The Hunger Games.

11:00am marks lunch time for me. With an hour to munch away, there are many options to consider when eating as a commuter student, here are a few I've experienced.

1. Kicking it Old School (Lunchbox Style)
2. Cafeteria
3. Starvation

Some more efficient then others, but time being the enemy, I can only choose one of three options.

Kicking it Old School (Lunchbox Style)

At first, being enthusiastic as I approached the commuting lifestyle, every night before bed I would prepare a nutritious, healthy, fully packed, lunchbox. Usually consisting of a turkey or chicken sandwich on wheat bread, granola bar, apple, juice box, some dried fruit, a Capri-Sun for hydration, and a Snickers for dessert. Preparing your own lunch, you can choose to eat healthy, and avoid the weight gain that all college students are exposed too. It is convenient to wake up, shower, get dressed, grab my lunchbox and head-out. Then come lunch time, you can find a decent place to sit down and munch, without worrying about figuring out where you can find some grub.However, preparation is a pain in the you know what. Even though it takes less then 5 minutes to prepare, some days I just don't find the energy in myself to commit. Though, I strongly recommend preparing your own lunch, it saves time during the day, and is far less expensive then eating out.  So, that leads me to my next point, improvise.

Cafeteria!

Preparing a lunch for each day, is not very practical for less motivated students, every now and then I find myself waiting in line at the campus cafe. Though it is an even more of a hassle to walk across campus, wait in line, pay cash, and then by the time you receive your food, 20 minutes has passed. However, ordering from the campus cafe, I have noticed that it is much more filling (and delicious) , then anything I can prepare myself. On the other hand, it is VERY expensive, spending $7 a day on a meal is much more then the $3 I spend per meal when shopping myself. Every now and then, it is a nice little treat, but only once in awhile. There is one more option, but it isn't very joyful.

Starvation.

I do not recommend this, but sometimes you have to resort to simply not eating until you get back home. Whether it is because you forgot to grab your lunch and have no money, or you don't have the time, eating nothing for a day is inevitable. It has happened to me numerous times, due to feeling of exhaustion, I try to avoid this at all possible cost.

Overall, when it comes to college dining, you have to be conscious of how you operate. Make sure to have a few dollar bills for the cafe, in the case you forget lunch. But, if possible be sure to bring you own grub, it will save time and money!