Eating on campus is, by far, one of the biggest concerns that incoming freshmen have when starting in the fall. Many new incoming TCNJ freshmen have heard the terms “swipe” “Eick” “meal equiv” and many others that can be very confusing at first! Not to worry, because this guide is here to explain everything and hopefully answer any questions you may have! Keep reading for an ultimate guide to eating on the TCNJ Campus!
TCNJ offers on-campus students 4 choices of dining plans. Here is the chart that is provided on TCNJ’s dining website:
Let’s start off with some basics…
“Swipes” refer to using your student ID in order to spend your points (more on that coming soon) and to gain access into Eickhoff Hall. Each time you enter Eick, one of the workers will swipe your student ID, which will allow you to then enjoy your meal!
Let’s think of points just as we would money. When you have a meal plan, you automatically gain points onto your student ID. (See above chart to determine how many points you will have depending on your meal plan.) One point is the equivalent of one dollar. So, let’s say I have the Carte Blanche Plus plan for the fall semester; I would then have 673 points (or dollars) to spend at any of the many dining areas around campus for the semester. It’s super easy to keep track of your points as well because each time you use your points, you get a receipt that tells you your remaining balance! Piece of cake!
Meal Equiv is going to be your new best friend, hands down! Meal Equiv allows for students to buy food at certain dining areas between the time of 11am and 1:30pm for the amount of $7.50. If you end up spending over that amount of money, your points get used to cover the rest! However, once you use Meal Equiv for the day, you are not allowed into Eickoff Hall until the time of Meal Equiv is over; and once you swipe into Eickhoff Hall during Meal Equiv hours, you cannot use your Meal Equiv for that day. Meal Equiv may only be used from Monday through Friday.
TCNJ’s main dining area is called Eickhoff Hall (best known as “Eick”.) Here, students are given a multitude of different dining options including pasta, pizza, sushi, omelet bars, an Asian-inspired food station, a sandwich station, and a station dedicated to quesadillas and burritos! There is always something for everyone! With the Carte Blanche C plan, you are allowed unlimited swipes into Eick from 11am until closing. With every other plan, you are allowed unlimited swipes from opening until closing.
Calling all late-night snackers! T-Dubs is the dining area located at the bottom of Travers and Wolfe. It’s open from 12pm until 1am and serves a wide variety of food from salads and chicken fingers to yogurts and bags of chips! Unfortunately, T-Dubs does not accept meal equiv, however you can still use your points here!
If you’re a coffee lover, welcome to your new home away from home! The “lib café” serves Starbucks coffee, along with pastries, muffins, breakfast sandwiches and more! This is a dining area on campus where you can use meal equiv! You can also use your points at this super popular spot on campus!
Also known as the “stud” (located in the Student’s Center), this dining area accepts meal equiv! This area was just recently renovated and serves a lot of options including a salad bar, pizza, sushi, and more!
Our newest dining area on campus is a restaurant called Traditions! Located in the Student Center, this is a great place to grab lunch with your friends! Traditions serves plenty of options including sandwiches, wraps, and quite a few desserts! The best part is… Traditions accepts Meal Equiv!
These two locations are in two different spots on campus, however have a lot of similarities! The Education Café is located in the Education building, does not accept meal equiv, and serves coffee, pastries, and more! The Fresh Pride Café is located in the Student Center, also does not accept meal equiv, and serves coffee, smoothies, and snacks! These two spots on campus are a great place to grab a quick snack in between classes!
As you can see, TCNJ has plenty of places for dining on campus, whether you want to grab a quick snack or sit down and have a meal! There’s always something for everyone at The College of New Jersey!
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