I'm going to have a meal plan because cooking is not my forte haha. It's better to have a meal plan than having to cook for yourself. But i think it depends on the person if they have some culinary skills to improve on while studying.

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McMaster Life Science 2012

Saving on the hassle of cooking can be really handy! But that also depends on your palate! Sometimes meal plans can be frustrating, depending on which school and what type of meal plan you get. Most are just a certain amount of money put onto a card and you can get whatever food you want from the cafeteria, however, sometimes cafeteria food can really suck. lol For me, I skipped on getting a meal plan and it worked out. Perhaps you should find out more details on what type of food your cafeteria will be serving and what their hours of operation are Good luck!

Having a residence meal plan is good, fast, you have meals prepared for you and never have to worry about making something or cleaning up any pots, pans and dishes.

Having to cook for yourself, is an amazing experience. You learn a lot! trust me, I live in a townhouse style residence and its a good experience because I have learned to become more independant, and it gives me practice for when I'm older and have a house of my own.

Personally I'll be choosing a meal plan, at least for the first year. Besides, I don't really cook either, on top of the fact that it'll most likely save me alot of time rather than being stressed about trying to learn how to cook during the first year, and putting my health at risk and stuff. Depends on the person though.

Well, in traditional, it will be hard to cook your own food since you won't be allowed microwaves, toasters, etc... (they are fire hazards). You also won't have a stove or a big fridge (those mini-fridges don't really hold too much).

I would say get a meal plan because it's just more convenient. You might be overwhelmed by all the stuff you will be doing: homework, going to class (it's still a 25-hr school week), extracurriculars (ie. intramural, committees, etc.), hanging out with your friends... Also, it's kind of hard to cook for just one person unless you are planning to do it for all your suitemates as well. You will end up with leftovers and you'll be sharing a fridge with 4 people so there might not be enough room to store all that. Most people in suite-style end up eating in their dining hall and on the weekends (when it's closed), they'll microwave like TV dinner or soup or something.

may be a stupid question, but are the meal plan's offered healthy? compared to say cooking an equivalent dish by yourself?

Judging by experience checking out cafeterians in many different schools, I would suggest cooking for yourself. Meals in cafeterias are overpriced, and sadly the healthiest things are the most expensive. Cooking for yourself doesn't have to be an inconvenience, if you just think ahead a little (examples: cook an extra-large pot of rice and put it away in portions for the week, have quick foods on hand at all times, budget your grocery trips, etc). Your body and your wallet will thank you for being responsible.

if you have the money eating in the cafeteria is very convenient, but you save quite a bit of money if you take care of your own meals, it's something of a touch and go with most people. no time = cafeteria food

First of all I cannot cook at all, lol, I am like the worst cook ever! so I think I will only cook simple meals when I am at home and have time and eat out the rest of the time.

Many times the residence office can let you switch meal plans--depending on whether you need extra meals, etc you might get money back. I found that cooking my own food was better because it wasnt the same food choices everyday. Although it really depends on how busy you are. In the long run its actually cheaper living off-campus.