The end of the school year has a way of surprising just about all of us. No matter how organized of a person you are, it’s always a little startling to read the email from ResLife reminding you how every single thing in your entire dorm room, from your textbooks to your photo collages to the bins of sweatshirts tucked under your bed, needs to be packed and gone by May. But there’s another thing that needs to be gone once May 10th rolls around, and it’s a little harder to pack in a box than your sweats: All your points.
Unlike fall semester, any leftover meal points on your account won’t roll over to the next academic year. This means that if you don’t use up all your points by the end of the school year, they’ll literally disappear. Vanish. Gone. Never to be seen again. So, if you’re one of the few collegiettes who still hasn’t managed to spend all her points after hours in the Library Café, here’s a list to make sure your points don’t end up being sucked away into a Dining Services black hole.
5. Caffeinated Beverages
It’s finals week, and it definitely can’t hurt to stock up on extra energy in any form you can purchase it. A longtime favorite of late-night studiers is the Starbucks EnergyShot, available in the Library Café in Coffee, Mocha, and White Chocolate flavoring. If coffee isn’t your favorite, you can always buy a stash of Tazo tea bags from the Starbucks counter (yes, you can just buy the tea bags). Save any extras that you don’t use during finals to make iced tea over the summer! And of course, there’s always a selection of assorted energy drinks available in the C-Store.
4. Frozen Items
One of the best items to purchase at the C-Store is probably ice cream. They stock some of the best brands: Haagen Dazs, Ben and Jerry’s, and Italian Ice to name a few. With the weather finally warming up, it doesn’t hurt at all to have an extra pint of Cherry Garcia chillin’ in your freezer. Also, though frozen meals can sometimes be questionable, your leftover points are a great way to try out Amy’s Vegan Meals. You’ll be trying new food and putting your points to use at the same time!
3. Non-Perishables
One of the biggest problems with having lots of points left over at the end of the semester is actually eating everything that you buy. It’s one thing to buy five trays of sushi from the Stud, but it’s another thing to finish them before they could potentially give you food poisoning. In this context, it’s advisable to buy items that can be good for extended periods of time. The Stud has various candies for purchase in bulk quantities, like M&Ms, Milky Ways, and KitKats, which will last well past finals week. Not only does the candy have great shelf life, but it’s great for sharing too! You can also stock up on cough drops and gum from the C-Store, two items that are always in need and almost never go bad.
2. Bulk Beverages
If you have major points left over, consider buying items in bulk. You can never go wrong buying a crate or two of bottled water. It’ll be something that you’ll definitely use, putting your points to good use. Aside from water, other options for bulk beverages include Tazo Teas and Red Bull, both of which are available in the C-Store.
1. Donate Your Points!
This is probably the best option on this list. If you haven’t spent all your points yet, it’s most likely because there isn’t really anything on campus that you feel the need to spend them on. So, instead of trying to spend your points on items you probably don’t really need, it would be most logical to spend them on items that someone else may need. The Campus Police Department is running a canned food drive. You can use your points to purchase different canned foods in the C-Store, like tuna, soup, crackers, etc., and then donate them to local food pantries. While we may not realize it, a small action like this can really have an impact on an individual, family, or community. Ask your cashier for more details about putting your points towards donation!
Image source: www.uwaysc.org