Transitioning from home to college can be a big change. Living on your own grants independence and the freedom of choosing what you eat in the dining halls here at the University of Oregon. I personally remember my first week of college when I would forget that I wasn’t coming home to a cooked meal and instead settled on eating goldfish for dinner.
Because of all the changes I went through freshman year, I thought it would be interesting to interview two of this year’s freshmen on the first week of school and ask them about their eating habits, how they have adapted to eating dorm food and some predictions about their eating habits this year. In addition, I will be interviewing these same freshmen around the last week of school to see what has changed.
Sarah Milad, a freshman from Los Angeles, CA, says, “I miss the convenience of making my own breakfast. At home, I had more options and my car if I wanted to go out.” Sarah is on the Deluxe Meal Plan and said she often finds herself trying to “waste points” by swiping for her roommate, although she adds, “The Deluxe Plan is very manageable.”
She finds herself eating at Carson Dining where she tries to eat healthy. Carson is her favorite because of the portion control, the option of making your own salad and the buffet style. When I asked Sarah if she thought the Freshman 15 will be something she faces she answered, “No, I stay in shape by going to the rec and eating healthy.”
Sarah lives in Bean Residence Hall and says she has yet to try the food in Barnhart Residence Hall. As far as substitutes go, Sarah believes that Big Mouth Burrito is a good substitute for Chipotle. Once I got to my last question, which was about what food she missed from home, I already had a pretty good guess what the answer would be and like a true Californian she replied, “In-N-Out.”
Next, I interviewed Jacob Jansen, from the Tanasbourne, OR, area, which he describes as, “If you look it up on Google, I shamefully admit that what you’ll find is a shopping center address. Welcome to the suburbs.”
Jacob is also on the Deluxe Meal Plan. He selected this on accident and says, “If this plan was titled ‘indulgence’, I may have thought twice. I find myself having to constantly buy things I don’t really want or need.” He isn’t sure when he will start using the rollover points thats he has accumulated and says, “I could do just fine here with the Standard Meal Plan.”
His favorite place to dine is Global Scholars Hall which is right across from his residence hall, Bean West. Jacob says, “There are plenty of dorms I have not visited yet. Truth is, I’m still learning my way around this place.”
When asked about the Freshman 15, he thinks he may gain a few pounds but not necessarily from food but rather, “Departing from his teens and entering his twenties.”
His favorite part of the dining experience at UO comes from the staff members and the interactions he has with them. There isn’t one certain food Jacob misses but he says, “I miss the freedom of opening a cluttered pantry/cupboard/refrigerator/freezer and being able to craft my own concoction of food.”
Follow Katie Wideman on Twitter @KatieWideman