College and lunch

kezz

Hi, My seventeen year old son is starting college tomorrow and I wondered if any students could give me some advice.
I dont know whether to make him a lunch or get him to buy lunch in the canteen. How much does an average lunch cost at college?
He said he doesnt mind what he does (he is a very sensible 17 year old :A ).
Thanks
Kerry
(I apologize for duplicate posting, have put this thread on families etc before I noticed student threads)

victoriajayne1987

hey, well i used to go to the canteen for lunch and grab a salad box. a large one cost me £1.90 and includes a range of salad, cold pizza, sausages, noodles etc etc depending on the day. self service so easy to do, and in a sealed plastic container which made it easy to save some if i couldnt eat it all.

however, this year i have a work placement to do which is going to use all of my EMA allowance, so ive decided to take lunch with me. it'll be cheaper and i can eat it quickly and go to the library to do extra work over lunch, allowing me more free time in the evenings!

basically, it depends on your sons work load, financial situation and social life needs. i would suggest taking lunch for the first week, and sitting in the canteen to eat it, spotting whats on offer and prices. that way, he will know how much work to do, how much time he has, and what seems tastier!

hope this helps, msg if u want any more advice.

Victoria

:cheesy:

littlemissmay

erm..pardon for my bluntness, but shouldnt your son be making his own lunch by now? he's got to learn to be a little more independent now if he's at college...!

but anyways, i always suggest to take a packed lunch on the first day to anything; a new job, first day at school etc. as you just never know what will be on offer and also that way you can ensure that you will never go hungry!!

Smashing

I've always found the college canteen to be overpriced. Get him to bring a lunch the first few days (and at 17 he is more than capable of making his own) so he can see what facilities are available - some colleges provide a microwave for students to use (but often only for food purchased there).

Also depending on his timetable, the canteen can be very busy so it may not always be practical to have a meal you need to sit down inside to eat and I see little point of paying £2+ for a sandwich to 'eat on the run' when you could make one at home for a fraction of the price.

Definitely bring your own bottle of water etc. The drinks are often 90p+ for a 500ml bottle.

kezz

Thanks everyone for the advice.:) Taking a packed lunch sound like the best option.

I know he is capable of making his own lunch. However we work on a system of helping each other in our household. He does his share of helping out too so I dont mind making his lunch alongside everyone elses in the morning. Swings and roundabouts, if you know what I mean.

smaJ

hey,

i have just finished college, and never purchased a thing from the canteen.

its expensive and (form nabing a bit of other peoples) horrible.

i always thought the chips were just salty (normally cold) cardboard fingers.

oh and my mum made me lunch every day (because she loves me very much :rotfl: )

saves u a fortune - and u dont have to join the 20- minuite ques when over 1000 people want to eat at the same time

James

freebie_junkie

Smashing wrote:

I've always found the college canteen to be overpriced. Get him to bring a lunch the first few days (and at 17 he is more than capable of making his own)

or buy it himself from his earnings?

freebie_junkie

smaJ wrote:

oh and my mum made me lunch every day (because she loves me very much

bit TOO much

ekkygirl

kezz wrote:

Thanks everyone for the advice.:) Taking a packed lunch sound like the best option.

I know he is capable of making his own lunch. However we work on a system of helping each other in our household. He does his share of helping out too so I dont mind making his lunch alongside everyone elses in the morning. Swings and roundabouts, if you know what I mean.

Well said, he's your boy, you shouldnt have to justify yourself

mhoc

Mine has also started college and is still taking a packed lunch with him which I make for him. I also make his breakfast if he wants a cooked one and his dinner usually. I try to involve him in meal preperation when there is time and he can do a very good spag bol. I would rather know that he has eaten sensibly through most of the day rather than have him eating junk all the time to fill up. He is a big lad and really needs feeding every two hours much like a baby

Also I know he is going to cost me a fortune over the next few years so if I can save £15 to £20 each week by making his lunches that means I can give him the money he does need when the time comes.

I know his workload over the next few years will be huge so the least I can do is look after his meals and make his packed lunches.

Also I know that if I look after him, hopefully he will look after me when the time comes. Both my parents and parents-in-law suffered with their health and we have only my dad left. In the end it is your children that care for you.

Mary

freebie_junkie

mhoc wrote:

Mine has also started college and is still taking a packed lunch with him which I make for him. I also make his breakfast if he wants a cooked one and his dinner usually. I try to involve him in meal preperation when there is time and he can do a very good spag bol. I would rather know that he has eaten sensibly through most of the day rather than have him eating junk all the time to fill up. He is a big lad and really needs feeding every two hours much like a baby

Also I know he is going to cost me a fortune over the next few years so if I can save £15 to £20 each week by making his lunches that means I can give him the money he does need when the time comes.

I know his workload over the next few years will be huge so the least I can do is look after his meals and make his packed lunches.

Also I know that if I look after him, hopefully he will look after me when the time comes. Both my parents and parents-in-law suffered with their health and we have only my dad left. In the end it is your children that care for you.

Mary

his workload at college will be nowt compared with uni and then hell ahve to prepare 3 squares a day plus do housework etc. etc.