10 Campus Dining Hacks Every Freshman At Pace University (PLV) Needs To Know
If you go to Pace University Pleasantville Campus then you may have experienced the struggle of saving your meal plan as well as finding something decent to eat on campus. For those freshmen who have not yet experienced this struggle here are a few Pace Dining Hacks.
1. Don’t Eat Perk Every Night
Here is the first of the Pace dining hacks! You heard me First Year’s you should not indulge in one of Pace Perk’s world-famous milkshakes after EVERY intense night of studying for two reasons.
- If your intense night of studying ends before 1 AM it wasn’t really an intense night of studying.
- While the milkshakes are good they take a toll on the mean plan
As much as I love a nice Cookie Dough Milkshake from Perk they tend to be just a little pricey, sometimes it’s better to hold out on the sweets until you’ve at least passed that test. Once you have passed I recommend the Mozzarella sticks- you won’t regret it. This Pace Dining Hack may be the one that saves your meal plan.
2. Keep An Eye On That Meal Plan
It can be hard to save money in college and with a wealth of unhealthy options surrounding us, it is hard to resist buying everything in Kessel in one day. I advise you to watch your spending though, there comes a time in the semester when everyone wishes that they had so be sure to take any deal or promotions that Kessel and Perk offer and don’t buy the most expensive thing on the menu EVERY time. It is even acceptable to eat away from school sometimes, trust me a meal off-campus is nice every once and a while and worth just a little more money.
3. Split The Cost Of Snacks With A Roommate (Or Two)
If you can’t get a family member to send you a care package the next best thing is asking your roommates to split some snacks with you. Take the shuttle down to Key Foods or 7-11 (or better yet find a friend with a car to take you to Shop Rite)and create a list of snacks that everyone likes. Afterward, you can split the price in half- or three ways if you’re in a triple.
4. Utilize The Punch Cards In Kessel
If you pay close attention every station in Kessel has a small pile of punch cards next to where you order. If you buy up to a certain amount of items from that station and get that card punched every time you will get a free item from that station. While it is hard to keep up with a small card like this, a meal plan saving hack of this caliber can not be forgotten. Don’t underestimate how much you’ll wish you had that free meal later in the semester.
5. The Grilled Cheese Station Is Open 11 AM-4PM
This may be my favorite Pace dining hack. The grilled cheese station in Kessel is a favorite of many. Unfortunately, that station has been out of commission for the past few weeks to test some new food ideas for Kessel. I am happy to say that the grilled station is back! From 11am – 4pm Monday- Thursday the make-your-own-grilled-cheese station called Meltdown will return to campus this week (the 21st of October). Who knows if it will be around long so try it while you can!
6. @PACE_LEFTOVERS
One of the most convenient parts of Pace is the amazing free food offered at one of the many club events. While it is frowned upon to go to an event just for the food make this your opportunity to get to know the campus a little. There are so many interesting organizations on this campus, maybe if you stop in on an event for the food you will find where you belong.
7. Midnight Breakfast
Midnight Breakfast is the most famous Free Food night on this campus. Kessel and the Programming Board for Pace University Pleasantville partner to create a fun themed night of breakfast food. With Karaoke, bacon, and pastries this is an event that you can’t miss. Not only is it endless free food that you can eat all night, but you can take as much home as you want. Endless free breakfasts! Who wouldn’t want that! Don’t forget that if you bring canned goods to donate, you get to skip the line!
8. Pizza Zoo
While Midnight Breakfast is the most prestigious Free Food event at Pace, it is not the only one! Pizza Zoo is sponsored by the Programming Board at the end of every fall semester. With boxes of pizza towering over a crowd of students and wild dance party that ensues every semester Pizza Zoo could be considered a more relaxed version of Midnight Breakfast. Just as many students show up to Pizza Zoo, but there is no expectation to stay or participate in any karaoke. The main point of this entire event is just to eat as much pizza as physically possible (and also to take as much back to your room as possible). Isn’t it great how the school creates its own Pace Dining Hacks?
9. Buy A Reusable Water Bottle
This may be the most important Pace dining hack that there is. While you can find plastic water bottles almost anywhere on campus from the vending machines in the residence halls as well the Kessel Student Center, Pace Perk, Pace Mart, and the Miller kiosk continually buying these water bottles are not only bad for the environment but it’s bad for the meal plan. As much as you think refilling those plastic water bottles saves your money, nothing is as effective as buying a stainless steel water bottle. They are safer for your health, the environment, and your meal plan.
10. Toast Day
One of my all-time favorite Pace dining hacks is Toast Day. Toast Day is held twice a year (once every semester) in the Mortola Library. This event sponsored by the library that we all know and love is simply a table in the front on the first floor with piles and piles of toast and another table absolutely covered in condiments. This event has no other goal than to feed students during finals season and the kind librarians are just a plus. Soon enough we will be seeing signs around campus for the extra special day with dates and times. I highly recommend getting there early enough to get the Nutella spread!
