college housing for next year

[fyxgel]

I'm trying to debate what I want to do. (sorry for the length of this long thread)

Basically the way it works is that if you live on campus you are forced to have some kind of on campus meal plan. The cheapest mealplan you can get while living on campus is $750 worth of FLEX money,

where you can spend it at 'the market' Basically the only good things i would get at this place are turkey or tuna sandwhiches (u can bet your ass they dont have 100%wholewheat bread) and protein shakes (which are really frickin expensive $4.50 and it only has 30 grams of protein), and maybe some fruit.

you get the idea, and then of course there's pizza, expensive chicken salads, fast food, and the other jazz.

They also have apartments which are located about a mile away from campus (and are owned by the college) if you live here, you do not need a meal plan. The only problem is that if I applied for this kind of a housing I don't really have a say in who my roomates are, (since it is late in the housing game, and if applied there i would probably just get placed in some random open spot)

Right now I'm signed up to room with 6 other guys, i slightly know 2 of them, the 2 i know seem okay, but i dont really know that much about all of them.

And then of course there is the third option, to find an apartment off campus.
the disadvantage here is that I am more socially isolated from campus life, even more so than i would be if i lived in the college apartments that were just a mile away.

Any one of these options my parents will fund. They will fund all of my own personal food expensives, and housing/meal plan costs for next year.

I guess I just want to figure out which one I do. I really want to eat healthy next year, since I dont think the cafeteria plan (the one u have to be on if ur a freshman) was so hot, I didnt eat very healthy.
At the same time I dont want to miss out on any aspects of the college social life.

also i dont want to be more of a dick than I need to, towards the housing department. (the roomates I currently have selected for next year, might get some really crappy dude, if I switched out and they had to pick someone else to put in)
also its kind of a jerk-ass move to do that to the housing department (change your plans) isnt it?

arrggg, the dillema

--------------------

so review of my options:

1) stay in my current situation, room in the apartments on campus next year with the roomates i had originally planned on rooming with, and take an on campus meal plan since i have to.

2) switch, and try to get housing in the off-campus apartments, which are a mile away.

3) find a cheap studio apartment by myself off campus (cuz i dont know of anyone who'd wanna room with me, and I dont know if I wanna live with some random dude) plus i think i'd kinda like living alone.

any ideas folks?

 

[string_bean00]

#2 or #3. I don't know if I'd like living alone though...although it would be really nice at times.

 

[samoth]

Well, you could appeal the mealplan on the basis of 'special dietary needs'... at least the U of Wisconsin system has that. I will be going through the process soon, however I don't know exactly what it entails... whether a good argument, or a doctors excuse. If you compete in any athletics, tell them that. They may be more sympathetic. (If you have a decent build, say you compete in powerlifting or something, just to make your point)

I've been eating on-campus for the past three years. Well, occasionally eating on-campus -- I spend about $40 a week at the grocery store and have a freezer stocked full with chicken, and a fridge stuffed with cheese, meats, etc. With our program, whatever money is left on the FLEX (ours is called TITAN) account after the school year can be transferred to gift certificates to use on campus -- so I use this for books the following semester!

I've never lived off-campus, as I don't know of any potential roommates who are more interested in studying than partying. You sound like you have time for a social life, so living off-campus may be a hinderance to you. I don't have much input here. If you can easily tolerate random people that might be assigned, you could get the on-campus apartments. If you study heavy, this would be quite a problem, but if you are a big socializer, it may work out fine.

Finally, don't be afraid to speak with the housing and meal departments at your school. You're paying what, $10,000 to $25,000 every year to live and attend school there. YOU'RE paying THEM. Make damn sure to get your money's worth, and don't sacrifice anything important to you just because you don't want to inconvenience someone during thier workday. You are paying their paycheck... make them earn it! Get your moneys worth!

Remember, grocery stores are your friends. I've been living on frozen chicken, tuna, and other similar items for three years. I made sure that my "freshman fifteen" was muscle, and not a pizza, soda, or beer gut!

 

[fyxgel]

Well, you could appeal the mealplan on the basis of 'special dietary needs'... at least the U of Wisconsin system has that. I will be going through the process soon, however I don't know exactly what it entails... whether a good argument, or a doctors excuse. If you compete in any athletics, tell them that. They may be more sympathetic. (If you have a decent build, say you compete in powerlifting or something, just to make your point)

I've been eating on-campus for the past three years. Well, occasionally eating on-campus -- I spend about $40 a week at the grocery store and have a freezer stocked full with chicken, and a fridge stuffed with cheese, meats, etc. With our program, whatever money is left on the FLEX (ours is called TITAN) account after the school year can be transferred to gift certificates to use on campus -- so I use this for books the following semester!

I've never lived off-campus, as I don't know of any potential roommates who are more interested in studying than partying. You sound like you have time for a social life, so living off-campus may be a hinderance to you. I don't have much input here. If you can easily tolerate random people that might be assigned, you could get the on-campus apartments. If you study heavy, this would be quite a problem, but if you are a big socializer, it may work out fine.

Finally, don't be afraid to speak with the housing and meal departments at your school. You're paying what, $10,000 to $25,000 every year to live and attend school there. YOU'RE paying THEM. Make damn sure to get your money's worth, and don't sacrifice anything important to you just because you don't want to inconvenience someone during thier workday. You are paying their paycheck... make them earn it! Get your moneys worth!

Remember, grocery stores are your friends. I've been living on frozen chicken, tuna, and other similar items for three years. I made sure that my "freshman fifteen" was muscle, and not a pizza, soda, or beer gut!

thanks man, that was a lot of good advice.

yea, i think im gonna try talking to the housing department about not having a mealplan (i know its a longshot, since usually schools dont budge on this stuff, at the first school i went to, even if u had medical problems u still needed to have a meal plan if u lived in the dorms, they would just order special food for you.)

Maybe I'll just waste the money and live on campus and get that $750 dollar meal plan. ah well.

can someone say, an expensive and less than ideal diet for another year? :|
at least it wont be as expensive as it was this year ($1100 for 20 meals/week) and i'll probably eat a little healthier since I'll be picking out my food.

 

[Lao Tzu]

If you can live alone, go for it.

I dont know if this is feasable, but maybe you can get a mortgage on a 1 room condo. Where i live, condos start at around $25k. with a 30 year mortgage that comes to about $160 a month in rent, and you get your own place.

www.realtor.com

 

[sweed]

living on campus here is 1000+ then u can get a meal plan... 300, 500, or 900... but i am living off campus with sum guys for im guesssinaruond 600 -700.. which aint bad for boston