<p>My daughter is an incoming freshman and she believes that even the minimum meal plan is too many meals. I am considering giving her money and she can eat in the dining halls if she chooses or she can use her money to eat elsewhere. I did the math and the "smallest" meal plan doesn't save that much over buying a-la-cart. What do you guys think? Have any of you lived on campus and not signed up for a meal plan?</p>
<p>Well I think that might depend on where she is living. I lived on south campus my first two years and eating at the dining halls was a social experience. My friends that didn’t have meal plans got really tired of the hassle of trying to get to a grocery store and cooking in the dorm kitchen. On south campus, you meet people on your hall and go to dinner at Ramshead. </p>
<p>If she is assigned to north campus, she is much more likely to travel to Franklin Street for dinner now and again.</p>
<p>If you want to forgo the meal plan I suggest putting money in the flex dining account. Its tax free for food purchases and value can be added online. You make purchases with your one card student ID. So definitely look into that if you think a meal plan isn’t the way to go.</p>
<p>I think she definitely needs a meal plan for first semester. If it isn’t her thing, you can always drop it for second semester. I’m pretty sure I always had the plan with the lowest number of meals and while it might seem like a lot, it is much better to have too many meals than too few (and I’m pretty sure everyone has meals leftover at the end of the semester no matter which plan you get). Having a meal plan absolutely saves you because it is harder than you think to get to the grocery store and plan time to prep and cook in the dorm kitchen. You don’t really need to be worrying about making dinner your first semester of college when you’re trying to get adjusted and dealing with classes, etc.</p>
<p>Also, I completely agree with JohnBlack - going to the dining hall is a social experience, and you don’t want to be the odd one out if your suitemates/hallmates/friends want to hit up Rams Head or Lenoir. Franklin St. is another option, but even making the trek up there and eating out a lot gets old fast. Having money on flex is great because that gives you the option to eat in the bottom of Lenoir (Chik-fil-a, Med Deli, Jamba Juice, etc), but that won’t really work for dinner.</p>
<p>There are more with flex but I think Jambaby is right for the long term its not as cost effective for more dinner. I checked on the flex policy because I thought you could use them at Rams Head and Top of Lenoir (the two main dining halls) and I think you can. They just charge you the full price which is more expensive per meal than a la carte places. </p>
<p>“Dining Flex is only available for applicable food items at approved Carolina Dining Service locations. Dining Flex may be used at Lenoir Mainstreet, Cafe McColl, Tar Heal Cafe, The Beach, Rams Head Market, Common Grounds, Alpine Bagel, The Kind Coffee Cafe, Starbucks, Lenoir Express, The Law Bar, Blue Ram, Friends Cafe, Atrium Cafe, Rams Head Dining Hall and Top of Lenoir.”</p>
<p>[Meal</a> Plans — Carolina Dining Services](<a href=“http://www.dining.unc.edu/mealplans/2011-2012-meal-plans]Meal”>http://www.dining.unc.edu/mealplans/2011-2012-meal-plans)</p>
<p>But actually, I think according to this link you can’t purchase Flex unless you have a meal plan. So never mind on that haha. Maybe the smallest/cheapest plan with some flex dollars would be a good bet for the first semester?</p>
<p>[UNC</a> Chapel Hill - Reload Dining Flex card - onecard - Carolina Dining Services](<a href=“http://www.dining.unc.edu/mealplans/reloadflex]UNC”>http://www.dining.unc.edu/mealplans/reloadflex)</p>
<p>John, now that you mention it… I think you do have to have a meal plan to put money on flex. LOL. So I agree with the smallest plan + flex money idea!</p>
<p>As a freshman I dropped my meal plan first semester. I discussed it with my parents and I arrange for them to put $45 in my account each week for food (about 1/2 the cost of a meal plan). That allowed me to grocery shop (you can take the bus to Food lion) and eat at the bottom of lenoir or on Franklin. I also ate with friends all the time in the dining halls and my friends just swiped me in because they always had a ton of extra meals.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t count on people being too thrilled to swipe you in to the dining halls unless it’s the last few weeks of the semester when everybody realizes they have extra meals they need to use up…</p>
<p>I thought meal plans were a REQUIREMENT…no?</p>
<p>I can’t find anything that says it is a requirement and I know it wasn’t when I was a freshman.</p>
<p>you can’t purchase flex dollars without a meal plan. Flex dollars allow you to purchase food on campus tax free. I don’t whether or not freshmen are required to have a meal plan, but if not, he/she could buy the meals he/she wants with expense dollars and pay tax.</p>
<p>I would strongly recommend having one if for no other reason than socialization. First semester Freshman year is when many/most friendships are formed and it includes time spent in dining halls. I’d do the smallest block plan and add flex dollars. She can use block meals anytime during the semester for any meal. The weekly meal plans have to be used that given week and at that given meal or they go away.</p>
<p>There will be plenty of free meals the first few weeks of school so keep the block plan as small as you can.</p>
<p>I agree that the dining halls are a big part of the social experience, but disagree with the other responses about what she should do. Sure, the block plans have a low cost per meal, but almost nobody uses all their meals (hence all the leftover ones at the end of the semester) … when you take into account the wasted money on the block plan, I just prefer to pay cash. That gives you the flexibility and lets you be social too.</p>
<p>It is a bit lame that you can only get flex $ if you get a block plan. I’d say unless you don’t trust your child to blow the money on alcohol and porno and pink nail polish, just give them cash. They can still be social even if they only go to the lenoir a couple of times a week, and cook the rest of the time.</p>
<p>Downtown chapel hill is a bit of a food desert in the <$10 range, unfortunately.</p>
<p>Well, in the end I signed her up for the smallest meal plan. I would like to be able to do the math at the end of the semester and see if this was the right choice. She is very responsible and I am comfortable giving her money for food, but I decided that it was best to keep it simple/easy for her this first year. It is unfortunate that there is a $250 charge if you want to drop the meal plan after the first semester. So, it is a year long decision!</p>
<p>^ Good idea. I’d also tell her to see how often she actually goes to the dining hall during the first 2-3 weeks of school. I got the smallest plan my first semester and found that after three and a half weeks of school, I’d only managed to force myself to go to the dining hall a grand total of 9 times. I got a refund and it worked out so much better to take that cash and take care of my own food. I joke that I’m on the “Panera Meal Plan” because I’d much rather get a $8 sandwich there or a $5 cup of soup than pay $10 for dining hall food. </p>
<p>IMO- the social isn’t as much of an issue. People were more than willing to swipe me in throughout the year and especially during the last half of the semester. Now, I’ll go occasionally with friends or with my roommate, but I normally just do bottom of Lenior for lunch and groceries/Franklin st. for the rest. Works out to be cheaper this way too!</p>