Better Than FREE Food

Since the dawn of my undergraduate career, I have loved FREE food. I attended programs and events all over campus, in part to get exposure to the campus climate and to satisfy my hunger. If I learned about an event, which had the phrase 'Free Food' on the Facebook event page or flyer, I was there unless I was tied to prior obligations.

Eating at the dining commons for breakfast, lunch and dinner was not the move. Especially when you come from a family that eats out almost every day of the week. There was variety in my previous life. My brother and I got to choose where we would like the eat and what we would like off the menu without question.

Freshman year, things changed. Lunch options included burgers and fries, mangolian BBQ, pizza with various toppings (some seemingly experimental) and your occasional amazing meal. Back then, upperclassmen told me I would miss the dining commons, affectionately referring to the facility as the DC. Those upperclassmen could not have been more correct. The following year, living off campus and lacking the ability to cook an equally healthy and delicious dish, led me to yearn for a meal plan at the DC.

Luckily, I have had a few freshman friends who have swiped me into the DC, allowing me to eat to my heart's content without pay. You know how other people's food is supposed to taste better because you are not paying for it? That's how it felt. The convenience and absence of cost made that bowl of Mongolian BBQ more appealing.

What I learned freshman year reigned true in my 2nd and 3rd year as an undergrad as well. FREE food is the move. Due to my involvement in various capacities on campus, I've grown accustomed getting free food at events.

In a sense, it has gotten old because there are only so many places that cater for events in my college town.

I've found a new love. We did have relations before but due to my lack of time, we ended what I would classify as a beautiful love affair. Books! FREE books, at that!! Yes, you read it right!!

While visiting my minor advisor, I noticed a desk full of FREE books.

*sings commercial jingle* F-R-E-E, that spells free... CreditReport.com, baby! I just could not help myself.

I was tempted to stuff all the interesting looking ones into my purse. And I'm positive it would have been possible without a hint of embarrassment. It's summer so the halls were free of professors and students. I would not have received any confused glances or looks of disapproval. Unfortunately though, I didn't have much space in my bag so I had to take what I could. They have been added them to my ever growing library (not pictured here) and most recent purchases at the late Borders, all of which I plan to read by November.

It may be quite a feat with two jobs on the horizon, school work, working out my fitness, conference planning, dance team and trying to keep up a social life. Let's hope I can get some free food to accompany my reading of free books because I may not even have time to cook.

For now, I will not cast doubt on my goal. Time management is key And I believe to master your craft, you must study what others in that field have done before you. I want to write. I want to edit. Articles, books, short stories, poems. In fact, I am going to do it all.

Let's get to work. But before then, I want to know what y'all are reading. Any recommendations for what I should add to my library next?