As I enter my fourth year in university now, there are certain things that I've learned and am continuously reminded of every time I have a long day of classes. Especially how expensive food really is.
The majority of my week starts bright and early, so I am usually loitering around campus to try to finish my readings before my classes start. But as the day drags on and into late afternoon or sometimes into the evening, the real battle begins—finding some food to eat. From the start of the semester, most of my funds (and practically my entire savings) have been dumped into the last of my tuition payments. With small amounts of money trickling in from my work study and sudden onslaughts of unexpected expenses, I've been staring in to the abyss that is my wallet, occasionally finding enough money to afford something cheap to survive off of.
It would be cheaper to simply bring food from home. Being a local resident living in the same city as my university makes travel convenient. I don't mind packing whatever leftovers are left from last night's dinner or anything small to take with me on the go. It works when I need some sustenance to make it through the day. Then I remember that Stockton is blessed with a great food scene, ranging from all sorts of cultural dishes and restaurants, to an abundance of fast food restaurants for those looking for something quick. But alas, I can't always afford that.
It is times like those when I wish I knew somebody that had meal plan on campus. Most people don't use up all their credits by the end of semester. People tend to buy out all of the stuff from the on-campus grocery store to make the most out of their meal plan.
There have been plenty of times on campus when I would see someone carelessly throw away a half-eaten apple or barely-touched plate of food too. Each time I do, it always makes me internally cringe and mentally berate the person about how they're wasting perfectly good food. Food, that could go those who would be glad to finish the whole thing. People like me. I am usually totally okay with eating the leftovers—my friends and family can attest to that. But I won't touch it if you intentionally spat on it or messed with it in some way. I trust my body's immune system to an certain extent, but I still have some doubts when it comes to eating other people's food.
Please don't waste food, or at least get a take-out box so you can finish the food later.
Not all hope is lost however. There are events going on around campus that usually serve light refreshments or lunches to the people that happen to show up. Recently, there was the annual welcome back party in the Gender, Humanities, and Ethnic Studies (GHES) Center on campus and I managed to stash the leftover food in the fridge for future provisions. I suppose it's one of the perks of being the co-supervisor of the GHES Center. It also saves me the trouble of scavenging around for food while I await my next paycheck.
But I can't let my guard down. After all, hunger is the true enemy. Cup ramen will have to suffice for now.
