With great power comes great responsibility. With the number one dining hall food in the country comes the pain-staking decision of which meal plan you should choose. This choice depends widely on lifestyle, appetite and access to other sources of food, but as an R plan-er who transitioned into a P plan-er by the end of the year, here are the overarching things to keep in mind!
If you are ever planning on having guests (upperclassmen, people who live off campus, or friends visiting from different schools) for an extended stay, get P. When I had R and my long distance boyfriend came for a visit, we literally couldn’t get food without someone else. R only allows you to swipe once in a meal period, so I always had to guiltily ask a friend to spot me.
Getting food on campus is tricky with R. In the fall, I had three classes three days a week, so I was basically on campus all day without any time to go back to the Hill. So, I had to get my lunch from one of the on-campus options. But, since I am a big breakfast eater, I was not able to get meal tickets before class because I, again, could only use one swipe per meal period. So every day, I either had to starve or wait in the atrociously long Epic at Ackerman line, as that is the only place on campus that takes meal swipes.
P is significantly more expensive. I had 19R in the first and second quarter, and that was $300 less per quarter than 14P, which I have now. That means 50 less meals for more money. That is definitely a huge factor to keep in mind.
Dessert is impossible with R. When Cafe 1919 opened, thankfully I had already switched meal plans. Because R only allows one swipe per meal period, you can’t get dessert right after dinner. You would have to wait until late night hours start.
Everyone I know that has had 19P has had about 50+ swipes left over. I think it is impossible to use all 19 unless you’re consistently swiping for two people’s meals every day. I get many of my meals from my sorority house, so I only need two per day from the dining halls. Other people go on trips many weekends, eat out a lot or order food many days which is another thing to keep in mind when choosing between 14 and 19 plans.
At the end of the day, whichever plan you choose will allow you to indulge in the paradise that is UCLA dining. But, as a retired 19 R-er, it is with my utmost wisdom that I recommend 14P.