Hi, was wondering if there are any universities or colleges that you know of where it is very hard or even impossible to find a kitchen. Are microwaves or fridges allowed there in student dorm rooms?
Many colleges have microfridges that they rent to students.
My daughter has a microwave and a mini fridge in her dorm room, which seems common enough. I believe coffeemakers are allowed, but no other appliances, and no access to a full kitchen.
Most colleges will allow students to have mini-fridges and/or microwaves in their rooms (at my daughter’s college, you can have both only if they’re a combined unit – otherwise it’s one or the other). Often, either the college will rent these units or an approved provider will.
As to dorm kitchens, I think it’s a questions of which dorms have them rather than which colleges do. I would guess that most colleges have dorms with kitchens – but maybe not all dorms have them, or not all dorms have well-outfitted ones. At my daughter’s school, the newer and larger dorms have large kitchens with fridges/stoves/ovens/microwaves/sinks and some cooking implements. But her dorm, which is in a converted house, has only a full-sized fridge, microwave, and sink. Other colleges will have dorm kitchens that are more equivalent across the board. In some places, there will be a communal kitchens shared by several dorms. But most schools will have something.
You need to check about coffee pots. A Keurig was allowed where my kid went to college…but not a regular coffee pot because it didn’t turn itself off, and that was dangerous.
Don’t think I am allowed to edit my post so will also provide some extra details. I personally like eating DiGiorno’s pizza, or Tyson’s chicken nuggets. Do any of you know how students deal with these when only a microwave for example is allowed, guessing if the student in question actually likes these? Essentially then my question is what universities/colleges would not be a good place to study at if I would like to eat these on a regular basis and no dorms or very few have kitchen equipment - fridge, stove, air fryer.
You need to check each college for what facilities they provide. Many dorms have a communal kitchen for resident use. Some have discontinued this because frankly, they were not always cleaned by those who used them.
But look and see at each college.
I know these are your favorites, but both do have microwave directions. You might just have to adapt to those.
Many dorms have community kitchens on the floor or one kitchen per 2-3 floors. It seems like it would be much more practical to start identifying colleges/universities that fit your criteria for affordability, size, majors, acceptance rates etc. Once you have a list that you’ve narrowed down a bit, then start researching their housing options and what kitchen styles are available. Many colleges also have apartment-style dorms.
It would be impossible to use the tiny/worthless freezer in a dorm size fridge for these “must eat” items. You would need access to a larger fridge/freezer and most likely that will be in a communal kitchen or apartment. You will also need a college that is close to a grocery store. There will be plenty of pizza and nuggets at the dining hall vs needing to make your own. I am not sure if your post is serious, as there are much bigger issues to consider when picking a school.
Just so I understand correctly - you will drop colleges from your list that might otherwise be a great fit, if you can’t make pizza and chicken nuggets?
And how often is “regularly”? Every day? Once a month? Once a week?
As noted, many dining halls have a pizza station. Broaden your horizons and try those. And the other many food choices your colleges might offer. Planning to cook most meals in a dorm room or shared kitchen with storage of these things…is unrealistic, in my opinion.
In Sellery A at UW-Madison – where I spent my first two years – there was at least one huge full-service kitchen in the basement. I was down in the basement about weekly to do laundry, and I hardly ever saw anyone using it… probably because Pop’s Club and Ed’s Express (UW dining) were a hundred feet away and Gumby’s offered $5.99 16" 1-topping pizzas at the time.
I used it once, to make beer for a Botany (101 - Plants & Man) project.
If memory serves, most had a small fridge in their dorm room. I don’t recall whether it was furnished.
Likely story!
True story though! I made a pale ale and a porter.
We filled about 50 bottles of each. I was tickled pink that the English-native prof gave me an A.
I brought some home for Christmas. “Thomas Paul, what are you doing there?!”
some people have extreme food aversions. The need to only eat specific foods should not stand in the way of going to college. @alexmastartup I would imagine almost any college would place you in a dorm with a full kitchen if you had a medical accommodation.
I’m not sure a diet of Digiorno pizzas and Tyson chicken nuggets would qualify as needing a medical accommodation. Perhaps OP can clarify.
Another option would be a college that doesn’t require first-year’s to live on campus (which for some colleges it not the least uncommon after the first year), or offers apartment style housing. Once my daughter lived “apartment style” as a sophomore, there was a full kitchen and it allowed her to spend less on food (including eating out) than what the mandatory first-year full dining plan had amounted to.
Give it time…
You are very likely to find a dorm with a kitchen with a fridge and stove. Air fryer? Not so much. You might have to become a little more flexible with your eating habits.
While I do not know OP’s scenario, I do know that food aversions can be associated with autism, sensory processing disorder, etc. It is NOT as simple as just telling someone to adjust their eating habits or to just try something new, and it is very frustrating when people say this. It may not be this in the OP’s case, but it could also be.
This really sounds like one of my daughters who is on the spectrum. She gets in these food routines where she will only eat a certain food and if we don’t have it then she won’t eat. Perhaps this is the case with the OP?
That being said, all the schools we toured had a full size kitchen or two in the dorms. Not sure about them having air-fryers.