Navigating the Dining Hall

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One of the quintessential pictures of college life is friends sitting around a table in the school's dining hall and laughing together. It's a great place to make memories, have serious or absurd conversations, and, of course, get a meal. Here are a few helpful questions about your school’s dining hall for incoming students.

By Ceanna Hayes Daniels

Tags: budgeting-money, college-student, college-transition, social-life, student-housing

When Is It Open?

One of the most basic questions to ask is what time the dining hall is open. This question may seem too obvious to bother saying, but it is a necessary reminder. Over the first few weeks of school, as students get used to their new schedules and routines, it may be easy to assume that the weekday and weekend hours will be identical and find yourself locked out of breakfast. Similarly, when exam season arrives, students eager to maximize their studying time may cut things too close, find themselves rushing across campus to the dining hall just after the doors close, and decide they’ll have to make do with instant ramen for dinner.

To ensure you don’t accidentally miss a meal, note your dining hall’s hours of operation. At some universities, there are multiple dining halls with varied meal options and varied hours. Make a note for each rather than assuming that one will be open just because another is—that grab-and-go sandwich station near your lecture hall may make a great option before your Tuesday-Thursday class, but it isn’t necessarily open Saturday morning.

Will I Have Enough Meal Swipes If I Choose a Block Meal Plan?

Many meal plans choose between "weekly" and "block" options, sometimes at different price points. If you select a block meal plan (or weekly plan with less than 21 meals per week), you'll likely save money on your tuition but lose the option of getting into the dining hall three meals a day, seven days a week. That doesn't necessarily mean you won't eat at those times. Many events around campus offer free food to attendees, your dorm may have a kitchen where you can cook for yourself, or you may choose to meet friends at a local restaurant. It does, however, mean you'll have to do some careful math. After all, you don't want to use your meal swipes too early and leave yourself without options during finals week.

Rather than using up your meal swipes too early and leaving yourself without options during finals week, take a few minutes at the start of the semester to tally up the average number of meals you can eat in the dining hall in a given week. To get an accurate total, exclude the weeks you'll be home during a break or holiday. After you've done the math and determined how often to visit the dining hall, make a trip to a local grocery store to grab some interesting, healthy options for the days you’ll cook at the dorm.

Can I Make Healthy Choices at the Dining Hall?

Despite the stereotypes about college students' diets, eating at the dining hall doesn't mean subsisting on pizza and fries. On the contrary, many dining halls pride themselves on their commitment to students’ well-being, offering fresh fruit, flavorfully-prepared vegetables, and protein-rich main courses as often as possible. Often, a dining hall will provide a variety of meal choices, sometimes representing a variety of cultures, in their work to make their meals appealing to students. As a result, eating healthfully does not mean limiting yourself to the salad bar. It does mean making intentional choices about your food.

For example, rather than defaulting to pizza or a burger, you may choose to examine the options at various stations, then pick elements of each to create a balanced meal. Pulling a few vegetables from the salad bar can help you to add something new to a familiar soup. Even something as simple as choosing water rather than soda will benefit the long run.

And always remember—the existence of a soft-serve machine in the dining hall should not mean soft-serve on your plate every day. Your energy levels, waistline, and long-term health will all thank you for making ice cream an infrequent treat rather than the default.

What Options Are There for Students with Allergies?

For students with allergies and intolerances, the dining hall can be uniquely stressful. On top of the stress they share with all other students entering their first year of college, individuals with dietary restrictions may find themselves asking additional questions like, "where can I find a complete list of ingredients?", "How can I make sure there was no cross-contamination?" or "will I even be able to find food I can eat?" However, there's no need to worry; your college's dining hall will have a plan for caring for students with allergies.

When you first get your college email, contact the dining hall staff to introduce yourself and ask about their protocol for students with food allergies or intolerances. Some colleges encourage you to email a particular staff member to request an allergy-friendly meal. In contrast, others have special "order-in" options through an app, which you could download and familiarize yourself with over the summer. Many colleges also display their meal plan for the upcoming day or week on a poster, website, or app, allowing you to plan for when you'll be able to eat without worry and when you'll need to contact the staff about alternatives. Whatever the system may be, understanding your college's protocol will help you to enter the dining hall with confidence rather than anxiety.

Although navigating the dining hall may initially seem stressful, incoming students have little to fear. Within a few weeks, they'll grow familiar with the schedule and options at their dining hall, becoming confident that they can navigate it with ease.

Ceanna Hayes Daniels

Ceanna Hayes Daniels is freelance writer and editor. In 2022, she graduated Hillsdale College summa cum laude with a degree in politics. In her free time, she continues to enjoy studying philosophy, political theory, and literature. She and her husband live in Michigan, where the two enjoy perusing bookstores together for new books and old records.

View all posts by Ceanna Hayes Daniels