College Journey #4: Food (On Campus)

This is part of a series of blog posts that I write about my college experience.  It's in part a way for me to talk about my own life, and in another part a way for me to give advice to incoming freshman.  While many of these posts will be tailored and full of details about the school I attend (Knox College, a small liberal arts college) but will also have general lessons about college.  Here are the previous posts in the series:

College Journey #1: Orientation

College Journey #2: My First Few Weeks as a Freshman

College Journey #3: Friends

If you ever have a topic you want me to cover, please let me know!

So, here at Knox, there are only a few places to eat on campus, and while it all looks like variety when you first arrive, you'll soon find that you're tired of the food.

Let me start off by saying the food is actually pretty great!  It all tastes good and they really do try to keep up variety.  Unfortunately, when you live and eat somewhere 24/7, that variety disappears.

Here at Knox, the first place you'll probably eat is the Hard Knox Cafeteria, aka the Caf.  And, yes, it is a cafeteria, but they have a bunch of food and it revolves around.  It changes from breakfast, to lunch, to dinner as well.  On Sundays they have a brunch, which I really recommend because of the donuts.

There's also the Gizmo, my personal favorite.  It's a great place to spread out and do homework while you eat.  They have even less variety than the Caf, but their stuff is made to order.  It's hamburgers, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, and other such foods.  It's a bit more expensive than the Caf, too.

Then there's the Oak Room, where I've only eaten twice.  They have themed meals and are often better than the Caf stuff.  They're not super expensive and it's a little more formal than the other places.

Finally, a Grab and Go Cart and Post.  Both are only around for a limited number of hours each day, and I haven't actually used either.  I do have a friend who swears by the Grab and Go Cart, though.

My Eating Habits

I never eat breakfast outside of my dorm.  And I rarely eat breakfast in it.  Brunch is another matter, and I try to go each week.  For lunch I mostly eat inside the dorm, but will occasionally make a foray out.  Dinner varies, but I prefer Gizmo.

Other Tips

Don't be afraid to eat alone.  It sounds more daunting than it is.  Really, a lot of people do it (including me!) and no one judges them.  Everyone has their own schedules so don't expect to have a friend with you constantly.  It's really okay.

Bring food from home.  Lots of it.  Stuff you can make in a microwave and stuff that you eat regularly and will miss.  I made the mistake of not doing this right away and was sorely regretting my decisions.

Knowing where your grocery stores are is important!  I've gone shopping twice now.