Some people may say that this is nothing to be proud of but college students have the rest of their lives to culinary geniuses and spend hours in the kitchen. Some of my friends cook themselves breakfast every morning and other meals all the time, while I have mastered the art of finding ways to avoid cooking.

At the beginning of my second year in college, I was excited to move into a dorm that had a kitchen and my own bedroom. I even brought pots and pans from home thinking that I would try to cook if I had time. But to be completely honest, I have only broken them out once. And it was only to bake those Pillsbury crescents that come in a can. There was no extensive prep work; all I did was stick pieces of dough onto a pan and then stick the pan into the oven.

While I may currently be avoiding cooking for myself, I can cook a few things and I am pretty good at reading directions. But I am also definitely not a master chef.

For example, the last time I made dinner for my family my father decided to eat cereal instead of the pasta that I made. He would not even taste my pasta. To be honest, I do not know what his problem was... I thought my pasta was pretty good.

Your first year in college you have a ridiculously priced meal plan that allows you to come and go into the dining hall whenever you please. This year after quickly realizing that I was not going to spending time making myself meals, I had to come with a game plan.

I found that all I need are snacks, a small meal plan, a refrigerator, and a microwave.

I always go to the grocery store to stock up on snacks. And no, I do not just buy chips and cookies. I also buy healthy snacks as well as like fruit, sandwich supplies, yogurt, and pretzels.

Getting a small meal plan is also key to my current no cooking lifestyle because it is where I get most of my meals. Occasionally, I will eat out but a meal plan comes in handy because I spend a lot my time on campus anyway. I either get breakfast, lunch, or dinner in between my classes. Or I can take a meal home with me to eat when I am done with class for the day.

This is also where having a refrigerator and microwave comes in handy as well. My first year in college my space was limited, now I can easily store and reheat meals as I please.

Ultimately, I am sure I will break out the pots and pans on a normal basis one day. But for now, I will stick to my plan of avoiding the kitchen because it is fast, convenient, and works perfectly for me!