It's not your mother's cooking, but despite some drawbacks, the cafeteria does have some things going for it.

1. I don't have to cook.

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Throughout my freshman year at college, I have enjoyed being able to eat two to three meals a day without having to go through the hassle of actually preparing and cooking the food. Going to the caf is an easy, time-saving way for me to eat. I don't have to go buy groceries; I don't have to spend time cooking the food; I don't have to be stuck eating leftovers for weeks if I happened to make too much food.

2. No dishes to clean.

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I am probably not as grateful as I should be for two whole semesters of not having to wash my dishes after I eat. All I have to do is leave my tray on the conveyor by the kitchen, and that takes care of it.

3. I can eat pizza every day.

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Hot pizza. Every day. Cheese, pepperoni, sausage, vegetable. I discovered that eating pizza for two meals a day every day was probably not the most health-conscious decision I could have made, but I could still eat pizza every day if I chose to do so.

4. The opportunity for socializing.

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Three times a day I have the opportunity to meet new people and build friendships with those I know over a meal in the caf. The caf is a great place to catch up with people, hear how their day went, and make plans to go play volleyball or stop by Sonic afterwards.

To the future freshmen out there, let me leave you with one piece of advice: go to the caf on Patriot Preview days; just trust me.