As college students, we usually have to eat what the dining hall offers us. That is why we fill bins with snacks, our refrigerators with drinks, pizza rolls, chicken nuggets and microwaveable dinners, and that is why we have microwaves in our rooms.
We don’t want the “home-cooked meals” they offer us with a side of overcooked pasta and not-enough-water-cooked rice. We get quantity, not quality. To any incoming freshmen, be prepared. The dining hall seems fine to go to at first, but it does get old after a certain amount of time. I know quite a few people that refuse to even eat in the dining hall. This is no particular offensive to the staff of our dining hall on campus, but more so the food they choose to feed us.
Get your snacks. I have my own snack bin under my bed filled with things like cereal, chips, bread, granola bars, fruit snacks, hot chocolate mix and Kraft’s Easy Mac. Everything is either in “family size” or noted as the “value pack.” My refrigerator is stocked with pizza rolls, pepperoni, cheese, yogurt, milk, VitaminWater, Capri Sun, water, and of course, leftovers. When I say stock up on food in your dorm room, I truly mean it. The more food you have at hand, the more prepared you will be for days you’re too busy to stop at the dining hall, the weather changes, or you're just too to walk to the dining hall.
Save your money. I have days where I genuinely do not want to eat the food in the dining hall, which leads me to getting delivery. Sometimes the Chinese place down the road can really surprise you, and a Domino’s pizza topped with chicken and bacon can truly satisfy your tummy. There will be the days when you turn to delivery, sooner or later you’ll be looking for restaurants near you that deliver on Yelp.
Do not starve yourself just because the dining hall can’t satisfy those tastebuds. Go to the grocery store, order delivery and try to save leftovers. The more prepared you are, the more stocked your refrigerator and snack bin are, the better. You will never go hungry.
