The social pressure in college to never eat alone is overwhelming. People are incapable of sitting in the dining hall by themselves. Instead, they will either skip a meal altogether or get “grab and go” and eat in their rooms. Why is this? The answer is simple: social norms. It is normal to have lunch with friends or classmates and be able to talk about the latest Yik Yak posts or weekend plans, but dining alone has been labeled “lonely.”
I am here to let you in a little secret: no one else cares what you’re doing. This may sound harsh, but what I mean by this is, forget what other people think. Let that sink. People are too worried about themselves and what they have going on in their lives to sit and make fun of you. No one is staring at you. No one is wondering how you could have possibly ended up friendless, sad, or stood up. If they notice you at all, they’ll probably just admire you and envy your ability to be alone.
There are some real pros to eating alone and I highly encourage you to consider them the next time you think about skipping lunch because all your friends are busy. Firstly, you can eat whatever you want and however much you want. No one wants to admit it, but sitting with other people affects what you put on your plate. If everyone else at the table gets a salad for dinner, you feel pressured to steer clear of Frank’s crispy french fries. Table for one? You can eat an entire plate full of french fries, free of worry that your friends might judge you. In preparation for this story, I dined alone a couple of times to get a feel for it. One major advantage is how easy it is to find a seat. Even in peak Berk foot traffic, there is always a seat available for one. Plus, it is far more convenient to eat at your leisure rather than coinciding all of your meals with the time slots in your friends’ schedules.
You can eat whenever you want and wherever you want. No more debating about whether Berk or Hamp would have better options. Go where you want. It is all about you.
Abandon the notion that dining alone is a sad and lonely experience. It isn’t. It is empowering. It is a demonstration of independence and allows for you to have some alone time with your thoughts. As college students, we are always on the go. It is not very often that we have downtime to unwind, so make mealtime your relaxation. Many of us live in shared spaces and have little time to ourselves. Take advantage of moments alone and reclaim your ability to be by yourself. I challenge you to try it this week. Treat yourself to dinner or enjoy some dining hall comfort food; I can promise you it’s not as scary as you think. If I can do it, anyone can!
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