<p>We also got the Progressive model. I think we will practice making pasta before she heads off to AA because I don’t know that my D would experiment either!</p>
<p>*and I doubt he’ll visit the Strip much. *</p>
<p>If your son has 7 home game football tix then he’ll probably go to The Strip more often. Kids eat there before a game and after a game. The Strip is crawling with kids from Friday thru Sunday on weekends. </p>
<p>Frankly, kids need to “get out” a bit for a change of pace. Just staying on campus 24/7 is monotonous. </p>
<p>*I had suggested the 14 meal a week plan last year, and he was horrified. What, I can only eat two meals a day? *</p>
<p>That is a common reaction as an incoming frosh because they don’t realize how quickly they will tire of the Dining Halls and begin eating off campus. Not having a car is never a limitation. lol The Strip is accessible by walking or the Crimson Ride…and Midtown is accessible on Sundays with the CR. </p>
<p>While some suggest he may turn down meal invites because of the meal plan, I don’t want him to turn down dining hall invites because of a lack of meal plan.</p>
<p>I can understand that. I don’t think anyone was saying that he shouldn’t have a meal plan. I just think that having the Gold plan will be way too much…and even Silver could be too much. However, if you start with Bronze or Silver and see that he’ll run out, you an always upgrade.</p>
<p>Using Dining Dollars or Bama Cash might reduce the psychological barrier to spending cash vs using a meal plan. In my experience, I started to force myself to eat at the dining hall because I had to use up all of my meal plan meals and then I would eat more in order to get my money’s worth out of what I payed for that meal plan swipe. That is not a healthy situation to be in.</p>
<p>I don’t think that I’ve even gone to dinner at the dining hall with friends because everyone wanted to go to the dining hall. Rather, students with meal plans didn’t have the money to eat off campus and needed to use up their meal plan meals. Many students in the group would pay with Dining Dollars.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>I agree.</p>
<p>Since upperclassmen quickly stop having sizeable meal plans, the trend leans more to invitations to eat elsewhere…not on campus.</p>
<p>I also agree with Sea_tide. I don’t think, in the two years that my son has been at UA, he’s had more than a handful of invites to meet at the dining hall for lunch or dinner. The biggest reason for this is that he and his friends generally do not enjoy eating a majority of what is served. Most of the students he knows go off campus or cook for themselves.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Absolutely…</p>
<p>Arrangements to meet or eat at Pita Pit, Bentos, Surin, Swen’s, Moes, etc, is more likely…and if someone has a car, then DePalmas, Mellow Mushroom, Mugshots, Iguana Grill, etc. </p>
<p>Students quickly realize that they’d rather spend their money eating elsewhere, then $9 for meal plan meal (which is what their meal plan dinners cost)</p>
<p>One of the reasons my older son had so many leftover meals as a sophomore was because his friends either had no meal plan or had bronze or less…so only eating on campus a few times per week.</p>
<p>I’m confused between “dining dollars”, “bama cash” & “action card”. Also, if we have a balance on our bill can I transfer it to action card or bama cash?</p>
<p>Action Card…the Smart Card that is the Student ID with pic…it lets you into your dorm, has your meal plan on it, has your Dining Dollars on it, and has your Bama Cash on it. You use your Act card for everything to checking out books at the library to borrowing a bike.</p>
<p>Dining Dollars…300 per semester that is used for retail campus food purchases…Food Courts, vending machines, etc.</p>
<p>Bama Cash…similar to regular money on a debit card…can be used everywhere on campus for food, book store purchases, laundry use, and even some off-campus restaurants and stores accept Bama Cash. </p>
<p>I know that you can have excess money on your Student Bill acct transferred to a bank acct. I don’t know if you can have it moved directly to Bama Cash. You could do it indirectly yourself…have it go to your acct, then have it put on Bama Cash.</p>
<p>Bama Dining’s reply to my email inquiring about the policy for a meal plan upgrade: the student can upgrade meal plans anytime and there is no charge to do so.</p>
<p>^^^Thanks for that, soph.</p>
<p>Does anyone have the link or know what thread had the link to the microwave rice steamer. I had intended to order one for my daughter before she moves and time is getting closer.</p>
<p>Gojack mentioned…</p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Progressive International Microwaveable Rice/Pasta Cooker Set: Kitchen & Dining](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004RDFG?ie=UTF8&tag=laphetrice-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=B00004RDFG]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004RDFG?ie=UTF8&tag=laphetrice-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=B00004RDFG)</p>