Before I came to college I used to cook for myself every night. I would prepare my lunches for school and make myself dinner. That only left breakfast which I would religiously eat yogurt and granola on the bus on the way to school. I figured when I came to college because I would be taking only 5 classes instead of 8 and not doing any sports, I would have time to cook even more for myself. I was wrong. Not only were the 5 classes way more work than any of my classes in high school, I realized financially supporting myself was harder in college.
I don’t like cooking in common area kitchens, I don’t know why but I like my privacy even when cooking so dorm cooking isn’t for me. The few times I cooked someone came up to me and asked me what I was making and how I was making it, it felt invasive for some reason. I am very social so it’s expected that I will see people I know when I leave my room in common areas, but I just wanted to make myself breakfast I wasn’t ready for social yet. I work at the Bon so I eat from the Bon once a day at least. At night I will eat something from Maggies or order food.
The Trail Room used to be where I would normally eat lunch getting a salad or sandwich and sometimes pizza. Now that I live in Holmes I cook for myself more often than I did freshman year because the kitchens are very nice in Holmes, but with my time schedule, it is easiest to eat things like salads, sandwiches, and rice. In my room, I have a tea kettle, rice cooker, and mini-fridge. I try to have everything that I need to eat my favorite meals in my room and I go shopping every week. It’s nice to have snacks like granola bars and fruit in my room because it’s easy to find myself hungry during times that the Bon is closed or serving something I don’t like.
One of the main differences this semester for me is that eating is something I do alone when I used to plan meals around when my friends could eat with me, it was a social event. Now that most of my friends have graduated, transferred, or moved off-campus so I eat alone. Now that there is seating inside of the Bon I’m hoping that eating will start to become a chance to socialize again. Even eating has changed because of COVID, it’s everything.