Something I didn't consider much while choosing a college was the food. Sure, I was aware I'd be eating in a dining hall, but I didn't take into account how much of a step down that would be from my current food situation.
No matter the school and no matter how good the dining hall, it will inevitably be far inferior to home-cooked meals.
I'm very fortunate that throughout my entire life my family has made a conscious effort to eat dinner together every night. No matter how busy the day, my mom would always have a nice, warm meal on the table at the end of it. I definitely took this for granted.
When I got to college, the options in the dining hall at first seemed awesome, but soon started to bore me. Although I love the stir-frys, I can only eat them so many days in a row.
The options soon made me far less enthused than they previously had. It soon struck me that I was no longer able to send my mom dinner requests of my current cravings.
As the saying goes, "You get what you get and you don't get upset." Although I certainly wasn't upset, I definitely was sick and tired of the food.
Then, winter break came. Once again, I had access to a kitchen, mom who cooked dinner every night, and a car which gave me free reign of restaurants. This brief reprieve from my regular eating schedule was a welcome distraction.
I'm fortunate to have access to food and to be able to eat three meals a day every day. However, I can't pretend that I don't miss my pre-college eating habits. I miss the variety. I miss my mom's cooking. I miss making pasta in the middle of the night just because I want to.
Having a dining hall is awesome, but it can't hold a candle to a good, home-cooked meal.
