Anonymous wrote:They’re supposed to be studying, not grocery shopping and cooking. Dining halls feed college students more efficiently than having all of them try to do it individually for themselves. There’s a lot to complain about regarding college costs. This is not one of those items.

My son will be a sophomore and is moving into an apartment on campus with a kitchen. He’s still required to buy a meal plan which is pretty pricey. I think that’s ridiculous. Most kids order food and have it delivered like with Instacart. It takes no time at all. Cooking is a life skill and most kids have plenty of free time in college to do it.

Anonymous wrote:This is my kid’s attitude too. I told her I did not trust her to actually make meals and buy things like fruit and veg especially her freshman year. Yes it’s a rip off but you are paying for convenience. It would probably be cheaper to eat every meal at Chipotle and Panera, but you’d lose the social aspects and also some variety in food. (Panera might actually be healthier than dining hall food, sadly.).

Agreed. If they didn’t have the dining hall, then they would be going to fast food most of the time.

This is my kid’s attitude too. I told her I did not trust her to actually make meals and buy things like fruit and veg especially her freshman year. Yes it’s a rip off but you are paying for convenience. It would probably be cheaper to eat every meal at Chipotle and Panera, but you’d lose the social aspects and also some variety in food. (Panera might actually be healthier than dining hall food, sadly.).

Most of these campuses are overflowing with wildlife: squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, birds, frogs. Maybe instead of spending their leisure time climbing rock walls & lounging around swimming pools, students could spend a a few hours each day hunting, trapping, & killing critters for food.

Students’ food expenses would drop, destructive animals would be less plentiful, so a win-win situation.

The only problems might be an occasional flesh wound from an errant bullet or the amputation of a few limbs if people are careless around wildlife traps. Small prices to pay for having lower food bills.

They’re supposed to be studying, not grocery shopping and cooking. Dining halls feed college students more efficiently than having all of them try to do it individually for themselves. There’s a lot to complain about regarding college costs. This is not one of those items.

I'm a foreigner from a country with free or very affordable universities. I still pay the exorbitant price for my kids' college experience here in the US, with fancy meal plans and fancy dorms. I remind them how much it is compared to how much their grandparents paid for my husband's and my education. My kids are expected to make the most of their opportunities.

Why can’t grown adults take two seconds to proof their typing so they can be easily understood? Lots of questions abound.

Anonymous wrote:Cooking meals in dorm rooms will result in pests, insects, & rodents.

And fires. My kid is an RA and says you wouldn’t believe how often the fire alarms go off because a kid is using an appliance (other than an allowed microwave) in their room.

As far as common kitchens, there are few of them and they aren’t generally fully equipped, for those same safety reasons.

My kid hates dining hall food, and switched from the default to the smallest allowable meal plan as soon as possible every semester the first couple of years. Only keeps the default now because room and board is the compensation for being an RA so you can’t change the package (and there’s be no point financially anyway).

Sure, let 50 people share one large refrigerator (and 25 small ones that barely keep food cold). They can take turns grilling their grilled cheese sandwiches on one stovetop. How long can that take? 10 hours to get through the lunch crush?

Cooking meals in dorm rooms will result in pests, insects, & rodents.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$600/month for meal plan is crazy. What do college students need catered meals all day every day?

What's wrong with cereal and yogurt for breakfast, and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch?

Are you from another country? Seems like an odd thing to complain about.

Agree. Very weird complaint--especially after experiencing Covid related isolation.

Meals are a time to socialize & bond with other students.

Anonymous wrote:$600/month for meal plan is crazy. What do college students need catered meals all day every day?

What's wrong with cereal and yogurt for breakfast, and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch?

Are you from another country? Seems like an odd thing to complain about.

When I was in college you had choices for meal plans. That said, if you live in a dorm not all kids have cars to go get groceries.

“You’ll get gruel and like it!”

$600/month for meal plan is crazy. What do college students need catered meals all day every day?

What's wrong with cereal and yogurt for breakfast, and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch?