The start of college is right around the corner and many of you might be envisioning your student’s diet as burgers and pizzas and fries, oh my? Sure, we have been making meals for our kids for as long as we can remember. Before you get ready to go on a cooking frenzy, packaging and labeling items to send with them, stop. Because we assure you, college food choices have changed since many of us went to college. Today’s college campuses, in addition to offering burgers, pizza and fries, offer many healthy alternatives as well as meal plan options.

Freshman The Easy Way

For an incoming freshman who is living in the on-campus residence halls, meal plans are a requirement. My daughter lived on campus so she did sign up for the meal plan. It was a great way to meet other freshmen and learn to make healthy choices. She also had a declining balance card that gave her other meal options. With their meal plans, they can get flex bucks, which is money that they can use for on-campus restaurants. The best meal plan for on-campus residents varies per student. If they plan on eating a lot at the dining hall, there is a plan with 19 swipes per week. It does not include flex bucks and students must eat each meal in the Atlantic Dining hall. If they plan on eating outside of the dining hall for most meals, there is a plan for 7 swipes per week and 550 flex bucks. They also have a couple of meal plans between the two. Here is the link for the meal plans at FAU.

There are various meal plans available that give your student meals in the Atlantic Dining hall or Flex Bucks. Flex Bucks work like a debit account, they are loaded onto your students Owl ID card, your student can then swipe their ID card at any of the dining locations across campus other than the main Atlantic dining hall. Each Meal Plan comes with a varying amount of Flex Bucks. Flex Bucks must be used in the semester the meal plan is purchased.

The meal plans are purchased on a one-semester basis and cannot be transferred to another students. Meal plans swipes and flex bucks expire at the end of each semester.

If your student is an upperclassman or a commuter student, Owl Bucks are a great option. Owl Bucks work like a debit card, it is a declining balance, and is tied to your student’s Owl ID card. This is perhaps the most flexible account for dining as you may deposit funds at any time, it is accepted at various places around campus, there is no minimum balance to maintain and the balance carries forward until you graduate or leave school. Owl Bucks can be used at any of these on-campus locations: Starbucks, the Atlantic dining hall, FAU pharmacy, Campus Bookstore, Outtakes Convenience store, Chick-Fil-a, Dunkin’s Donuts, Pollo Tropical, Subway,Pop-up Food Truck, and all restaurants in the Breezeway Café (Pizza Hut, Einstein Bagels, Wendy’s, and Jow jing. Coming soon.. Panda Express and Maoz Vegetarian). Commuter students can also choose to purchase a meal plan that may be used in the Atlantic Dining Hall cafeteria. Check out their specials here. The least expensive plan is 30 meals (swipes) for $247.27 (that is about $8.24 per swipe). The larger the meal plan you purchase, the lower the per swipe cost is.

Before you buy gift cards to individual restaurants on campus, be aware that they do not accept them on campus.

The choice you make should entail a conversation between you and your student. We would recommend you familiarize yourself with how each program works.  Go to FAU dining services to learn more and make certain you read the contract terms and conditions.

More Options

If your student is adamantly opposed to signing up for a meal plan, they can head to any of the grocery stores by bus or car to purchase the food they need/want (see our blog on grocery stores) or choose amongst the many, many restaurants around town.

If cooking on their own works best for your student, rest assured most dorms have room for a small refrigerator and some do allow for microwaves (under 1500 watts). Many of the dorms also have a communal kitchen- but you will have to bring your own pots and pans.

If the meal plan or cooking for themselves is not working for them, while maybe not the healthiest option, students today can get almost any type of meal delivered directly to their dorms. Check out our Delivery blog to see all the companies that deliver food.

If your student happens to keep kosher, Hillel and Chabad do not offer a Kosher meal plan but there are a few restaurants in town that are Kosher (as well several kosher markets including Grove Kosher Market, Aroma Market, and Winn Dixie). The kosher restaurants are:

Mozart Cafe: located 7300 W Camino Real, Boca Raton FL. This restaurant offers small bites and kosher breakfast food with outside seating that is great for students who want to grab a bite to eat and study at the same time.

Boca Grill: located 8903 Glades road G9, Boca Raton FL. Super close to campus especially since it is located on Glades. It has great reviews for the food and the service.

Chill & Grill Pita: located 7158 N Beracasa Way, Boca Raton, FL 33433. This place is great because it’s almost like a chipotle for kosher food. It is not expensive and the service is great as well. It’s a good place for quick kosher food on the go.

Ditmas Kitchen & Sushi: 21077 Powerline Road, Boca Raton, FL 33433 Talk about a wide variety! This restaurant is sure to be a crowd pleaser, their menu has something for everyone.

Pita ‘N Go: located 22767 SR 7, Boca Raton, FL 33428. This place has a similar vibe as chill and grill pita, it’s quick kosher food on the go. This place has great reviews talking about the quality of the meat and the quickness of the service. On the flip side, some say their prices are a little high.

A Different Type of University Meal Plan

There is a whole new type of meal service that is becoming popular with students who can’t cook, don’t want to cook, don’t want to buy groceries and are looking for an easier, and healthier meal plan.  Known as the meal kit industry, the premise is that they deliver pre-portioned, packaged meals delivered weekly right to your student’s door. Make sure you check out our blog on A College Student’s Guide to Meal Kits. Our interns tested out Blue Apron, Plated, Chef’d (Spoon University) and Hello Fresh.

Of course, you can always send them some of your home-cooked meals!

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Apps, The Easiest Way.

Remember when you were in college and everything was easily accessible via apps on your phone? No? Well, me either. Our kids, however, do live in this world and there are literally apps that provide things like food delivery, tutoring services, how to create a budget or the perfect bibliography. Below is a list of the apps I thought most useful.

FAU and College Studying Apps

• MyFAU gives students access to FAU resources, including campus maps, Web courses, FAU Email, the library, news, sports schedules, class schedules, emergency information, and more.
• FAU Guardian: because the first thing on my list is always my child’s safety.  With FAU Guardian, students can report a problem silently via text. It sort of empowers students to prevent assaults before they get out of hand. View crime around the FAU Campus, trigger Mobile Blue Light to send your location and call FAU PD, a toolbox that contains a flashlight, a safety timer, and the ability to send your location. The app also allows students to enter their own medical information and emergency contacts, in case of an emergency.
• Audible: College can be very busy and many students don’t have time to sit down and read a book for pleasure. Audible allows students to listen to audiobooks on the go. It has entertainment, information, and educational programming. Students can join Audible for a discounted price of $9.95 a month when they verify their student status. They will get three titles every month as well as audio-guided workouts and the opportunity to exchange an audiobook for free.
• CamScanner – as its name implies, this allows you to scan docs and save it as .jpeg or PDF. Great if you need to email or fax an important document.
• Canvas – Just like the website, students can instantly access their Canvas courses for free without having to lug around a laptop to keep up with your homework. You can see your grades, submit assignments, send and receive messages, view content, and modules, watch videos, take quizzes, and more.
• Chegg – Highly recommended. Oftentimes you can rent a book for more than half the price that a bookstore is renting it out. Students can rent, buy, and sell their books. They also offer assistance with completing homework and gives access to tutors, at a cost.
• Coursicle – Need to get into a class? Coursicle will notify you as soon as it has an open seat. $4.99 for premium per semester or free if you refer three friends.
• EasyBib by Chegg – With EasyBib Plus, students can use the plagiarism checker to find missing citations, and fix them before submitting their paper. Also, easily catch writing style and grammar errors with easy-to-understand explanations on how to improve their writing for next time. No matter what citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago etc.), EasyBib Plus will help create the right bibliography. Right now, students get a 3-day free trial of the product.
• Evernote – is a free app that takes note-taking to the next level. Students can brainstorm ideas, make to-do lists, take pictures of pages and sketches, organize everything into a notebook format, and share with others or collaborate as a group. The app even has the ability to search handwritten content; so finding your past notes is easy.
• Fandango Now – Another streaming service offering movie rentals
• Google Drive – Allows students to collaborate with other students as well as share documents, slides, sheets, and other files for class-wide projects and group study sessions. This is interchangeable with Microsoft’s OneDrive app.
• GroupMe – At some point in their college career they will have to participate in a group project, which means the fate of their grade, depends on working together. While GroupMe can’t force the group slacker, should there be one, to pull their fair share; it can facilitate easier communication. It works like a group chat, but, because you don’t have to meet up anywhere, everyone in the group saves time and money by making plans and discussing problems on their phones.
• Grammarly’s mobile keyboard is the personal editor you can take with you wherever you go. Best plagiarism checker & proofreader.
• iHomework 2 – If your student is really organized then skip this one, but I know a few that could definitely benefit from it. This free app can keep track of their assignments, deadlines, and tasks, and plan them out over a certain time period so they’re not left cramming at the last minute.
• iTunes U- if you use Apple devices, this app is a great study tool. iTunes U gives students access to text and course materials from universities across the world.
• LitCharts – is great for English majors. This free app helps understand literature. Find reviews, summaries, themes, and quotes for hundreds of titles without any in-app ads. Think of it as a portable Cliff Notes.
• Mathway – This app is great for college math. It guides students step-by-step to get the solution or check your work to see if it matches up to theirs. One of my daughter’s well-loved apps
• Offtime – This app costs $2.99 and is worth it if you’re looking to disconnect and avoid distractions in order to focus on homework, or studying. It blocks websites, apps, text messages, phone calls, and other notifications for a set period of time so you don’t get off-topic.
• OneDrive – A Microsoft app that allows students to get and share documents, photos, and other files from your Android device, computer (PC or Mac). It allows you to open and save files in Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote).
• Outlook – allows students to easily access their school email on their phone.
• PhotoMath- Another great app for college math courses. Students can take a picture of the equation and Photomath shows step-by-step directions to solve the equation.
• Quizlet – Quizlet is a free study app that allows the user to take other people’s quizzes or create their own. A user can create multiple-choice, matching, true/false, and open-ended questions and use these in various ways, such as flashcards and games. Students can share their “study sets” with others in their class and even encourage a professor to create one.
• RealCalc Scientific Calculator- Although I would never have used it, my son, economics, and business major, may find this one useful. RealCalc Scientific Calculator means students don’t have to lug around that fancy scientific calculator because this free app allows them to complete all of your computing right from your mobile device.
• Scholly – One of the fastest-growing apps after appearing on Shark Tank in 2015. This app matches students with scholarships using specific parameters and customized data. The app can even spot scams and weed out scholarships that require you to give your social security number (did we mention, don’t ever do this).
• Scribd- Scribd complies with all the important files and information to the topic a student may be searching for in one place. Students can create a library on the app and compile the notes, documents, and books that correspond to the topic of their research.
• Student Beans– Instant access to discounts, all you need your student ID.
• Wolfram/Alpha is actually a fancy search engine that can answer questions, perform computations, conduct analysis, and prepare reports. You can get help with complicated algebra and calculus equations or find chemistry, engineering, or physics formulas. This app is $2.99.

Restaurants & Entertainment Apps

• Fandango– A streaming service that offers movie rentals.
• EatStreet – online and mobile food ordering and delivery service provider
• GrubHub – Simply browse menus, pick what you want, and submit your order.  Local suggestions are great and most deliveries are around $3. They run specials if you sign up for their emails, so get that setup.
• Ibotta – is another cash back app that is simple and convenient for students. By taking a photo of your receipts and they will match items you bought to offers that are available for points on the app and give you cashback.
• Insomnia Cookies – As though being able to order and have cookies delivered until 3 am is not enough; they can also earn loyalty points when they order through the app (even if they plan to pick the cookies up). The only glitch may be that sometimes they may be short a driver, so be sure to check first if delivery is what you were hoping for.
• Instacart – For faster shopping and easier checkout, get the app and have groceries, etc. delivered from most of the same places as Shipt, but also includes CVS and Whole Foods.
• Pocket Points – I love this one. It literally incentivizes students to keep their phones out of sight during class. They just open the app, lock their phone, and earn points for the time it is off. Later they can trade the points for discounts at certain restaurants
• Postmates – Another great food-related app like UberEATS. This allows students to deliver food and goods similar to Ubereats. Postmates also has the option for students to have items such as groceries delivered from places such as Winn-Dixie and CVS.
• Shipt – Get 2 weeks free and $15 off your first order on deliveries from stores like Publix, Costco, Target, and ABC Fine Wines & Spirits. Let their shoppers do what your student doesn’t have time to.
• UConnection – A food and drink app with exclusive deals, daily specials and more from restaurants and bars
• Yelp – Always students to find the best places to eat, drink, shop, and have fun. You can also read reviews that other people have written as well as write your own review.
• Zupp (formerly Party Tutor – Allows students to explore local specials and deals for nearby restaurants, apartments, bars, and local businesses. My daughter is a big fan of this one. You can enjoy exclusive rewards at everyone’s favorite bars and restaurants; it’s just $4.99/mo. Download it on your mobile device.
• GoPuff – A convenience store delivery app. Delivery is $1.95. Order anytime; delivery is very fast.
• DoorDash – This is the same concept as UberEats.  They have an easy app that guides you through your order.  They have also launched Project Dash. This initiative helps tackle food waste and hunger in the local communities that they serve.
• Groupon: This is a great app that provides discounts for various things in the area for students to do when they are not studying or going to class. Some examples of what you can find on the app include, escape rooms, shows, fitness classes, and even nightclubs for older students.
• Many restaurants have their own rewards programs so if students go to those restaurants, they can save money. These include Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Panera, Blaze Pizza, Chipotle, Smoothie King, and Chick Fil A.
• For music, many students recommend Spotify and Pandora.

Money, Finances & Getting Around

• Venmo – I am mentioning this because I think it is so easy to use, but your students probably have it already. My kids are the ones that introduced me to it. Venmo allows students to pay each other back for anything their friends may have paid for them; their share of the electric bill, half the groceries, half the Uber ride…and so on. It is also a great app for parents to use to send their students money while they are away at college.
• Uber app (and an account) is a must. Uber allows your students to request rides easily and quickly from their phones.
• Mint – Mint is a budgeting app that helps students keep track of their finances, as well as help them understand where they can make some budget cuts of their own.
• Unidays- Unidays allows for students to easily find out which of their favorite brands or stores offers student discounts.
• Come to think of it, your students should also have the Uber app (and an account) so they never get stuck walking home late at night alone. If they prefer, they can also use Lyft which works the same way as Uber…
• Student Beans will give them discounts for food & drink, fashion, tech and mobile, health & beauty, travel, study, and more.
• Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates) – If you like to online shop, but hate spending money then you may get hooked to this app. I use it more on my desktop, but you can make an account to get cashback on so many online stores! I simply look up any store and it will give me a notification if I get cash back and how much I may get back. I personally have received almost $1000 back over the last few years! It is also accepted with Amazon so if students purchase any textbooks or school supplies on Amazon then this app is highly recommended. And when you need coffee, download Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks to pay for your purchase and earn rewards.
• Lyft works the same way as Uber.

Health, Wellness & Fitness Apps

• Calm – a great source to learn to meditate, techniques for sleep, and stress reduction. (There is presently a Groupon for a discount on this app.)
• Headspace – For students who want to improve their mental health, not just maintain it, the Headspace app is the perfect place to start. They offer a ten-day trial. If nothing else, the app is a daily reminder that for ten minutes a day, we all should calm down, breathe, dislocate from any stresses and surroundings, and try to focus on how we feeling on a deeper level.
• MyFitnessPal – tracks diet and exercise to determine optimal caloric intake and nutrients for the users’ goals. Calorie charts, nutrition facts, exercise, and more.  Sponsored by UnderArmour.
• Sworkit – Personalized video workouts that are easy for students to do in their dorm. Also have the ability to choose from pre-built workouts for specific types of exercise such as strength training, yoga, and Pilates. Students can keep track of their progress as they go.
• Wholesome –  Students can find ratings for healthy recipes to make on their own depending on their living situation. They can also obtain personalized nutrition information which helps identify personal nutrition gaps and make suggestions for the best foods to eat. Perfect for students who want to make sure they are staying healthy and eating the right foods while away at college.

These apps are useful and fun too…

• Duolingo – Great app for language-learning.
• ParkByApp – An app that allows you to upload a debit or credit card and pay for metered parking. It also allows you to extend your parking time from your phone without having to revisit the meter. This app is applicable in College Town metered parking and additional metered parking on campus.
• Wag – A Dog-Walking app. Think “Uber” but for Dog services. Affordable and the walkers are all thoroughly vetted. Upon signing up, Wag will send you a free lockbox for your key to leaving for walkers. Wag offers dog-walking, dog-sitting, and dog boarding.
• Rover – This dog sitting service is great when you have class and need someone to walk your fur baby. They also hire dog walkers.
• Target – The Target (Cartwheel) app has saved me so much money. I do not need to buy anything through the app, I simply click “cartwheel offers” and it shows me every coupon that is currently available. I can save as many coupons as I want and when I am ready to go to the store and buy my products, I show them the app barcode and it takes all the coupons at once.
• It’s a wonder we ever made it through school without some of these. There are even more; fitness apps, language translators, and so on, but at the risk of overwhelming you (scroll back to Headspace if I have); I tried to keep my list to only my favorites.

The post The Best Apps for Students appeared first on HaveUHeard.com.

Much like the national campaign No Kid Hungry®, there are many students at colleges throughout the United States that are barely getting by, some putting their nourishment behind paying for college and all of the expenses that go along with college; tuition, books, rent, utilities, to name a few. The USDA average monthly cost of food for a college-age student for a moderate-cost food plan, following the recommended Food plans, is $223.55.

According to Education Data, in 2018:

• Nearly 25% of high school students considered middle class indicated they were not planning to attend college because of the expense
• In 2018, an average of 45% of students experienced frequent food insecurity
• Over 50% of students from 2-year institutions and 44% of 4-year students worried about running out of food
• Nearly 50% of students could not afford balanced meals

Many students who are struggling just to keep up with the cost of college even while working and getting loans, often feel uncomfortable saying anything about struggling to maintain a balanced diet. As a college student who relied on school loans, I would often make light of this, kidding around and saying my meals consisted of ramen noodles. But knowing the importance a healthy diet plays on one’s health, sleep patterns, stress, capacity to think and be strong mentally and physically, it is not a joking manner. And students should not have to make a choice between buying textbooks and buying groceries. Fortunately, many campuses today recognize this problem and have addressed it by having Food Pantries. At most universities, it is referred to as food insecurity; basically, referring to students not having access to nutritious groceries on a regular basis.

At FAU, they have the Beyond Food Program. The Program offers non-perishable food. Students(and faculty and staff) may refer another student by using their FAU Net ID and password to log in to the Owl Central website and then they may complete the referral form. That student will be contacted within 2 business days to schedule a time to meet with a team member from Beyond Food. Students in need of emergency food assistance may visit University Village Apartments (UVA) and speak with a front desk staff member. A single one-day emergency supply will be available with information on nearby Boca Helping Hands.

If you know of a student that needs this resource, you should absolutely share this information. They are very discreet about respecting the privacy of those that are in need, whether temporarily or long-term. They will typically receive a three-day food assistance pack which they can get one time per month. Students also have the option to go to Boca Helping Hands, located two miles from FAU’s Boca Raton Campus. The Boca Helping Hands (BHH) hot lunch program is offered Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and family dinner on Thursdays, 4:30 – 6 p.m. They do need to register and it is closed all Sundays, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.

And, if you are more fortunate than others, the Beyond Food Program accepts donations, both monetary and food.

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You Remember, Those Things With 2 Covers And A Bunch Of Pages.

A lot has changed since my daughter was a student at FAU but the one thing that has not is that textbooks are expensive. Sure the format is different, but the cost for books and supplies is soaring. From January 2006 to July 2016, the Consumer Price Index for college textbooks increased by 88%. But students today have many different options than we did including rentals. Textbooks can cost as much as a few hundred dollars each. Some students may appreciate being able to mark up and highlight a textbook, while others may be satisfied with an online edition. Sometimes new books are required, because of an online code that comes with the book. And, believe it or not, for some classes, my daughters were able to either not purchase the book at all or just purchase the online version.

HaveUHeard that many colleges are now encouraging professors to utilize Open Educational Resources which are teaching and learning materials that students may use freely and reuse at no cost.  FAU also collaborates with Follett Bookstores and several national publishers to offer Follett’s ACCESS program which delivers all course materials, both print and digital to students at a substantial discount on or before the first day of class. Follett’s ACCESS Program allows students to opt-in to receive their discounted course materials. With a few easy steps, students gain instant access to their textbooks and save up to 40% off the national retail price. Make certain your student checks the resources out first before purchasing books.

When buying books, your student must consider whether they want an actual textbook or a digital version (which is often available). If they prefer a book, then I suggest buying used or renting whenever possible. My daughter often asked her sorority sisters first. Students would much rather sell their books to a friend then back to the bookstore; they make more money back that way. You may want to mention to your students that as they meet people and look for the low-down on classes before registering for each semester, they should take note of who already took the class. Asking someone to save a book (fancy calculator,  i-clicker, etc.) for them can guarantee a used book when they need it later. Students can also buy or sell their textbooks through the Facebook group called FAU Textbook Exchange.  Also on Facebook, there are FAU groups for each graduating class and students try to sell books, access codes, and iClickers. Another place to look for textbooks would be eBay.

The most obvious place to buy or rent books is the campus bookstore. Students can order books online and pick them up at the bookstore on campus. Students can also rent textbooks from the FAU bookstore.  They can also be returned there at the end of the semester.  The FAU bookstore will price match textbooks from Amazon, bn.com, and other local bookstores. There are some restrictions.

Many FAU students buy and sell textbooks at the local bookstore, Booksmart. Booksmart is located behind FAU’s Boca Raton campus, off of 20th street. Booksmart sells both new and used textbooks, as well as some materials you may need for specific classes (lab coats, Iclickers, etc) Booksmart also sells  FAU apparel, usually for a cheaper price than the on-campus bookstore. Booksmart is nice because you just tell them what classes you are in and then they grab the books for you and they let you know your options (buying old, new, or renting).

Another option for buying, selling, or renting books is BarnesandNoble.com,  or U-Loop. Then there is Prime Student Amazon; of which I am a huge fan. Students can use their FAU email to get six months of Amazon Prime for free (free shipping) and then for only $50 a year. And, yes, Amazon rents too. Chegg is offering savings up to 90% on textbooks. Rent or buy and get 7-day instant access to the e-book or savings up to $500 on textbook rental or purchase.

I personally think renting is the least expensive way to go. Students can save as much as 80% by renting a textbook for the semester. There have been a proliferation of other online and smartphone apps for buying and selling college textbooks including Slugbooks, TextbookRush, Booksmart, Bookbyte, and Packback.

So while textbook prices are soaring, so too are the options for buying, renting, and selling. Now some of you may encourage your students to be proactive and order their textbooks early, but hang on. I have heard too many times that books arrive and then on the first day of class, the professor announces they have changed books, wants the newest edition or that they really don’t need a book at all. Be sure they can return any books purchased ahead of time should this happen or wait to order it until they confirm what they need.

Let the studying begin!

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