Eating in college?!

16

Is there any way in which a person can get out of eating in college, i.e. paying the kitchen charge.

Or, at the very least, not being obligated to eat there a certain number of days in the term? I am going to Peterhouse, and if you don't eat there something like every other day, you have to pay £3.50 for each meal you've missed.

I'm a bit weird with food, and I would much rather be left alone to manage my own eating than have to eat what they provide. I suppose I should contact them, but it's quite hard to explain.

Reply 1

CamSPSer

Become Jewish, a vegan or develop a set of major allergies. Apart from that no, colleges are very keen on people eating in and you will probably find kitchen facilities for your own cooking sparse

Reply 2

Ditting Suck

8

Or get elected to a prominent position inside the college and destroy it from the inside out :wink:

Reply 3

Mata

OP

16

Ditting Suck

Or get elected to a prominent position inside the college and destroy it from the inside out :wink:

I was kind of planning to do that anyway. :redface:

CamSPSer: I could declare myself a vegan, but I'd feel uncomfortable lying. Then again... I'd feel uncomfortable eating their food when I have no idea what the heck they've put in it. Plus, eating in front of people... ugh. I might send a polite email to the college and just vaguely say that I have 'issues' with their food system. See what they say.

It's generally quite harsh to force people into eating what they provide, and make it really hard for them to provide for themselves.

Reply 4

username61396

1

By the way, are you allowed to have a kettle in your room?

Reply 5

Ditting Suck

8

Mata

I was kind of planning to do that anyway. :redface:

CamSPSer: I could declare myself a vegan, but I'd feel uncomfortable lying. Then again... I'd feel uncomfortable eating their food when I have no idea what the heck they've put in it. Plus, eating in front of people... ugh. I might send a polite email to the college and just vaguely say that I have 'issues' with their food system. See what they say.

It's generally quite harsh to force people into eating what they provide, and make it really hard for them to provide for themselves.

I competely agree. I like to cook for myself quite a lot (especially since I'm vegetarian, and vegetarian options are often rubbish), and resent the KFC.

As it is, I'll probably eat in the Buttery often (if the food is passable), seeing as though I'm subsidising the meals being sold there anyway.

Reply 6

Ditting Suck

8

swntzu

By the way, are you allowed to have a kettle in your room?

Doubt it. Kettles draw a crazy-massive amount of electricity.

Reply 7

Alexander

12

Ditting Suck

Doubt it. Kettles draw a crazy-massive amount of electricity.

No more electricity than a kettle in the kitchen though. I don't see why you shouldn't be allowed, but best check with your college -- it'll be in the student handbook.

Mata: unless you have very specific dietary requirements along the lines of those that have been mentioned, you're unlikely to get get very far protesting to the college about not pre-paying. If they let everyone off who said they were a bit finicky about their food then no one would be paying, as the payment systems are often unpopular even with people who actually like college food! And what's wrong with eating in front of people anyway? It's probably something you're going to have to get used to at some point.

Reply 8

epitome

11

Doubt it. Kettles draw a crazy-massive amount of electricity.

But, crucially, only for a very short period of time. I don't know what guidelines are in other colleges, but at Newnham there's a wattage limit only for things that are running constantly (like fridges, etc). Kettles shouldn't cause any problem at all.

And anyway...you can't live without tea! It's a vital foodgroup!

Reply 9

username61396

1

epitome

But, crucially, only for a very short period of time. I don't know what guidelines are in other colleges, but at Newnham there's a wattage limit only for things that are running constantly (like fridges, etc). Kettles shouldn't cause any problem at all.

And anyway...you can't live without tea! It's a vital foodgroup!

Exactly! If they don't let me, I'll just say it's a part of my religious beliefs. :biggrin:

Reply 10

epitome

11

Tea. Tea. Tea. Tea. Tea. Tea. Tea.

It's the mantra that gets us through essays. :smile:

(Often accompanied by Cake. Cake. Cake. Cake. Cake...)

Reply 11

username61396

1

epitome

Tea. Tea. Tea. Tea. Tea. Tea. Tea.

It's the mantra that gets us through essays. :smile:

(Often accompanied by Cake. Cake. Cake. Cake. Cake...)

My sentiments exactly. :smile:

Reply 12

oldthrashbarg

7

Mata

It's generally quite harsh to force people into eating what they provide, and make it really hard for them to provide for themselves.

They don't make it difficult to cook for yourself on purpose, and I'm pretty sure you will have some cooking facilities. As for forcing people to eat what they provide at a set price, you might that apply that to any college facilities, eg. cleaning, heating, library, computers, etc. I don't think it's unreasonable of them to make arrangements to ensure the most important needs of the student population. I suppose that with regard to certain aspects of college life it is necessary either to adjust, or to accept that your preferences differ so markedly from those of the vast majority that putting the burden of this on other people would be unreasonable.

Reply 13

Ditting Suck

8

epitome

And anyway...you can't live without tea! It's a vital foodgroup!

Trufax.

Maybe I'll just ring round all the Johns freshers and get them to call the college and say they are vegans. KFC ABANDONMENT FTW!!!

Reply 14

Ditting Suck

8

oldthrashbarg

They don't make it difficult to cook for yourself on purpose

It happened by accident?

Or maybe, just maybe, they wanted to save money, which patently is 'on purpose'.

Reply 15

sassygirl

I really want to have a mini-fridge so I can store things like juice, milk and bread. Otherwise, how will I snack????

Reply 16

Ditting Suck

8

You want to store bread in a fridge? You heard it here first, kids...

Reply 17

sassygirl

It keeps for longer if you put it in a fridge! I have loads of strange domestic habits, it's courtesy of being Chinese. Seriously, my mum didn't realise there was difference between margarine and butter until a couple of years ago.

Reply 18

Ditting Suck

8

Heehee, sorry then. But bread in the fridge? Doesn't the texture go all funky? Doesn't it get all moist? You crazy girl!

Reply 19

sassygirl

It stays pretty much the same, just colder.

Eating in college?!

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