<p>Basically, are any of the meal plans worth it? I'll be going there in the fall as a freshman and this is on my need to know list. My sister went to UNF and her meal plan was not worth it at all. But, here at UF, I believe the food may be better, at least to some extent. In addition, I'm a guy and I really don't do any cooking myself. I'll be staying on campus, though I dont find out where for a few more days.
Thanks a bunch.</p>
<p>have you have access to transportation in order to go to the grocery store, do not get a meal plan. i spent $1200 on campus through the entire 09-10 year. a meal plan would cost 3.2k. i gained 25 pounds and had a greater variety of food, and ate healthier (weight gain was entirely related to volume, and my cookie binges during the trips to the dining hall that i DID make)</p>
<p>if you dont have access to a car, and your roommate doesn’t or doesn’t believe in groceries, you might want it. but otherwise, dont get it.</p>
<p>either way, wait until you know your situation during the week before classes start and decide then. getting a meal plan when theres a good chance you wont need it is a terrible idea. theres no deadline to buy them, and they’re prorated on a weekly basis.</p>
<p>to address your concerns about cooking: you dont need to know how or want to cook. a bagel and/or cereal or oatmeal for breakfast most days, something from subway for lunch, 10 minute stirfry for dinner sometimes, or whatever tickles your fancy when you when you’re walking around publix. i made it the whole year without cooking utensils except for using a friends stuff like 2-3 times a month.</p>
<p>I was actually much fitter when I had a meal plan then now that I eat on my own. Mostly cause an entire year of dining hall food gets to be a bit much, so I was hitting the salad bar pretty hard. Now that I buy food for myself, cookie dough and potato chips are my downfall these days.</p>
<p>The food is pretty good for cafeteria food, but it’s still cafeteria food. It will definitely wear on you after a lot of months (it didn’t really bother me until probably 8 months in). I think the options are a little better now then they were a couple years ago (they keep changing up where you can go, adding what you can get, whatever). The main reason I’m glad I got a meal plan freshmen year was the that dining hall was a pretty good social experience, I’d always run into my friends there and sit down and eat with them. Or make arrangements to go eat with people. Definitely beats a bowl of ramen by yourself.</p>
<p>If you’re living in a dorm other then beaty, using the communal kitchen can be a bit of a hassle. Also depening on where you’re living having proper fridge space to eat like a real person sometimes gets tougher.</p>
<p>It ends up depending on the options. Freshmen year I was definitely not mature enough to go manage my food budget, plan meals for a week or 2, then go buy the food. IT was great having the meal plan so I didn’t have that stress on my shoulders. Money has never really been an issue for me since I’ve been at school (financial aid ftw) so I don’t really know which has been more expensive for me, though I imagine my food bill is higher now then it was for a mealplan (the downfall of not having it is that I eat out a lot, and that can get very expensive.)</p>
<p>I’d say try the dining hall out, I think they still make you eat there during preview, see what you think, maybe try to go a week shopping on your own and see how that works for you, then make your decision. I was satisfied with my meal plan, I know people who were satisfied eating ramen for dinner every night.</p>
<p>My daily weekly meal consisted mainly of chick-filet at the Hub (I lived in Broward) or at the burger king between broward and the dining hall, as well as trips to midtown to eat pita pit or relish (burger joint)</p>
<p>Ate that all year and lost some 20 pounds. Trust me all that walking to class adds up.</p>
<p>And all in all I spent a total of about 1600$ on food, lets see a meal plan beat that.</p>
<p>-gpowsang</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. Gave solid opinions/experiences from both sides.
And I will have transportation, am bringing my car. I do fear everything related to “communal”. Not looking forward to that aspect.</p>
<p>communal livings really not bad. once you get to know the people you see regularly on your floor its a non-issue.</p>
<p>if you have the option of doing groceries, regardless of what you think you’re going to want to do, DO NOT buy the meal plan before you get there. spend a week trying with groceries/eating on your own, and if you dont like it, definitely try the meal plan (i recommend the 150 meals, do it over the phone so you dont have to do flex bux). if you get the meal plan and you end up doing groceries, or eating primarily off campus, you’ll be throwing truckloads of money down the drain–the worst part being that if you buy a meal plan at any point during the fall semester, they automatically deduct $1600 from your financial aid the spring semester, even if you’ve changed your mind. waiting a week helps to reduce that risk.</p>