One aspect of the U.S. culture is the reliance on meal plans at college. It is very common for a college student to have some kind of meal plan while on campus. The college I attend in America offers an unlimited swipe plan, a 15-swipe plan, a 10-swipe plan, or a 5-swipe plan if the student desires to have one. Students who live in dorms without kitchens do not have to worry about their next meal, they can go to the dining hall and choose from an array of choices. At Rollins, you have choices of different hot meals and proteins along with the option of making your own salad or sandwich, there is also a dessert bar. The dining hall is open 3 times a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While some student opt to cook or go out for meals, the meal plans at Rollins make planning meals easy and affordable. The meal plans at Rollins also include something called dining dollars which can be used at on campus restaurants and the convenient store. The store has some prepared meals such as sushi, salads, and frozen meals. The convenient store also has common groceries such as milk, fruit, juices, cereals, and a plentiful of snacks. For someone who does not have a car, getting some essentials from the convenience store is easy and very beneficial. Fortunately for the past two years studying at Rollins, I have had access to a kitchen and a meal plan. I take advantage of this opportunity. I do go out and buy some groceries for cooking, but I do love having the option to walk to the dining hall and have my food ready for me to eat in minutes. The meal plans are very convenient for busy college students like myself. I have recently learned that the meal plans at University of Newcastle are slightly different, there is only a 5-swipe or 7-swipe plan that is useable only for dinners and there are not a lot of choices when it comes to what you want to eat. I think someone from Australia would think the U.S. meal plans are much more extensive and convenient. They would no longer feel limited to dinner only meals and would not feel pressured to go out to eat and spend money or buy groceries and try to figure out how to make their own proper meal. To prepare for attending college in Australia, I am learning how to cook more meals for myself with my family. Each week I learn how to cook something new so I am prepared to make meals when I am alone in a new country. Since eating out in Australia is very common, I am learning about the differences between what we call food and what food is common to eat in Australia. This will help me prepare to embrace the new culture and develop my budgeting skills. I will not be participating in the small meal plan that is offered at the University, but I plan on investigating the types of food served so I can learn about and adapt to common cuisines.
