When I first came to college, I was surprised at how underwhelming the dining hall was. I was excited about the experience of interacting with other students while discovering different types of food. I realized almost every dining hall has a pizza section, some sort of fried food, a frozen yogurt machine, and a salad bar. So for the remainder of my freshman year, I've decided to make the dining hall more enjoyable.

1. Make your own grilled cheese

If you have a sandwich bar in your college's dining hall, take advantage of it. Order a sandwich and put all the cheeses on it to make the ultimate grilled cheese. Maybe pair the sandwich with chips or a side salad. It always feels nice to feel like a kid again.

2. Combine the desserts with the fro-yo

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I promise you this: nothing will taste better than dipping your brownie in chocolate frozen yogurt. Forget all the other toppings, the best ones are at the dessert bar. To make up for the fact it isn't actually ice cream, it helps to have chocolate chips or some sort of cake mixed in.

3. Take food to-go

You might as well get the most out of your money, take one of those to-go coffee cups and fill it with anything. Some people will fill it with cereal or nuts or even omelets. As college students, we know the struggle of preserving and acquiring any food we have because who knows the next time our dad will add money to our account for groceries.

4. Make friends with the workers

They are stuck there all day serving people so you might as well make it fun for them too. It takes no effort to be kind and ask how they are. I always enjoy sparking quick conversation with the women who scan my card.

5. People watch

The dining hall would definitely be the watering hole of college. This is the perfect place to see most of the students among you, and it's especially fun to boy watch. Get a group together, grab a table and enjoy seeing the different kinds of people on your campus.

Here are a few quick things you can do at your college's dining hall to make it a better experience. Luckily, all freshman are bound to a first-year meal plan and the suffering will soon be over, let's make it fun!