We’re well into week five now, Bobcats. Typically that would mean we’re almost halfway done for the fall, but on semesters, not so much. Even though we have a little longer to go until break, I’m pretty sure we’re all in a routine by now.
Whether you’re a freshman, senior or even a fifth year, by now everyone knows how a day will typically play out. You know where and when you’re classes are (hopefully), you know what time to beat the dining hall rush, you know the best spot in the library, etc. But do you know how your campus markets work? I’m here today to give you some tips to make your shopping trip to the market go smoothly.
First, know your times tables — especially you multiples of six. Each meal is the equivalent of $6. This mean one meal is $6, two meals are $12, three meals are $18, etc. Numerous kids come in and say, “I just want to spend eight meals,” without realizing how much money they want to spend. As a former Jeff Market employee, it becomes tiring when students have baskets piled miles high with food — that’s way over their budgets. Make sure you grab the right amount of food for the amount of meals you want to spend.
Second, we are not your fairy godmothers; market employees do not know how many meals each individual student has. There are handy machines in each market that let you inquire about how many meals and Bobcat Cash you have with a simple touch of the button and the swipe of your card. “But those are always broken!” you may argue with me. That’s also a simple fix. Feel free to ask any market employee if he or she will check how many meals you have. This way you’ll know while you shop and won’t overspend your meals or hold up the line.
Third, learn each market’s hours. There is a market on each Green: Jefferson on East, Nelson on South and Boyd on West. Each of these markets has individual hours. Plenty of students stop by the market late at night hoping to grab a bite and bang on the door not realizing no matter how much you knock, if the market is closed, you’re not getting in. The markets have similar hours for weekends — all markets open at noon on weekends! If you want specific hours, they are available here:
http://www.ohio.edu/food/locations/markets.cfm
Finally, shop on weekdays, in the early morning. Everyone rushes to the market after class or after dinner. These, plus weekends, tend to be the busiest times in the market. If you shop during these peak hours, then you are most likely not going to find what you want. Milk comes in the wee hours of the early morning of the week, same as bread. There is an order almost everyday of all odds and ends, but the order is based on an estimate, not an over abundance of items. So when you come in on a Friday afternoon and get annoyed when the market is out of milk, remember they open early and you can get your butt to the market if you need your milk so badly.