Ah, college. What a time to be alive. You can eat whatever you want, go to sleep without a curfew, and you don't even have to wash the dishes. You have so much freedom yet, you're still a kid while making decisions.
Over the past few weeks at my school, I have noticed more and more people complaining about the food. As much as I love to complain about the dining hall, I have recently contemplated on if we as college students should complain so much about our food.
Reasons to complain:
Sometimes the food can be just plain awful. I will never forget the time I found a piece of metal in my grilled chicken. Sometimes at my dining hall specifically, you have to search endlessly for a clean cup or dish, which really sucks. There are truly days where you can't find anything to eat and it seems like the quality of food is not matching up to the price tag placed on the school.
That is a good reason to complain - quality and lack of change. When I look at the salads that are offered, I see that the lettuce is not healthy looking and probably adding a ton of ranch will not help either.
There are days I leave the dining hall with a stomachache, however, I do have my own health problems. Recently the company that actually serves my food, received an F in Quality which is obviously unsettling. All in all, there is a reason to complain but we, as college students, should do it in moderation as there are many reasons to not complain as well.
Reason not to complain:
As much as college students will say that there is nothing to eat, they are probably lying and just don't want to take a risk. So many times, students will not know what to eat and will just settle on burgers and pizza offered, yet they blame the dining hall for the stomach aches and possible weight gain. No one wants a freshman 15, but honestly there are tons of other ways to avoid it. You can start by adding leafy greens to your sandwiches or passing on the cookies for a day. It may seem hard at first but once you open your mind in the dining hall, finding food could possibly become easier.
Not only that, but whenever I complain about my food, I always think of those around me in communities in my small city that cannot even afford a good meal. Although I am paying a lot of money to come here, so I'm technically paying for my food, I still have an unlimited supply of carrots, bananas, and grains.
If college students keep complaining about our food, we will never learn to actually be satisfied with what is right in front of our eyes. Some days he will have a perfect meal or other days he will not. Some days your job will go amazing and other days you feel like the world is ending. If we keep complaining, yet not trying to make a change, we really will get nowhere and end up in the cycle of being unsatisfied.
No matter what dining hall you go to, there will always be a reason to complain. Whether the chicken isn't cooked enough or they aren't enough fruits and vegetables. Students, whether they are paying $60,000 or $10,000, always find a way to complain about the food and while they usually have reasons, sometimes it comes off as childish and a little rude to those who are working so hard to put the food on your plate.
So the next time you swipe in, no matter where you are, and you roll your eyes as you look at the options you have, rather then resorting to unhealthy options or just complaining to your friends, try something new for a change. Whether you start small or you start big, that change could very well affect the rest of your day and how you feel.
I know for college students we are challenged in so many other ways such as academics and finding friends your freshman year, but food is a big part of how you feel and how your studies will go. Make the decision for you and always remember as a young adult you can try to make a change in how you eat and how you feel.
College students all of the world may be forced to eat meals that really don't benefit them at all and are filled with additives and sugars, but all in all, the rolling of the eyes and the multiple comments, may actually be doing more harm than good.
In order to become adults, we have to accept the poor food and be happy for what we have. Not everything goes perfectly but if we sit back and enjoy what we have, it may be better.
