It does roll over, right?

It was back in September, only three months ago, when I signed up for the Columbia dining plan. I had just moved into the neighborhood. Surprised by the cost of food, I thought to myself, “Why would I not have every meal on campus?” I did not foresee my own failure in self-control.

Contrary to many others, I have yet gotten tired of the food options at Columbia’s various dining locations. At the beginning of the semester, I found safety in JJ’s calmer atmosphere while I was still intimidated by all the strangers on campus. A month or so into the term, I moved upstairs to John Jay for lunch and dinner, as I began to find more and more friends to share a table with. And Hewitt at Barnard was there for me, and a few who were left behind, when everyone else had gone back to celebrate with their families. I appreciate the quality and variety of food offered at the University’s various dining locations, and above all, it is very convenient to eat on campus.

So what has stopped me from using more of my swipes? Why do I still have 99 swipes left on my account? Shamefully, I have to admit it is partially due to laziness, and partially just me being bad at math when I signed up. As the weather got colder and harsher, I started using food delivery services at night instead of taking the 10 minute walk to a dining hall. And I won’t deny that there’s something to be said about my decision to sign up for such a huge plan, when I really only get two meals every day over the semester, often excluding weekends.

I have found a way to put a good spin on the situation, though! It has been my go-to small talk topic for the past couple of weeks: “Do you want to go to John Jay later? Let me swipe you in—I have, like, a hundred swipes left and I’m not even sure if they’ll roll-over!” Somehow, having an excuse makes asking people to hang out a lot easier. So maybe my poor financial decision have turned out to be a genius move for my social life.

Illustration via Author