They are everybody’s best friends… towards the end of the semester. They’re those kids who just seem to have more meal plan money that they know what to do with, while the rest of the student population struggles to figure out how they will survive on $100 with weeks left in the semester. Well let me just spoil the surprise here and let you in on a little secret, I am one of those students. Three semesters of BC dining, and I still cannot figure out how to spend the $2100 allotment each semester. Maybe as a vegetarian, or just a fairly tiny, short girl who doesn’t eat as much as a linebacker, I seem to have a ton of money lately. So as an expert in BC dining and excessive meal plan money, here are my tips on how to blow the rest of your dining dollars:
1. Share! There are plenty of people with minimal or no meal plan money that would be beyond thrilled if you could “swipe” for them. Off-campus students, upperclassmen with apartment-style housing, and even just underclassmen boys who love Mac ‘n Cheese night a little too much are all in need of your money. Become everybody’s best friend and swipe, swipe, swipe! For those on Newton, make the law students day and swipe for them during the breakfast rush. And for anyone with a surplus of extra money, leave your ID with the cashier while you eat and let the cashier swipe for anyone who needs it.
2. Donate! You know those people who beg for your meal plan money every time you walk into Lower, Mac, or Eagles Nest? Make their day. No joke, they will probably hug you if you donate to their causes. A lot of them are raising money for great humanitarian trips and organizations and definitely deserve your support and money. Additionally, there are food drives through BC for people with extra meal plan at the end of the semester. Definitely be on the look out for these programs! You’ll feel good about contributing that money to a good cause.
3. Party! What better way to spend your meal plan money than hosting a party and mass buying food for it? Large Odwalla jugs are great for parties and will definitely make a dent in your meal plan amount. Desserts, drinks, chips, and anything else your party will need can all be purchased in the dining hall, or at any “On the Fly” if you have extra Optional Dining Bucks as well!
4. Stock up! At the end of the semester, the dining halls usually have cases of drinks and snacks for those who have extra meal plan money. If you can take it home with you, stock up and bring home Honest Teas that will last all of Winter break. You’ll feel like you have a little bit of BC with you right at home. If you cannot take it home, give some to your roommates who will definitely enjoy the extra drinks in the fridge!
The meal plan at Boston College can either be your best friend or worst enemy as an underclassmen but your money should not go to waste! I cannot emphasize this enough as someone who had almost $700 at the end of first semester freshman year. Share it, donate it, spend it, use it however your heart desires but really try to spend as much of it as possible. When next semester’s $2100 gets added back onto your card, you’ll thank me. Trust me, you’ll thank me. And to anyone in desperate need of meal plan money, I’m still struggling with all of mine, (what a shocker)… and I am more than happy to swipe for anyone who needs to fill his or her grumbling stomach in a BC dining hall.
Source: http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/o…