeout thing or the boxed lunch you are paying 10-13 bucks for a sandwich and a bag of chips or one plate of food??"</p>
<p>Well, but if you take meal plan 1, it'd just be another meal. So the take out could save you some money, since you're getting more food for meal plan 1.</p>
<p>They do breakfast now too, like, early morning.</p>
<p>all the meal plans cost the same, why are you people whining about food/dollar?</p>
<p>yes you may be able to eat unlimitedly for a meal swipe but remember the quality of food is simply not what it is if you go out.</p>
<p>also, dining hall food is fattening. not so much in the actual fat content but because of the amount you eat. in college, eating becomes a social thing that you do with your friends. its not unusual to spend an hour or 2 sitting in the dining hall talking with people and when you do that, you will always eat more than normal. being able to get a sandwich every now and again from 212 will help fight that tho.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Wait Denz, wouldn't that mean that you're paying less money for the same amount of food by going with plan 1?
[/quote]
no, you get more food for the same amount of money. the problem is, your choices are limited as a result of the increased food. basically, you end up going to the dining hall twice a day whether you like it or not.</p>
<p>And Skraylor's concern (about how having dining hall food available in arbitrary quantities is fattening) is a concern at all universities everywhere. When you leave your parents' nest and have no one telling you what to eat or how much, you go nuts for a little while, put on the Freshman 15, and then realize what's going on and start to regulate. buying food with points that feel like "fake money" (cause it's charged to your parents) don't mitigate that. what mitigates that habit is experience and maturity and fear of weight gain :)</p>
<p>So what you're saying is, we should get a bathroom scale.</p>
<p>"points, dining dollars or flex"</p>
<p>What's the difference between these and do you have to choose them when you sign up or what?</p>
<p>i answered that in post #4.</p>
<p>you get points with the meal plan. DD and flex you have to add yourself</p>
<p>Thanks, sorry didn't see your first post.</p>
<p>flex is used for non-food purposes (like paying for laundry). the advantage is that it swipes with your CUID... but you pay tax.</p>
<p>dining dollars are like points, but for upperclassmen. they carry over year-to-year (but freshman-year points with your meal plan do not).</p>
<p>Hmm this is a good thread for 2013-ers deciding on which meal plan to choose. </p>
<p>So there seems to be a consensus that Dining Plan 4 is the best? </p>
<p>Dining Plan 4: 115 meals and 500 Dining Dollars per term, plus 2 guest meals (average 7.2 meals per week)</p>
<p>plan 4 is definitely recommended by most tour guides and admissions staff.</p>
<p>if i could do it all over again i would still go for plan 3, because there’s something nice about getting into a routine and going to JJ at least for dinner… I’d rather never have to worry about running out of meals. but yeah, plan 3 or 4, for sure.</p>
<p>^ no just go with plan 4 and form the routine. i was on plan three first sem, enjoyed john jay and was disciplined about eating there, the repetition just murder me, and I wasted many meals. 115 is already excessive. Sophomore year I got 75, struggled to get through them and then got 30 second semester and just about finished the 105 meals by the end of the year. John Jay is good for about 3-5 meals a week, I used to routinely eat brunch there during the week (mon-thurs). For cost purposes it’s better to eat dinner there and get a lunch menu meal at a nearby restaurant.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input, guys–choosing Plan 4 for sure!</p>
<p>sorry to bring up such an old thread, but what does anyone know about eating at the barnard cafeteria as a freshman? from what i’ve heard, the cafeteria there is better, and columbia students can eat there with their id’s as part of the meal plan. is this true?</p>
<p>Yes, you can swipe into Hewitt if you have a Columbia meal plan. I’m not sure whether you can swipe into John Jay/Ferris if you have a Barnard meal plan. I think you used to be able to, but things have changed since Barnard made the meal plan mandatory for all Barnard students.</p>