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Prof. Himmelheber · 07-23-2005, 06:44 PM

The dorm space are limited, true. But most of our students who are not freshmen (because they now KNOW other students well enough to choose them as roommates) opt for the plethora of local apartments. Within 2 miles, I can count at LEAST 25 apartment complexes, and countless "private home rentals," "garage loft apartments," "roommates to share" homes and apartments, and separate "mother-in-law homes" (on the back part of a property) to rent. Also, remember that dorms REQUIRE that you move out at the end of the semester, meaning your son or daughter will be madly packing and cleaning when they should be STUDYING FOR FINALS!, and they MUST be out by the specified date, no options. Whereas private housing, such as off-campus rentals, don't put people out on the street even when they desire to stay on through the non-school month(s) - the student has the choice as to the time/place for all moves.

As to a meal plan, true - there is none available (though the food services is working on developing one, per their meeting minutes). However, each dorm apartment has a kitchen that is equipped with a stove, refrigerator, microwave and dishwasher, so students may prepare their own food. There is a large supermarket about 3/4 mile away from campus, and a Dollar Store, Big Lots, Savon and Target, all within 3/4 mile, too (so students can get pretty much anything they need in the way of sustenance).

And if students don't want to/know how to/have time to cook, there is a food court in the Student Union, with salads, soups, burgers, mexican food, chinese food, donuts, muffins, scones, coffee, and juice bar available. Also in the Student Union is a pizza parlor (next to the pub and bowling alley), a nice italian cafeteria-style restaurant, and a movie theatre. Pretty nice complex, the Student Union. There are also a Healthy Choice (in Langsdorf Hall), two Starbucks, one (family owned) coffee vendor, various food carts, and a Carl's Jr. on the East side of the campus.

Then, within one mile, there are sandwich shops, a dozen fast food restaurants, Coco's, Sizzler, a pub, thai, chinese, and japanese food, korean bbq restaurants, and too many others to name here. Within two miles are a FABULOUS rib place (Texas Lucy's), a Red Lobster, a Bobby McGees, a microbrewery, Islands, and the Brea mall - which includes a food court. And within three miles there is the ritzy downtown Brea - a little pricey for my kid, but some students with more affluence LOVE to shop and dine there. Suffice it to say, CSUF students aren't at a lack for food sources.

And the expense of the food as opposed to a meal plan? Well, for one, the money my son is saving on tuition here (as opposed to UCI, UCLA or USC) is well spent on mocha lattes, healthy salads, meals and junk-food snacks.

And a reminder that the meal plans at most schools OFTEN do not include weekend meals (the most I have found is 19 meals per week, and that means only brunch and dinner, or breafast and lunch, on the weekends), and menus are offered during specific hours (meaning a late riser will miss breakfast, and a late afternoon/early evening class means no dinner before rehearsal). Most plans offer 14 meals per week - three meals a day (during only M-Th), and two meals on Friday, and nothing on the weekends.

At USC (2003-04 prices listed - not updated on their webpage!), most dorms, including ALL freshman residence halls and apartments, have REQUIRED meal plans (meaning, you HAVE to buy it, whether you want/need it or not!). If you don't select a meal plan when required, a default plan specified on your contract will be assigned and charged (so no way out of this one). For residents, the cheapest is The Cardinal Plan - $1941.00/school year, not summer months (and this plan is available to only selected residence halls)! This plan has TIME RESTRICTIONS (meaning, you get meals only during certain hours, but they don't publicize this well) and a WEEKLY RESET (meaning, if you don't use it you lose it at the end of the week). For your $1941/year, you get only 10 meals per week in either EVK or Parkside Restaurant (the latter serves only breakfast and lunch), $510 Dining Dollars that may be used in anytime in EVK, Parkside Restaurant and most retail dining venues (but if not used by end of year, they expire-no refunds), and one guest meal per month. You can "upgrade," exchanging your $510 Dining Dollars for an extra 10 meals a week (for 20 meals a week), but can be used only at EVK and Parkside Restaurant. If you are in the Parkside Suites Hall, the plan just mentioned will cost you $2067.00/year - the same meal plan offered, but more money (why is that?!?)... And if you want to upgrade (that is, if you don't live in two specific dorms), for only $2492/year, you can eat wherever you want, whenever you want. And the FRESHMAN PLAN is a discounted, declining balance, plan that resets at the end of each semester - $345 (not specified whether by the year, semester, or month, but I believe it is by the year - like a credit card purchased in advance for discounted meals; you'll have to follow up on this by calling Residence Life at USC, as I'm not sure and the website is very hazy on this plan). Their website estimates that undergraduates living on campus or off-campus in an apt. (not with parents/relatives) will pay $11,008/year for room and board for two semesters in 2005-2006.

Then, at UCI, room and board (for either dorms or on-campus apts.) is estimated to be $8,768/year (not counting summers). I would give you more specifics on required residence, costs, etc., but I can’t get through to their housing website right now: http://www.housing.uci.edu/index.asp. Approximately 30% of their students live on-campus (qualifying them as a commuter campus). Each residence hall has a small kitchen shared among ALL the hall residents, but no private kitchens in rooms (for health or dietary conscious kids, or those who just want a little midnight snack). Students who live in the residence halls participate in REQUIRED meal plans (like USC, you are required to participate in a meal plan, whether you want to or not). Meals are served cafeteria-style three times daily on weekdays (brunch and dinner on weekends). The halls close during the winter recess, and although they remain open during the Thanksgiving holiday and the spring recess, no meals are served. RATES: All rates are per school year (late September through mid-June). Meal plan rates: 19/week = 2,148/school year; 14/week = 2,160/school year; and 10/week = 1,920/school year. Students can also purchase an addition 50 meals per semester for $290; these meals will roll-over to the next semester, but expire in summer months (so they won’t carry over to next school year). Housing rates for the 2004-05 academic year were $9,772-$10,021 for a single room, $8,512-$8,764 for a double room, and $7,441-$7,693 for a triple room. (Rates vary by the meal plan selected.) Charges are paid in quarterly payments. RATES FOR 2005-06 WILL BE INCREASED. Finally, the apartments on campus are reserved for only graduate students, or undergraduates who are married and/or have children. There are privately owned apartments available on campus, from $575 to $905/month, based on how many share the room: http://www.vistadelcampo.com.

At UCLA, room and board are a package deal, so again, no option of severing meals from on-campus housing. Housing rates have quite a range, depending on how many students share one room (either two or three in all but the most expensive, which is a five-room suite, each room housing only one person). Likewise, he meal plan choices range from 11/per, their most basic plan, for students not on campus during weekends and for those who eat only two meals a day (meals don’t carry over to the next week); and up to 19/week, their most flexible plan, allowing for any missed meals during the week to be accumulated and used at any time during the quarter for additional meals or to treat family and friends to a meal (however, the accumulation starts over with each quarter). The package price ranges from $8,719/school year (3 in a room, and 11 meals/week plan) to $14,049/school year (private room in 5 room suite, and 19 meals/week plan).

At CSUF, our residence prices our certainly comparable (perhaps even less the other local three in comparison): for the 2004-2005 academic year (likely increased this year) are $4,356 double occupancy and $5,813 single occupancy. Note: NO TRIPLE OR QUADRUPLE occupancy here. Fees do include a bed in a furnished, air-conditioned suite (includes a private kitchen); gas, electricity, water and Internet access.

Transportation to follow...

07-23-2005, 06:44 PM	#27
Prof. Himmelheber Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Threads: 7 Posts: 439	In defense of CSU Fullerton housing and meal plan (or lack thereof) The dorm space are limited, true. But most of our students who are not freshmen (because they now KNOW other students well enough to choose them as roommates) opt for the plethora of local apartments. Within 2 miles, I can count at LEAST 25 apartment complexes, and countless "private home rentals," "garage loft apartments," "roommates to share" homes and apartments, and separate "mother-in-law homes" (on the back part of a property) to rent. Also, remember that dorms REQUIRE that you move out at the end of the semester, meaning your son or daughter will be madly packing and cleaning when they should be STUDYING FOR FINALS!, and they MUST be out by the specified date, no options. Whereas private housing, such as off-campus rentals, don't put people out on the street even when they desire to stay on through the non-school month(s) - the student has the choice as to the time/place for all moves. As to a meal plan, true - there is none available (though the food services is working on developing one, per their meeting minutes). However, each dorm apartment has a kitchen that is equipped with a stove, refrigerator, microwave and dishwasher, so students may prepare their own food. There is a large supermarket about 3/4 mile away from campus, and a Dollar Store, Big Lots, Savon and Target, all within 3/4 mile, too (so students can get pretty much anything they need in the way of sustenance). And if students don't want to/know how to/have time to cook, there is a food court in the Student Union, with salads, soups, burgers, mexican food, chinese food, donuts, muffins, scones, coffee, and juice bar available. Also in the Student Union is a pizza parlor (next to the pub and bowling alley), a nice italian cafeteria-style restaurant, and a movie theatre. Pretty nice complex, the Student Union. There are also a Healthy Choice (in Langsdorf Hall), two Starbucks, one (family owned) coffee vendor, various food carts, and a Carl's Jr. on the East side of the campus. Then, within one mile, there are sandwich shops, a dozen fast food restaurants, Coco's, Sizzler, a pub, thai, chinese, and japanese food, korean bbq restaurants, and too many others to name here. Within two miles are a FABULOUS rib place (Texas Lucy's), a Red Lobster, a Bobby McGees, a microbrewery, Islands, and the Brea mall - which includes a food court. And within three miles there is the ritzy downtown Brea - a little pricey for my kid, but some students with more affluence LOVE to shop and dine there. Suffice it to say, CSUF students aren't at a lack for food sources. And the expense of the food as opposed to a meal plan? Well, for one, the money my son is saving on tuition here (as opposed to UCI, UCLA or USC) is well spent on mocha lattes, healthy salads, meals and junk-food snacks. And a reminder that the meal plans at most schools OFTEN do not include weekend meals (the most I have found is 19 meals per week, and that means only brunch and dinner, or breafast and lunch, on the weekends), and menus are offered during specific hours (meaning a late riser will miss breakfast, and a late afternoon/early evening class means no dinner before rehearsal). Most plans offer 14 meals per week - three meals a day (during only M-Th), and two meals on Friday, and nothing on the weekends. At USC (2003-04 prices listed - not updated on their webpage!), most dorms, including ALL freshman residence halls and apartments, have REQUIRED meal plans (meaning, you HAVE to buy it, whether you want/need it or not!). If you don't select a meal plan when required, a default plan specified on your contract will be assigned and charged (so no way out of this one). For residents, the cheapest is The Cardinal Plan - $1941.00/school year, not summer months (and this plan is available to only selected residence halls)! This plan has TIME RESTRICTIONS (meaning, you get meals only during certain hours, but they don't publicize this well) and a WEEKLY RESET (meaning, if you don't use it you lose it at the end of the week). For your $1941/year, you get only 10 meals per week in either EVK or Parkside Restaurant (the latter serves only breakfast and lunch), $510 Dining Dollars that may be used in anytime in EVK, Parkside Restaurant and most retail dining venues (but if not used by end of year, they expire-no refunds), and one guest meal per month. You can "upgrade," exchanging your $510 Dining Dollars for an extra 10 meals a week (for 20 meals a week), but can be used only at EVK and Parkside Restaurant. If you are in the Parkside Suites Hall, the plan just mentioned will cost you $2067.00/year - the same meal plan offered, but more money (why is that?!?)... And if you want to upgrade (that is, if you don't live in two specific dorms), for only $2492/year, you can eat wherever you want, whenever you want. And the FRESHMAN PLAN is a discounted, declining balance, plan that resets at the end of each semester - $345 (not specified whether by the year, semester, or month, but I believe it is by the year - like a credit card purchased in advance for discounted meals; you'll have to follow up on this by calling Residence Life at USC, as I'm not sure and the website is very hazy on this plan). Their website estimates that undergraduates living on campus or off-campus in an apt. (not with parents/relatives) will pay $11,008/year for room and board for two semesters in 2005-2006. Then, at UCI, room and board (for either dorms or on-campus apts.) is estimated to be $8,768/year (not counting summers). I would give you more specifics on required residence, costs, etc., but I can’t get through to their housing website right now: http://www.housing.uci.edu/index.asp. Approximately 30% of their students live on-campus (qualifying them as a commuter campus). Each residence hall has a small kitchen shared among ALL the hall residents, but no private kitchens in rooms (for health or dietary conscious kids, or those who just want a little midnight snack). Students who live in the residence halls participate in REQUIRED meal plans (like USC, you are required to participate in a meal plan, whether you want to or not). Meals are served cafeteria-style three times daily on weekdays (brunch and dinner on weekends). The halls close during the winter recess, and although they remain open during the Thanksgiving holiday and the spring recess, no meals are served. RATES: All rates are per school year (late September through mid-June). Meal plan rates: 19/week = 2,148/school year; 14/week = 2,160/school year; and 10/week = 1,920/school year. Students can also purchase an addition 50 meals per semester for $290; these meals will roll-over to the next semester, but expire in summer months (so they won’t carry over to next school year). Housing rates for the 2004-05 academic year were $9,772-$10,021 for a single room, $8,512-$8,764 for a double room, and $7,441-$7,693 for a triple room. (Rates vary by the meal plan selected.) Charges are paid in quarterly payments. RATES FOR 2005-06 WILL BE INCREASED. Finally, the apartments on campus are reserved for only graduate students, or undergraduates who are married and/or have children. There are privately owned apartments available on campus, from $575 to $905/month, based on how many share the room: http://www.vistadelcampo.com. At UCLA, room and board are a package deal, so again, no option of severing meals from on-campus housing. Housing rates have quite a range, depending on how many students share one room (either two or three in all but the most expensive, which is a five-room suite, each room housing only one person). Likewise, he meal plan choices range from 11/per, their most basic plan, for students not on campus during weekends and for those who eat only two meals a day (meals don’t carry over to the next week); and up to 19/week, their most flexible plan, allowing for any missed meals during the week to be accumulated and used at any time during the quarter for additional meals or to treat family and friends to a meal (however, the accumulation starts over with each quarter). The package price ranges from $8,719/school year (3 in a room, and 11 meals/week plan) to $14,049/school year (private room in 5 room suite, and 19 meals/week plan). At CSUF, our residence prices our certainly comparable (perhaps even less the other local three in comparison): for the 2004-2005 academic year (likely increased this year) are $4,356 double occupancy and $5,813 single occupancy. Note: NO TRIPLE OR QUADRUPLE occupancy here. Fees do include a bed in a furnished, air-conditioned suite (includes a private kitchen); gas, electricity, water and Internet access. Transportation to follow...