By Julie FrenchContributing Writer
Moving off campus means freedom from dorm dining and maybe a crash course in cooking.
But for some students, meal plans are still a way of life even after they leave the dorms behind.
When McCormick junior Eric Simpson moved off campus last year, he decided to stick with the unlimited meal plan.
“I’m on the swim team, and a lot of times, I just want to eat really quickly right after practice,” he said.
Simpson, who practices twice a day, eats at least 21 meals a week. The unlimited meal plan allows students to enter multiple dining halls during each designated meal period. Because most of his teammates also have meal plans, heading to the dining hall is another chance for team bonding, he said.
Athletes and fraternity members who live off campus buy meal plans more frequently than other off-campus students, said Anne Vanosdol, the associate director of food service operations.
Meal plans often are the most convenient option for these students because they spend a lot of time near North Campus dining halls, she added.
But for most off-campus students, a Munch Money program is a more popular than a meal plan.
“Halfway into the quarter, we see more Munch Money additions,” Vanosdol said.
Munch Money is especially attractive for students who don’t have cars, she said, because they have more trouble getting a variety of food on small budgets.
Communication junior Fallon McGraw is an off-campus Munch Money devotee. She uses Munch Money about three times a week to supplement her frequent restaurant visits and the meals she cooks at home.
“It’s kind of funny because it’s our parents’ money, so you don’t even realize how much things cost. You get to use your WildCARD at Norris,” she said. But at the grocery store and local restaurants, she foots the bill.
Unlike meal plans, Munch Money’s declining balance carries over from one quarter to the next, which translates to added flexibility for students. Whenever a student or their parents deposit more than $100, NU adds an extra 5 percent of that amount to the account.
Despite the advantages of on-campus dining, many off-campus students prefer the wider array of options in Evanston.
On-campus dining locations such as Paws ‘n Go, “feel ridiculously overpriced despite the fact that it’s pretty convenient,” Weinberg senior Erica Koch said.
“I didn’t ever find the quality of food in the dining halls that good,” she said. “There’s just so many things you can do in five or 10 minutes, like canned soup or mixes. It’s not that hard to cook your own meals.”
When she is pressed for time, Koch still has the choice to hit up her sorority for the occasional meal. But come June, she’ll have to forgo this luxury.
“When you get out into the real world, there won’t be that option of a dining hall,” she said.
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