<p>My daughter is coming from spending her freshman year at TAMUG with two meal plan options and one cafeteria (no dining dollars at TAMUG). I have no idea what meal plan she should be on at TAMU. Can you share your thoughts on the various options for the meal plans? How is the food at TAMU? </p>
<p>Is it better to have more meals and less dining dollars or more dining dollars and less meals? Is it just the cafeteria (Duncan and Sbisa) that use the meal plans and all the other food places on campus accept the dining dollars? Does any (outside of campus) restaurants accept dining dollars? </p>
<p>It depends on a number of things. Freshman year, I switched to mostly dining dollars because I had late labs and could never meet my friends in the dining hall. I would grab food on the go with my dining dollars. It is best to start with a small plan and see how it works, because you can always move up to a larger plan or buy more meals/dollars. But if you go for a large plan, you can’t move down until next semester. Good luck and Gig 'em!</p>
<p>My daughter lived in the dorm this past year. The first semester we purchased the 30 meals/$800 dining dollars. She spent quite a bit of the dining dollars on additional meals and rolled over some of the them at the end. The second semester we purchased one of the smallest meal plan which was 30 meals/$400 dining dollars. We also purchased additional meal bundles and dining dollars the second semester but still spent less money overall the second semester. My recommendation is to buy the smallest meal plan possible and purchase additional bundles as needed. My daughter will be living off campus this year but she still wants the smallest meal plan. She enjoys her lunches with her fish camp group. They usually meet a couple times per week. She planned her entire schedule with a break each day at lunch time not only to be able to eat on campus but to relax and hang out with her friends.</p>
<p>Here is the problem we had with the available meal plan options. They either offer 30 meals or 150 meals with several dining dollar options. There isn’t anything in between. Friends had recommended to her to NOT purchase the 150 meals because people just give meals away the last few weeks of the semester because they don’t roll over. It would be nice if they offered a 75 meal plan option because that is about the number of meals my daughter used both semesters. Our perfect meal plan option as an off campus student would be to have a 75 meal plan option (which isn’t offered) with $150 dining dollars. She said if she lived on campus her perfect option (which again isn’t offered) would be 75 meal with $400 dining dollars. It really is a matter of preference. Dining Services has made it very easy to add bundles at any time during the semester. Every student is different and the number of times they eat in the dining hall will be different. I think the first semester will be trial and error when trying to figure out the meal plan.</p>
<p>No off-campus places that I know of accept dining dollars, and the food can be pretty good and fresh; as most of it is prepared or assembled right in front of you. Compared to off campus eateries, the food on campus can be a little more expensive, but it is super convenient and filling; especially when using meals for Sbisa and Duncan because they are all you can eat</p>
<p>Please be aware that the meal plan options are going to change. Students living on campus will be required to participate in a meal plan, and I believe the only choice is to pay a la carte. You will have to search for the specific article, but it the new policy may take effect this fall - next fall at the latest.</p>
<p>Desilu, I had heard the requirement to be on the meal plan was for incoming freshman living on campus starting the 2012 school year. I had not heard about the ala carte option only. Thank you for the info.</p>
<p>Off campus restaurants used to be part of a system with the university similar to dining dollars, but that got phased out. The advice about the cheapest plan possible and adding on when needed is spot on. As far as the campus food, I mean it is campus food. Not bad but not gonna be the best thing ever either. Definitely gets the job done.</p>