College. You are finally free to do whatever you want, whenever you want and however you want. Time to eat Chick-fil-A three times a day, maybe even in bed. When you go to college, no one is standing over you and telling you not to snack before dinner or reminding you to eat a well-balanced breakfast. This can be a shock to the system, whether good or bad. Here are five things you realize when you go to college and are fully responsible for when, how and what you eat.
1. Home-cooked meals are taken for granted.
Your drawers are stocked with Lay’s, Oreos and boxes of cereal to the brim. The excitement kicks in once your snack stockpile is complete and ready to be dug into. At first, the delicious food is fun and satisfying. However, after weeks of the same processed foods, eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner, real food is missed. Home-cooking has a special place in everyone’s heart. The smell and taste can bring back memories of happiness and love. As the snack intake increases, so does the longing for “real” food. You begin reminiscing about the good old days, when your parents cooked you a warm and nutritious meals.
2. Sometimes there is no time for a full meal, or a meal at all.
College is a busy time with class, homework and friends. Sometimes, food isn’t a priority. Breakfast becomes a power bar, lunch is a bag of chips and dinner is a bowl of cereal or microwavable Kraft mac and cheese. No one is making sure you are eating three full meals a day, and that can take some adjustment. This is all okay; it’s part of your college adjustment. This is the time to learn what is best for your body and how to take responsibility for yourself. Eventually, you learn how to plan meals ahead of time and eat well on the go.
3. All meals can be eaten in bed, if desired.
“Dinner is ready, come to the table.” This was probably one of the most common sentences spoken in your home, maybe from a parent or sibling. At home, meals are often expected to be eaten together at the dinner table. However, in college no one is there to invite you to the table for a formal meal. Homework, Netflix and pure boredom can lead to the consumption of meals in places other than a traditional table. Typically, the long school day brings about a wave of exhaustion that leaves you too tired to walk anywhere for food. The easiest, and often most realistic solution, is to microwave something in your dorm and eat in bed.
4. It actually is possible to get sick of eating the same dining hall food.
The infamous college dining hall is an enticing option at the beginning of freshmen year. You can swipe in with a meal credit, chow down at the unlimited cereal bar and hang around the make-your-own waffle station for too long. Dining halls are fun the first few weeks of school. However, soon the satisfaction diminishes. Eating the same thing every day, served in the same environment, gets tiresome.
5. Sometimes, a box of pizza, is the only solution for satisfying hunger.
You’ve been hunched over a textbook at your desk studying for hours, and all the sudden a stomach grumble makes your hunger known. You are no where near done, so you won’t be walking to the dining hall anytime soon. It’s time to order a large pizza and keep working. Sometimes you’re too busy to get food from anywhere else and that’s okay. Pizza is an instant mood-booster, even during the most stressful times.
From Home to Dorm
Once you leave the comfort of your parents and don’t receive home cooking on a daily basis, you begin to adapt and learn what’s best for you. Eating in bed, dining hall mishaps and plenty of Cinnamon Toast Crunch all help make the college experience unforgettable.