One of the best things about living in the dorms your freshman year (or any year) is having food made for you all over campus. I still miss the days when I could just go grab something from the dining hall instead of having to cook for myself. "Hangry" is a very real feeling. Everything in the dining hall is so convenient, but there are ways to make it even better
After working in the dining centers for the last three years, I have picked up on the many tips and tricks you can use to get the most for your dining experience here at Oregon State.
1. For any of the places that don't do made to order, try to get there as close to when they open as possible. This is important for places like Boardwalk in McNary. The food served is always freshly made, but after a couple hours of sitting in the warmer, it just isn't the same. When you get the first serving it tastes more like going out to eat and less like traditional dorm food. For other places, like delis or Calabaloo's this is less important because they make your food fresh. Keep this in mind when planning where and what to eat.
2. Try not to arrive at any location five minutes before they close, and if you have to for some reason then try to know what you want ahead of time. If you wait too long the food will have been sitting out for awhile and all the employees are looking forward to going home. If we have to make something fresh for you we appreciate it if you know your order and are nice. We understand that sometimes stuff happens, but if we remember you as the person that comes in five minutes before we close everyday, we will not be happy.
3. Cascadia, EBGB's, and Main Squeeze are your convenient stores; you should use them. Cascadia is the closest you will get to a grocery store for you meal plan, and they also have the best mac and cheese on campus. EBGB's has ice cream and coffee so you can always get that fix. The rest of it is just like going into a 7-11. Main Squeeze has Fro-yo, smoothies, milkshakes, and chillers. The fro-yo is changed weekly and every month there is a smoothie of the month. You can always ask for samples. These places are worth walking across campus for, but remember if everyone shows up before they close, it will be chaos.
4. Create a routine for yourself. I know college is all about freedom, but having a dinging hall routine can make everything easier. We don't usually get regulars (by that we mean people who come in the same time everyday and orders the same thing), but we love when we do. We like to get to know you, and we like when we can have your food or smoothies ready before you've even paid. I used to have a coffee ready for me every morning and it cut five minutes off of my wait time.
5. The convenient stores tend to get their weekly shipments in on Tuesdays or Wednesday; this means that if you come in on Monday hoping for a full store, you will be disappointed. While sometimes we have stuff in the back, if we are waiting for a shipment, the chances are we don't have any of it. Thursdays are one of the best days if your are looking to stock up on any kind of snack or beverage.
6. Never be afraid to ask if we have something in the back. We typically like going to go check, it gives us something new to do. Chances are that if we had gotten busy we haven't noticed that its out yet. Let us know and we will go re-stock or just grab you one real quick. We aren't scary I promise.
7. Your meal plan rolls over term to term until spring. You can try to spend it all, but you don't have to. The convenience stores do bulk orders at the end of the year meaning any of your left over funds can get you 70 bottles of Gatorade or 100 Skittles. You can also down size your meal plan if you realize after fall that you have too much money. You can also donate money to the food drive with your meal plan.
8. Get to know the workers, we all have our own personalities and love different parts of our jobs. I got nicknamed the Chiller Queen at Main Squeeze, which is a role I love to have. Some people love when you ask for them to surprise you; some people hate when you ask for that. Each employee enjoys different things and we love when you remember that or make conversation with us. We are also students, we know what it is like.
9. Remember that the students are there to do their jobs. Your life will be easier if you accept that we aren't in control of the policies. So just so you are aware ahead of time, here are some of the common things people get mad about: You can't use someone elses ID, we will have to take it and that person will have to come back and get it. You have to wear real clothes and shoes; do not come in barefoot or we will have to kick you out. If it is past our closing time and you are still waiting to order we will serve you, but if you have already ordered something and try to get back in line, we will have to ask you to leave, this is simply because we have to leave at a certain time and clean up takes a while.
10. If you have any questions or comments for the dining centers there are orange cards that you can fill out. When you do that our managers can read them and will respond to you. It's a great way to create change. It's also a great way to let us know how we are doing and if there is anything we can improve on. We like to hear your opinions and sometimes it can actually create change, which makes food better for you!
I'm sure you will find your own groove in the Dining centers, but I hope this helps as you prepare for your first year at the dorms!
