Anyone know any advantages/disadvantages of the different dining plans?
I think the information on the OSU dining plan website pretty clearly lays out the differences between the availbale plans. Are there specific questions that you have?
The main thing you want to consider when looking at a dining plan is where you plan on eating on campus. All of the locations will accept dining dollars and BuckID cash, however, only the 3 main “traditional” style cafeterias will accept the “weekly tradition visits”. So unless you plan on eating at traditions most of the time I would definitely avoid the unlimited plan.
The restricted meal plans also help with one being more sociable among students who don’t want to get Traditions. I had the Unlimited my first semester and it made me feel left out from my suite mates who were able to exchange their swipes for $5 worth of food or for a pre-arranged Meal Exchange lunch or dinner at select vendors on campus. The Restricted meal plan that I had last semester really helped me be both more flexible in getting food with friends and in watching my diet.
No real specific questions, just wanted some general information. I hadn’t thought about going out with friends to other places. I think the scarlet 14 probably will be the best and give more flexibility. It might be hard to make it back to a Traditions for a meal depending on times and locations of classes. Thanks!!
My son was originally signed up for Scarlet 14. But when we got to orientation and talked with some folks with residence/dining halls and thought about it, we changed his plan to unlimited. Scarlet 14 would only give him 2 meals a day. If he wanted 3 meals a day, he would be buying 7 meals a week (105 during a semester). Dining dollars do not make up for that.
You don’t have the flexibility of going to non-tradition locations under the plan but you can still go there and just pay for it. Son did that periodically with friends. Overall, costs were less even factoring in those visits.
Snacks are another factor. North campus traditions location was open until midnight Sunday through Thursday (and 7 pm Friday and Saturday). If he was hungry at night (or at any time during the day), he could run to tradition location (2 minute walk from his dorm) and grab a snack (or a meal) without cost. I believe he had to wait 1 hour between swipes.
In the end, every kid will have to evaluate the plans on his/her own. Different plans will work better/worse for different kids. As others have noted, you can change from semester to semester (and have until second Friday of semester to change for that semester). Can be tough to know in advance. Will you have friends who are unlimited kids too or kids who are on restricted plans and will eat at other locations? How will your schedule impact that? Was great that tradition location was open all day long (didn’t open for a couple hours at breakfast, couple hours at lunch and then a couple hours at dinner) which make it easier with any schedule. And in reality, its a food court rather than a cafeteria.
For us, we liked the idea that he had 3 meals every day and the ability to get snacks on the unlimited plan. We figured we would adjust if it made sense as he used it. Kept the unlimited plan all last year and are keeping that plan next year. Though he is moving to south campus which will not provide as nice a traditions location (or as flexible) though with north campus classes, I suspect he will still eat often in the north campus traditions location.