A couple of years ago, I wrote a post on navigating Oberlin’s dining halls. They have changed a bit in the time since, and this year is particularly different for me because I’m on a reduced meal plan and living in village housing. I worked with the Office of Disability and Access (ODA) to make this happen when the dining hall I relied on most was combined with another south-campus dining hall. My unique nutritional needs had always made eating on the meal plan somewhat difficult, and without that dining hall I knew it would be much harder to get the nutrition I needed. The wonderful folks at ODA made sure I had access to a kitchen and set up a reduced meal plan for me. Living in village housing and being functionally off of the meal plan have made for a very different, but equally positive, college experience this year.
I’m living in Firelands now, which is the college-owned apartment building behind Slow Train and Kim’s. Overall, it might be my favorite place I’ve lived in college. The apartment is far more spacious than I was expecting, and I’ve had a lot of fun filling it with decor and hosting events. It’s especially good for Mabel, who now has more room than ever to frolic and play. Firelands also feels much more private than my past dorms. For my first time in Oberlin housing, I don’t have to hear every single thing my neighbor is up to, and I’m glad of it.
Firelands’ major downside is its location- it’s not near any other dorms or class buildings, and you have to allot at least fifteen minutes of walking time to get most places on campus. I think I’ve used my bike more this year than my first three years combined. Still, I would argue that the distance is more than made up for by the convenience of having your own kitchen and bathroom. It’s exponentially better than the communal situation in the dorms. We all know I adore Baldwin Cottage, but that kitchen was a mess.
My current kitchen, however, is lovely. There’s definitely been a learning curve in figuring out how to work with the limited space and getting used to meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking for myself. I was very overwhelmed at first by how much time and energy it took to get my meals together for the week and cook each day. It took a few weeks before I really settled into my routine, which starts with meal planning and grocery shopping each Sunday after work. At the start of the semester, I would make a detailed meal plan with each day’s lunch and dinner; but eventually I figured out my basic grocery list and favorite rotating meals.
For dinners, one of my go-to’s is oven-roasted vegetables, some form of protein, and cous cous or rice. I’ll rotate between brussel sprouts, snap peas, carrots and potatoes, and zucchini. For lunch I often do paninis, salads, or air-fryer meals. Aldi has a lot of quick and easy options which I’ve come to rely on, especially during the busier weeks. Now that I’ve gotten the hang of it, I love dining on my own. It gives me freedom and control over my nutrition, and it’s also been invaluable preparation for life after college. Beyond that, it’s had a deeply positive impact on my relationship with food. Until I started cooking for myself, I never truly understood the extent to which it can be a meaningful act of self-care. As I mentioned, it’s a very different college experience, but one I’m very grateful for. I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone, but it’s absolutely been the right choice for me.
