While first-year and sophomore Penn students are required to enroll in meal plans, upperclassmen have increased flexibility, as they can enroll in a meal plan or opt out of one. Many choose to find alternative ways to meet their dining needs, whether through cooking, grocery shopping, or eating out.
The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with six upperclassmen about whether they are on a dining plan, the rationale behind their decision, and how they prepare meals — the majority of whom said that Penn's dining plan options are not worth the money.
College junior Sareena Patel, a vegetarian, said that she is not on a dining plan — describing the plans as “not worth the money” and its included vegetarian options “slim.” Patel now goes grocery shopping weekly and cooks her own meals.
College junior Manav Parikh, who is also a vegetarian, cited similar concerns with Penn's vegetarian options to explain why he opted out. He said that he sometimes cooks meals, eats at restaurants, and eats frozen meals.
Parikh said that while busy schedule at the start of the semester led him to eat out more frequently, he plans to cook more as the semester progresses. While he typically makes quick meals such as eggs, pasta, and protein shakes, he said that he soon hopes to expand his repertoire to include Indian dishes.
Wharton junior Adrian Rafizadeh echoed Patel and Parikh's concerns about the quality of Penn's food compared to the cost of a dining plan.
“Without the meal plan my eating habits are a lot more irregular,” Rafizadeh said. “I’ve generally been getting food from the places near campus, but am trying to start making myself sandwiches.”
Engineering junior Richard Zhang also said that he found the meal plan to be overpriced.
“I could get food from nearby restaurants that I thought was better for a similar or cheaper price,” Zhang said. “I usually cook two dinners a week on my own and if there’s leftovers I’ll eat them for dinner the next day.”
College senior Lila DiMasi cited finances in her decision to opt out of the dining plan.
“There are certain foods [from the dining halls] that don’t make me feel well, and it was difficult to navigate that in the dining hall,” DiMasi said. “I make simple things and eat whole fruits and some pre-packaged things … [such as] pasta, oatmeal, salads, sandwiches, toast.”
DiMasi said that her favorite meal is a hoagie with myriad toppings, including mayo, prosciutto, provolone cheese, pepper, lettuce, tomato, and pickled sweet peppers.
Some students, such as Nursing junior Maajda Louaddi, decided to stay enrolled in Penn's dining plans out of convenience. College junior Yujin Chung also enrolled in the upperclassmen dining plan, citing the convenience of getting lunch between classes.
“I just felt like going from having mostly all my meals from Penn to having none at dining halls would be hard especially during finals and stuff where I wouldn’t have much time to meal prep,” Louaddi said, while adding that she plans to transition off the meal plan by senior year.
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