College is a strange time where your appetite seems to increase as your bank account decreases way too fast for you to properly compensate. As all college students struggle to keep themselves fed (and maybe nourished), it’s interesting to see what college students keep in their fridge. Some have only the bare bone basics and some have enough to make an actual adult meal. Through text interviews I gained the answer to the burning question of what is in the fridges of college students across the country.
First, Hamline University Students:
Siri Parker, sophomore, off-campus:
“Greek yogurt, eggs, potatoes, milk, jelly, cheese, honey mustard, gatorade, tortillas, chicken, corn, garlic, rice, butter, soda.”
Skyler Kane (me), sophomore, off-campus:
Greek yogurt, eggs, soda milk, english muffins, cheese slices, cheese sticks, tortillas, cream cheese, shredded cheese, cuties, the occasional left over pizza.
Ali Welke, sophomore, off-campus:
“Lots of stuff like pizza, eggs, pasta, yogurt, various fruits & veggies, the occasional cucumber so rotten it turns liquid.”
Next, Some Not So Far Schools
Sophia Vedvik, first-year, University of Minnesota, on- campus:
“Soda, bagels, apples, oranges occasional leftovers.”
Nora Faust, sophomore, UW River Falls, on-campus:
“Carrots, ranch, juice, cheese, sandwich meat, apples, milk, leftovers, bread, applesauce, salsa and queso.”
Roxanne “Roxi” Stanek, sophomore, Carroll University (near Milwaukee, WI), on-campus:
“Queso, cheese sticks, butter, shredded cheese, babybel cheese, yogurt, orange juice, salsa, occasionally cream cheese, sometimes a jar of pickles.”
Finally, Across the Country:
Nora Lelivelt, first-year, UC Davis (two hours from San Francisco, California), on-campus:
“Butter, cheese.”
McKenzie Rybak, first-year, VCU (Richmond, Virginia), on-campus:
“Currently almond milk and eleven (11) eggs, but often nothing.”
Lakshmi Vemuri, sophomore, Seton Hall University (about thirty minutes from NYC, school located in New Jersey), on- campus:
“Milk, chocolate, french toast sticks, ginger ale, leftover chinese food.”
Obviously, students off campus are gonna have fridges that are a little more packed, but clearly both on and off campus students have different relationships with their fridge. Some rely on them to survive, some live at their dining hall and only need their fridge for the basics. How does your fridge stack up?
P.S. Need some advice on or off campus fridge basics? Email us and have Patricia Piper help you out! Or check out the Food Mobile that will be in the parking lot behind the library on March 29 from 10:30-12:30 p.m. handing out free food, such as fruit and canned goods, to Hamline students.