When I read about today’s college students and their gastronomical penchant, I couldn’t help but get nostalgic and hungry. From the Associated Press article:

“The culinary literacy of college students is increasing,” said Tom Post, president of campus dining for Sodexo, a food service and facilities management company that works with 600 campuses in North America. “Students today grew up watching celebrity chefs on TV, eating organic food, enjoying authentic world cuisine and valuing good nutrition.”

Food for Thought
There’s no debate about the existence of what’s commonly called brain food. Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins–they all help you think and help your brain stay in tip-top shape. Is it any wonder that there’s been a push to provide good food at college cafeterias?

I remember using fake names to order our grilled cheese sandwiches (I was Vladimir, and my friend was Whitney). I also remember missing class, clutching my stomach (and a trash can) because of a bad Polish Dog from the cafeteria. The joke was that the cafeteria kept you regular–whether you wanted to be or not. The food choices were beginning to evolve, but a trip to the cafeteria nearly always left one sedentary. There’s definitely such a thing as food that’s bad for the old noggin’.

When We Got Cookin’
It was because of this that we sought out the dorm’s cooking facilities. We weren’t allowed anything other than a teapot or coffee maker in our rooms (not even a hot plate), which limited illicit in-room cooking to ramen, or noodle tea (we were such clever little rule benders).

I remember late nights in the main study lounge (fortuitously, the kitchen was right off this lounge) switching off between doing physics homework on the chalk board, cooking, and eating. I still remember a friend of mine making fresh biscotti during finals week, though I couldn’t tell you what classes I was taking or what I learned that semester.

Online Education Loses This One
I’m a big supporter of the dorm experience. I made lifelong friends, had adventures, and generally grew quite a bit as a person in the dorms. Cooking in the dorms and the community involved gave me some of my fondest college memories. An online education saves you the cost of room and board, but it comes at the price of these experiences. Keep this in mind.