| Just as a start, I would say that our dining services system is a lot simpler in practice than it looks on paper (or on a website). You swipe your card, see your remaining balance, and eat.
The all-campus plans (levels 1-3) are usefull if you want to shrink your dining plan (aka the money you give to UMD) and eat primarily at the Diners, because the plans do get a good rate there. But, if you plan on using it at the shops and cafes, you lose buying power. Also, it's a complete rip-off at Stamp, and you can only use it there after 2pm. I would not recommend getting the larger plans, because you're better off using a debit card or cash (or Terrapin Express).
The resident dining plan is split into two types of points, dining points and terpbucks. You get about 1080 points, which is the equivalent of 1080 dollars at the two diners and Adele's. TerpBucks are used at the convenience stores and cafes.
Opting out of the focus dates is a popular option for sophomores. It means that you won't lose points if you haven't spent down to the limit every 3 weeks. However, you are capped at $40 a day for the last 2-3 weeks of the semester, and you will lose any points not used at the end of the semester.
I'd say that you can definitely get 2 meals a day with the standard meal plan, and sometimes 3 if your breakfast is small (I usually get a donut and a chocolate milk). You won't be able to pay for a full 3 meals a day just on points. If you use terpbucks to buy breakfast food--boxes of cereal, poptarts, etc. |