Hello Hoos and future Hoos! For the finale of Food Blog Week, I wanted to
explain the details of the First Year Meal Plan at UVa. As a first year, you are
required to have a meal plan, and you get one of two choices. The good news:
both first year plans are unlimited! No matter which plan you choose, you’ll
have unlimited access to all of the dining halls whenever they’re open. Of the
two options, you can choose the Ultimate Access Plan, or the All Access 7 plan.
The difference between the two plans are the amount of Plus Dollars and Meal
Exchanges the plans come with. So the question we’ll be answering today is:
what the heck are Plus Dollars and Meal Exchanges?
Meal Exchanges
Meal exchange is an awesome program where you can use your meal plan to
get a meal at a restaurant on Grounds instead of at the dining hall. To use meal
exchanges, you simply order your food and give the cashier your student ID, and
say that you’d like to pay with a meal exchange. There are plenty of options for
meal exchanges, including our on-Grounds Chik-Fil-A and Subway locations, as
well as locations operated by UVa Dining, like the popular West Range Cafe.
There are meal exchange locations all around Grounds, including in academic
buildings like New Cabell Hall (language classes), McLeod Hall (nursing), and
Rice Hall (engineering). Meal exchanges are convenient, quick, and a great way
to go out to eat on your meal plan.
Plus Dollars
Plus dollars are my favorite part of the meal plan! They can be used to order food
at any of the on-Grounds restaurants we have, including all of the meal exchange
locations, our Five Guys at Pavilion XI, and both on-Grounds Starbucks locations.
Plus dollars can also be used at UVa’s on-Grounds convenience stores, which can
be a great way to stock the mini fridge in your dorm room with snacks and frozen
meals. You can even use your plus dollars to order in from Papa Johns and Ming
Dynasty, so you don’t have to leave your room to use your meal plan! Plus dollars
are a great way to add some flexibility to your meal plan at UVa.
For more information on the specifics of meal plans, please visit the link at the end
of the post. But before we sign off on this blog, there’s one more thing to show you:
There are so many ways you can use your plus dollars, so here are a few of our favorites.
10. Get a snack
There are convenience stores across Grounds where you can use your plus dollars,
including one in Newcomb and one in Runk Dining Hall.
9. LUNCHABLES
Remember these bad boys?
YES. THe lunches that rocked your world in the third grade are BACK and they’re
part of your meal plan. Pick them up in one of the convenience stores and make the
dreams of the younger you come true.
8. Stock the Fridge
Fruits? Frozen meals? Milk? Juice? They’re all on the shelves at the stores where
you can spend those sweet sweet plus dollars. Stock the fridge with study snacks,
cookie dough for utilizing those dorm kitchens late at night, or cans of Snowing in
Space coffee for a caffeine boost.
7. Gym refuel
UVA’s Aquatic and Fitness Center, known as the AFC - via University Facilities.
With all the free access to gyms at UVa, first year is the time to get exercising. Or
alternatively, you can just stop by the AFC (Aquatic and Fitness Center, the gym
right in first year dorms), visit the LARGEST HOT TUB EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
and grab a smoothie on your plus dollars. If you drink a smoothie, you’ve basically
exercised and should reward yourself with one of their smoothies containing frozen
yogurt and chocolate.
6. Crossroads
“Croads” as we all call it down here in Hooville, is the huge convenience store in
O’Hill Dining Hall. There are THREE mini restaurants where you can use your meal
exchange, and a massive amount of ways to spend your plus dollars. There are cereals,
F’real milkshakes, boxes of macaroni and cheese (Kraft AND fancy organic), and
basically anything you could ever want or need, right in the middle of first year dorms.
5. Grab some Ben and Jerry’s
ICE CREAM. ON YOUR MEAL PLAN. AMAZING. NO OTHER WORDS
ARE NEEDED.
4. The Pav
Wahoo Nori in Pavilion XI - via The Cavalier Daily.
Pavilion XI, which we call the Pav, is UVa’s food court located in Newcomb. They
have a Chick-Fil-A, a Subway, a Five Guys, and Wahoo Nori (a sushi place operated
by UVa dining). You can use your plus dollars to get food, snacks, milkshakes, or
anything else in those places.
3. Food Trucks
Got Dumplings, Taco Nako, and other food trucks gather outside the McIntire
Amphitheater during the year for students to eat. They serve great food, they make it
quickly, and it’s a great way to go out to eat on your meal plan.
2. Order Papa Johns or Ming Dynasty
Ordering out on your meal plan? Amazing! Stay in the comfort of your dorm and call
one of these places. All you have to do is tell them you’re ordering with plus dollars,
then you can just wait in your room for deliciousness to arrive.
1.COFFEE BREAK
Opening of the Starbucks in UVa’s Newcomb Hall - via The Cavalier Daily.
More than anything, college students need sleep. And when they inevitably skip that
sleep to rewatch Westworld to check for plot holes, they need caffeine. UVa has tons
of places for coffee on Grounds, including Rising Roll in New Cabell, Einstein Bros
in the Bookstore, and TWO Starbucks locations (Nau and Newcomb Hall). You can
get all sorts of coffee drinks, and it’s amazing to be able to go to coffee without worrying
about your bank account.
I hope you all have enjoyed food blog week! For any questions about food in the
the blog for new topics soon!
Till next time,
Abby S.
Website for the UVa Meal Plan:
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