Hi guys. If I end up going to UCSB, I'm surely going to need a meal plan, right? Could someone explain the options? Any recommendations? Thanks in advance!
Certainly, I'd be happy to break down the meal plan options at the University of California - Santa Barbara (UCSB).
UCSB has three meal plan options to consider, each offering a different number of meals per week. They are the "gaucho platinum" plan, the "gaucho gold" plan, and the "gaucho silver" plan. Let's look at each one briefly:
1. Gaucho Platinum: This plan allows up to 19 swipes per week during meal periods in the four all-you-care-to-eat dining commons. This is ideal if you plan on eating most of your meals on campus or if you're an athlete with a larger appetite.
2. Gaucho Gold: This plan allows up to 14 entries into the dining commons each week. It's suitable for students who might cook some meals on their own or have off-campus meal plans for the weekends.
3. Gaucho Silver: This meal plan includes up to 10 entries into the dining commons each week. It’s suitable for students who may eat a good number of their meals off-campus or cook a majority of their meals.
For all these plans, you have the option to use your swipes on guests as well.
Also, it's important to note that UCSB operates on a quarterly system, and meal plans are charged on a quarterly basis.
When deciding which plan is the best for you, think about your lifestyle and dietary habits. If you foresee yourself eating quite often in the dining halls, then the unlimited plan could be the way to go. If you plan to cook or eat out often, then one of the other plans may be more suitable.
Remember that you can always try out different plans, start with a lower plan, and upgrade if you find that you're running out of meals too quickly, or vice versa. Be aware, though, that modifications to meal plans are usually limited to the start of each quarter.
Each of the plans also comes with a certain number of meal credits that can be used for purchases at campus cafés and stores. Be sure to utilize those as well. The dining facilities are scattered across the campus, offering a variety of food options.
As a last piece of advice, try as much as possible to use up your meals each week, as they do not roll over to the next week.
I hope this helps you make an informed decision!
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