Whether it be a can of soup or a four-course gourmet meal, something can be said for staying in and having a home-cooked meal.
It is more relaxing, attire can be casual and most of the time the price is lower.
For college students however, cooking is not as practical in the dorm setting.
Space is a concern, not much air ventilation exists, fire hazards are abundant and that sometimes unpleasant after-cooking smell can linger.
This can be remedied in many ways. Aside from the community kitchens in dorms, miniature appliances and recipes are available that one may use in the room.
“All residence halls have at least one community kitchen, sometimes more,” said Renee Couch, assistant director of the Office of Housing and Residence Life.
“They are very convenient and there is rarely a problem with sharing them,” she said. “The students do a good job using them and they cook safely.”
Couch added that if cooking in the community kitchen is not appealing, dorm room cooking is acceptable, but open-eye hot plates are not allowed because of the fire hazard. Students are allowed to have a microwave, a toaster oven, a crock pot and a refrigerator.
Plenty of recipes that take advantage of the usefulness of these appliances can be utilized. In the grocery store, handy packets of things such as rice and chicken, broccoli and cheese and fettuccini alfredo are cheap, and the only ingredient is water.
“We have the whole nine yards,” said Amanda Greever, a resident of Lucille Clement Hall.
“We use the George Foreman Grill for hamburgers, chicken, and grilled cheese sandwiches, and have pots and pans for soups and things.”
Sandwiches are a staple food for struggling students and they are easy, quick and, depending on one’s taste, inexpensive.
Micah Holloway of Frank Clement Hall agrees that quick and easy is the way to go.
“The extent of my cooking involves warming things up in a microwave, ” Holloway said.
That seems to be the general consensus.
Holloway and others agree that time is a major issue with cooking.
The average student is not bursting with free time, so long recipes are not the answer.

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