Although NIU offers a number of meal plans for students, most use the least expensive plan.

Meal plans for students living in residence halls offer a certain amount of money per week to use in the dining halls. The Gold meal plan offers $60 per week, the Platinum meal plan offers $90 per week and the Titanium meal plan offers $110 per week, according to the Housing and Dining website. There is also a Lite meal plan that offers $45 per week for residents with busier schedules.

Michael Stang, director of Housing and Dining, said that the Gold plan is by far the most popular.

“I would say it’s the predominant meal plan,” Stang said. “Most students who have a higher plan switch to the gold at some point in the semester.”

About 73 percent of students with meal plans have the Gold, 22 percent have the Platinum plan and two percent have the Titanium. Almost two percent have the Lite plan.

Some students say the Gold meal plan is enough to feed them.

“It’s both cost-effective and effective for me because I am more of a snacker,” said senior nursing major Loretta Slowik, who lives in Neptune Hall and is on the Gold plan.

Slowik finds she has enough money to eat on the weekend as well.

“I’ll factor in how much I eat,” Slowik said. “If I end up going home I can stock up on Fridays or Thursdays.”

Slowik will usually eat at the dining hall once a day, she said.

“I’m a vegetarian so if I don’t see a lot of vegetarian options I am interested in eating, I’ll skip that day,” Slowik said.

Having a larger meal plan would be wasteful as she already has an adequate amount to eat, Slowik said.

Adam McNeil, freshman math education major, also finds his Gold meal plan adequate. His parents chose the meal plan for him and there was no reason to complain, McNeil said. However, he said he sometimes skips breakfast.

“I usually skip over breakfast and hit up Neptune North or Central for lunch and dinner altogether,” McNeil said.

Trevel Nicholson, freshman business administration major, lives in Neptune Hall and uses the Platinum plan. Nicholson said that he’s found having a bigger meal plan is not all that necessary for him.

“I feel like I’m not going to use all that. I think it would be a waste of money to get a Titanium,” Nicholson said. “Mostly I don’t eat at the dining room every day.”

The Platinum meal plan is enough for three meals if desired, Nicholson said. However, he said attending classes in the morning takes priority over breakfast.

On the weekends, Nicholson uses his Huskie Bucks account to go out with friends to eat instead of using his meal plan.