Eating in the dining halls is not that bad

Hi everyone!

My name is Joanna Smith and I am also an upcoming Orientation Advisor for the summer of 2011. I am currently a sophomore Sociology major through the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, and after two years of living on campus, I can definitely share some great tips on dining.

First off, your location on campus usually dictates where you are going to eat. Because a lot of people have classes on the mall, the South Campus Diner is a hotspot during the week. Here, as mentioned before, Seasons 12 and the Jalapeno Grill are delicious places to grab lunch. But get there early, the lines get kind of lengthy because these stations are only open from 11am-2pm during the week. Personally, my favorite place to eat at the South Campus diner is the Around-The-World station that offers salads that are made to order. My favorite is romaine lettuce with strawberries, mangoes, chicken, and sesame dressing, but there are a lot more options to choose from.

Because I have lived on North Campus for my first two years at UMD, my go-to diner is The Diner (located in the Ellicott Community on North Campus). One of the great options about this dining hall is that there is a vegan station, Sprouts, that offers twenty-eight different choices for lunch and dinner. My favorite station to get food from at The Diner is the Grill because they make Quesadillas and Philly Cheese Steaks, yum! Whenever I am running low on dining points, I love getting a Vegetable Quesadilla  because they are inexpensive (about $4), super filling, and really tasty! And if you are on campus during the weekends, try the Breakfast Pizza at the Luigi's station at The Diner. It is scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and cheese on a slice of pizza; a perfect option for brunch! Lastly, if you don't have a dining plan, every dining option on campus accepts Terrapin Express (as well as credit cards and cash), so you will never be a hungry Terp!