Eating in a university residence

During university, we get to know a lot of new dynamics that we probably had not experienced in other cycles of education. Among these dynamics are the student residences and all their internal rules. These obviously include a number of conditions regarding food. That is why, in view of the fact that many people have not experienced these types of conditions first hand, we will set out below a series of tips for when eating in a university residence.

Take the opportunity to socialise

The first thing is to open yourself up to new friendships. And yes, we know that making friends is not such a simple thing, but in the vast majority of cases, when you find yourself in a controlled and equal environment such as a student residence, friendships arise naturally among all those who live in these rooms.

It is therefore recommended that you take advantage of the first moments in dining halls and living rooms to socialise with those who will probably be your classmates for the duration of your studies. About 4 years of intimate living together.

So make sure you make friends, although we know that it is a complex thing to make good friends with other people. Very often, being friendly can have great and fruitful results for your student life.

Mobility

Now, when it comes to mobility, let’s be clear about a few things.

Each residence sets its own rules. So you can’t break the rules set by the landlord without consequence. To ensure that there will be a peaceful and harmonious coexistence between all those who have started living in the residence.

Do not take any conditions to heart, and if they restrict your mobility or the places where you are allowed to eating in a university residence, you should start to get used to the idea that you will not be able to deal with this kind of situation by evading the landlord’s prohibitions.

Take your time and start getting used to it, that’s our advice. In most residences there are clear rules about where and when to eat.

Timetables

Also, in line with the above, you may come across a landlord who sets clear meal times.

And although in most places it is standard that breakfast is eaten in any area between 7 and 10 am, lunch is prepared around 12 or 1 pm, and finally dinner is allowed to be eaten late in the evening.

But beware, it is not a simple matter, as it is always necessary to make sure that no rules are violated regarding eating hours. So there is no room for those «unlikely» small meals that we eat in the middle of the night.

Price

Let’s talk about the most important part for almost any university student, the price.

At any university nationwide, you can get different prices for food. Ranging from heavily discounted on the final price, to a fixed price that is well below average.

But how much do halls of residence charge for food, and how much does it really cost to eat at these places?

It varies too much to standardise a price, but it could be anywhere between €50 to €200 per week for each resident’s meal. In any case, you can easily differentiate between the offers of private residences and those made available by the state.

Menu

Finally, what are the menus that are available as a result of being a student and living in the same building?

This tends to be quite variable, because it depends on each university residence and the food policy you have contracted to be part of your group of residents.

For example, in SABI Residencias Universitarias, the menu of the day is published on their website so that you can find out what you will eat each day of the week.

They do not have a policy of adjusting what you want to eat on a given day if you have the meal plan included in your monthly rent. However, you can pay extra if they have prepared something special and they have a restaurant service for those who do not live in the same residence.