How The Ohio State University MEAL PLANS Work

[@katier3516]

I just got accepted into OSU yesterday, so this is really helpful as I begin to do figure out stuff super enthusiastically! :)

[@MyDriftingDesk]

YASSSSSSS Good job!!!! I can't wait to see you on campus!

[@graciefontaine4211]

What are your stats??

[@lovingyouforyou9965]

@@MyDriftingDesk Thank you Marissa You were awesome and a big help. I definitely will be in touch. I'm on Instagram too. in_flight2017 God bless

[@lovingyouforyou9965]

Hi katier are you still at The Ohio State?

[@pinakbhusanmohapatra8207]

I watched this video around 1.5 year back when I got accepted into OSU. As an international graduate student, I was so confused about these meal plans and food places that time. Now I am here again after 1 year at OSU watching this video and I can make sense almost everything now starting from places you mentioned, plans etc! As a graduate student, we are not forced to buy meal plans unlike 1st and 2nd year undergrads which is nice for us! I feel so nostalgic watching this video! one of the best ones. Great going Marissa!

[@MyDriftingDesk]

omg thank you so much!!!! I'm so glad this was helpful and even now, it still is! I hope you have a great year!

[@MichaelRockfez]

Marissa Nicole I’m a sophomore undergrad transfer student. I had to pay for a meal plan?

[@logansigler3806]

@@MichaelRockfez yup!

[@allisonotero1552]

Ill be attending in the fall and this helped me understand the dining plans better. Thank you.

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Yay! You’re so welcome! I’m glad it was helpful!

[@xainada]

Thank you for the awesome walkthrough Marissa! I think I FINALLY understood what each meal plan is like. One question though: if you're not enrolled in a meal plan, can't you go to traditions?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

+Sofi yay! I’m so glad it helped!! You can still eat anywhere on campus without a meal plan, you just have to pay real money for it

[@zeroh2o963]

Ok literally, this vid is simple and amazing!! I got in for microbio and premed for this fall at osu and this has been one of the best vids explaining this whole meal swipe thing. Helped me choose my meal plan with the housing contact this week. I Thank you for that. Look out for class of 2026’ 🎉

[@MyDriftingDesk]

omg YAY!! so glad it was helpful!!!

[@surroundsoundfreak13]

Great video! I love Buckeye Doughnut! I was just there, didn't vlog it though. Was there after Villa Nora. Then, I went to Rocket Fizz. It'll be cool to see you around the area one day.

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Thank you soooo much!! That would be cool :)

[@isaiahwilson214]

Thank you so much because I was confused with the plan I purchased. This has really helped!!!

[@MyDriftingDesk]

yay! so glad it was helpful! ❤️

[@imanimcinnis5319]

omg I love you !!! you're literally my idol when it comes to survival at OSU, can't wait to start in august.

[@MyDriftingDesk]

💜💜 omg thank you so much!

[@ZackPWannng]

I watched this video 3 yrs ago when I was admitted as an international transfer student. All these places you went to used to be strange for me and I felt a bit overwhelmed. But I graduated this SP23. Watching this video again makes me feel all these familiar scenes are places I went to everyday, are places I live everyday. I made so many friends and Columbus/OSU are like home to me. I do not feel the campus changing too much when it comes to comparison between 2018 vs 2023. I feel so proud being a buckeye and I love Ohio State❤

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Aw I love this comment!! ❤️❤️ go bucks!!!

[@chloetauber3846]

Thanks for the great explanation! You made it perfectly clear!

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Yay! I’m glad it was helpful!!!!

[@jaehojang36]

I'm a new phd student. Still confused but will watch again to learn more. Thanks!!

[@MyDriftingDesk]

It definitely can get confusing, but it makes more sense as you use it! :)

[@tesoro.g6252]

This video is AMAZING! Also, take a shot everytime she says Buck ID cash😂😂👌🏻

[@MyDriftingDesk]

hahahah quarantine drinking game!!!

[@rllydt]

When did u cut your hair?!?! Btw still luv it!!

[@MyDriftingDesk]

+DeAnna Taylor I cut my hair back in April this year!!! It was a big adjustment haha! Thank you!!

[@rllydt]

My Drifting Desk your welcome😂

[@SavvvyGhost]

I feel like all meal plans are confusing 😣 but thanks for this! No matter what college I end up at, I'm glad someone is explaining meal plans 👍🏻 so whatever cash and dollars you get with the plan is all you get for the semester? Can you add more as needed? Not that I think I'd use much more than that, but I'm not sure how to judge it? Plus being able to go by the discount it great. Otherwise I'd just stick to the swipes. It's basically a buffet once you swipe in yeah? Also Is there a way to check your balance? Thanks for you time! :)

[@MyDriftingDesk]

+Vannie96 you’re soooo welcome! :) You can always add more dining dollars and buck ID cash through depositing real money into your account. Swiping into the traditions locations is a buffet yes! You can check your balance with our OSU app that shows how much of everything you have left.

[@AhmedNazarr]

This helped me so much thank you

[@MyDriftingDesk]

aww yay. I'm glad it was helpful!!! ❤️

[@elanawest5861]

Great video. Thanks!

[@MyDriftingDesk]

ahhh thanks so much!!

[@hejingli5979]

I love the video! I’m attending OSU this coming year and was confused on the meal plan till I found this video. So I had a question (May sound stupid) for the buckid cash and dining dollars, are they every month? Or every week? 😂

[@allisonotero1552]

I have the same question

[@MyDriftingDesk]

So the BuckID cash is given to you at the beginning of the semester and that’s all you have for the entire semester. If you don’t use it all then it rolls over onto the next semester, but you get one lump sum to use all semester. The same goes for dining dollars. Swipes (or visit exchanges) are given to you every week. If you don’t use them all by the end of the week then they disappear and you lose them. They reset really early (like 3 am) on Mondays. I hope that helps!!

[@hejingli5979]

Marissa Nicole that’s helped a lot! Thank you so much! I got really confused when I was looking through the meal plans😂this helps so much

[@MyDriftingDesk]

You’re so welcome 💓💓💓💓

[@danikerich2380]

Are buckeye ID bucks and dining dollars per semester with the meal plan?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Yes!! Dining Dollars roll over every semester if you haven't used them all, so does BuckID Cash!

[@CharlesJB]

This was so helpful! One thing I'm still confused on is how much the swipes at tradition spots are worth? Is it just an all you can eat? If so, could I grab some extra food to go each time?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

The tradition buffets are all you can eat yes! And at least when I was there you could get 1 to go box to take some stuff home, not sure if that's still the case.

[@Chloeneal1995]

Omg I love ur glasses!

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Thank you sooooo much!! :)

[@thatphatkat6396]

My heart aches a little bit knowing that I (and everyone who is a freshman or transfer student tbh) will probably never get this experience in being able to walk freely and go places without fear of Covid It hits a little different before going back to the Spring term in a few weeks because I remember watching your videos to prepare me when quarantine first started last year and how happy and excited I was Thanks for these videos and for being a role model and someone to look up to It means more than you know

[@MyDriftingDesk]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ your words mean more than you know. thank you so much!

[@hinako.]

Thank you for filming this! I’m gonna transfer from Japan this fall and this video is definitely the best way to understand how OSU dining plan works! I read the handout by the office bunch of times but I didn’t get it 😂 Which dining plan do you recommend for new students?

[@Browncinemababe]

Hey! What year will you be? I will be an incoming freshman this fall.

[@MyDriftingDesk]

You're SOOO welcome!!! I'm glad it was helpful! The meal plan is SOOO confusing!!! The meal plans definitely depends on how much you eat! I used the Scarlet 14 my freshman year and then the Gray 10 my sophomore year!!!

[@MyDriftingDesk]

I am going to be a senior at OSU!!! You're going to have tons of fun at OSU! :)

[@sarahjames5655]

Y’all be thankful this nice lady spent cash or whatever this is for you!

[@MyDriftingDesk]

HAHHAHA thank you so much!! 💜

[@TheEmilyxx99]

you should be a tour guide or work for your schools marketing or something bc you give out so much valuable information about osu!

[@MyDriftingDesk]

I WISH! Hahah. Thank you though!!

[@hi92446]

ohhhhh! it is so complex! I am a grad student and I wish I could afford the scarlat swipe plan but I only make less than 1800 usd a month. I guess I have to be happy with cooking and eating once a day

[@MyDriftingDesk]

YUP hahaha very complicated for no reason lol

[@libbymeraz3148]

I love watching your college videos! They're so helpful. But i was wondering, for the swipes to get into the dining hall, with the one plan you have 14. So that would be 2 meals a day. So do college kids use dining dollars for like a 3rd meal for the day at other restaurants or do they eat in their dorms for the 3rd meal?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

essentially, yes. If you want to evenly distribute them. For me, that's what I did! I would grab a bagel or a muffin in the morning with Dining dollars (because it's cheap and small stuff) and then use my 2 swipes for the day for lunch and dinner. but you can switch it around however best suits you!

[@jackskelly6473]

Nice job

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Thanks!

[@christinasieger5940]

Hello! I really appreciate this video. I’ll be coming into OSU as a music education major this fall, and this really answered all of the questions I had about the meal plans before I even had them, which is awesome considering how confusing they are 😂 I do have one question about the C stores, can you buy things like shampoo, soap, razors, cereal, milk etc there, or would you have to go to a grocery store off campus? Thanks! Definitely going to be watching more of your videos before I head to school

[@christinasieger5940]

Also, I don’t understand the point of the last 3 plans. It looks like you pay more than the credit that is put on your account, how does that work? Are there other benefits to those plans that aren’t as obvious?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

The C stores will have cereal and milk but no personal hygiene or toiletry items unfortunately. C stores only have food!

[@MyDriftingDesk]

The plans themselves give you discounts, a 35% discount with dining dollars. So those dollars are “worth more” than regular dollars. Which is why you pay a little extra for them. Other than that, they are more than likely just more because osu is also a business and they work to make money in some way to keep the dining services running etc.

[@adarshpuri20]

We get 5 or 8 dollar worth a swipe depending upon location. So does the unlimited swipe plan give you unlimited dollar value for those swipes??

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Unfortunately no. With the unlimited meal plan you don’t get Visit Exchanges or Swipes to use at other places. Your swipes are only good at our buffet style locations like Kennedy Commons, Scott Traditions, and Morrill Traditions.

[@shanegoodlad6351]

Great info, thanks Marissa .....

[@MyDriftingDesk]

You’re so welcome!!!

[@vivienterselic2505]

Watching this as a student in 2020-2021 is so hard. The dining locations are not even recognizable anymore in comparison to this video.

[@MyDriftingDesk]

I'm so sorry :/ the concept OF the meal plans are still the same though!

[@bryanniamurphy8786]

very helpful...but one question let’s say I use up all my buck id cash for the semester, can I put more on there or do I have to wait?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

If you use all of your buck ID cash you can re load your card with more!!! :)

[@brookecheers1012]

Can you use dinning dollars for traditional (buffet style) areas on campus?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Yeah you can! So if you’re out of swipes you can pay with dining dollars to eat there! I’m not sure on the prices but it’s probably around 7-10 dollars to get in!

[@jonathanjoestar3873]

So the swipes that expire weekly, do they just reset on a Monday and you’re ready to go? Also, depending on the meal plan you get, how much money do you start with, and is the unlimited plan the best?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Yes!! they expire Sunday night and then you get your full amount again on Monday. Each plan has a different amount you start with. You can see those numbers on the charts that I posted in the video!!!

[@jonathanjoestar3873]

Marissa Nicole thanks a lot Marissa! You’re a big help and I hope you’re doing well as a 5th year. I’m looking forward to becoming a Buckeye👍🏼 Greetings from Miami 🤠

[@prachipatel6516]

So like can you only use swipes at the c store or could you buy stuff with your own money

[@MyDriftingDesk]

You can use dining dollars, buck ID cash, or swipes at the C Stores!! Or you can use real money!

[@patryapg]

Hello! I have a question, do you take your BuckID picture at orientation or do you have to submit one to the school?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

I believe now they’re allowing students to send one in!! I would call the buck ID office to check! :)

[@allisonsmith570]

if you’re somewhere on campus like a cafe or the market, how do you determine if you should use a meal swipe or dining dollars? are the dining dollars for the whole semester? and which do you find we should save and which we should try to spend more often, which do you typically use more often, etc? i hope that makes sense haha

[@MyDriftingDesk]

I use swipes at buffet styles (so K Comm, Scott, or Morril Commons) and then dining dollars for market style places for anything under $8. once it hits $8 I use a swipe to pay (if I have enough) and then if it's a little over $8 you can use a swipe and then dining dollars to cover the balance! You purchase a meal plan every semester so what you get is for that semester and if you don't use all of your dining dollars or BuckID cash, they will roll over until you graduate. The swipes will expire weekly if you don't use them. I typically used swipes for my MEALS like lunch and dinner at the buffet style places and then I would use dining dollars for small breakfast items like bagels and muffins! I hope that's helpful!!

[@probablysomeone1111]

welcome to osu!

[@MyDriftingDesk]

GO BUCKS!

[@annakat2458]

So wait what is the difference between buck id cash with unlimited and the 10 grey plan?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Unlimited doesn't get BuckID cash and the Grey 10 gets $150

[@Aaron-ei7fg]

It would be great if you can pin the link to the meal plan chart in this video. Thx!

[@MyDriftingDesk]

If you Google OSU meal plan, it’s the first link from the dining website. The picture/chart has changed a bit since this video but the terminology etc is still the same :)

[@russelldew4583]

So does this money like for instance the 150$ of BuckIdcash come in every semester or is that for the year?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

The Buck ID cash gets added every semester!

[@laceyharris9901]

OH!

[@MyDriftingDesk]

IO!!!!

[@lizzydavis497]

i’m currently going through all of your videos because i’m going to osu in the fall! but what meal plan do you think is worth getting for the price?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

I had the Gray 10 and I thought that was perfect for me for enough meals and a good price!!

[@janinegreene9498]

@@MyDriftingDesk my son is attending in the fall...I'm thinking the Gray 10 would be enough...? but, it's hard to know! He's not a big guy that really eats a lot...he snacks a lot. :) any thoughts or advice?

[@MoreColtraneChanges]

For off-campus students, does the meal plan start the first day of the semester? Or does it start as soon as we buy it? I’m here a week early, and I can’t find an answer for that.

[@MyDriftingDesk]

It starts when the semester starts, unfortunately.

[@alexcross3286]

can you use BuckeyeID cash at the c store or wherever you get your groceries from? You said something about using swipes that are only good for $5 and that sounds tedious to go grocery shopping and have to know exactly how many swipes you're going through.

[@MyDriftingDesk]

You CAN use buckID cash on campus at stores and for food. However you can ONLY use the buckID cash off campus. So don’t spend it all on campus if you want to use it off campus because nothing else will work off campus. The swipes are good for $5.00 at the C-Store but they are good for $8.00 at other dining locations for normal food. It is tedious to calculate everything out, OSU sucks for that haha

[@rikkiandgeorgie99]

So for the Grey 10 the $150 or $200 whatever it was for buckeye id cash and dining dollars, that’s for the entire year? Not $200 a semester?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Your meal plan you purchase by the semester. So you get your amount of dining dollars and buck ID cash per semester that you purchase a meal plan.

[@courtneyh7842]

Can you use a swipe on someone else? Like if a friend comes and stays with you can you swipe twice so you both can eat? I know my best friend and i have done this at BG but i wasnt sure if OSU would be different

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Yeah!!! You can do that!!! I’ve done that PLENTY of times!

[@divinemercy417]

@@MyDriftingDesk, does that apply for the Unlimited plan, too?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

@@divinemercy417 I'm not sure. they may be more strict on the unlimited since you could swipe in like 20 people lol.

[@robbiesworld9156]

I keep having to defer my admission thanks to the military but I’m set to attend Spring 2023!!!

[@MyDriftingDesk]

oh heck yeah! CONGRATS!!

[@cardcorn0339]

Thank you for this video, but I do have a question after watching. Does the dining dollar and the buck ID cash reset every semester or other periods of time, and does it roll over if you didn't use it all?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

your dining dollars will stay with you until you graduate. so if you don't use them all by the end of the semester, you won't lose them. The same goes for your BuckID cash. If every semester you get a new meal plan that includes these things, then new dining dollars and BuckID cash will be added to your already existing amount (if there is any!) I hope that helps!

[@cardcorn0339]

@@MyDriftingDesk Thank you for the quick response that clears up my confusion!

[@KevinBlackKBlack2595]

can u using them for thing like mobile order at say starbucks or other locations that have it?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

You can use Buck ID cash for outside places as long as those places accept Buck ID cash!

[@KevinBlackKBlack2595]

I know that but I ment like in a app for mobile order like u would a normal debit/credit card

[@MyDriftingDesk]

I don’t believe you can use it on other restaurants apps. But there is an app called Tapingo that you can use it on to pre order food from on campus and off campus locations that let you!

[@jadenshah]

So do you get $150 per year or per semester? How often do you get your cash renewed?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Yes! Your meal plans run by the semester, so you have to re sign up for your meal plan every semester and you get reloaded each semester. Buck ID cash is only semesterly, as well as Dining Dollars. Swipes or Visit Exchanges get reloaded every week.

[@444dylanblue]

Can you add money to you card if you don’t have a meal plan

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Yes! You can add Buck ID Cash to your Buck ID without a meal plan!

[@jonathanmasuoka909]

So if you use up all of your buck id cash and dining dollars, would you be able to refill them, and if so does that go for every plan?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

you can reload your BuckID with more BuckID cash on the BuckID website and you can add more dining dollars to your BuckID by contacting housing during the semester! :)

[@tessthompson4561]

If you go to a market and buy $4 worth of food, can you use half of a swipe and use the other half at a later time in the week? Or every time you use a swipe no matter how much money the food is worth it uses a whole swipe?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Unfortunately no. You have to use the swipe in full. If you spend less than the $8 equivalent then you would just use the whole swipe and essentially *waste* $4.

[@tessthompson4561]

Marissa Nicole Okay thank you! So if you use a visit exchange worth $8 at the union market, will you still get 35% off the price?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

@@tessthompson4561 Not with Visit Exchanges!! You only get the 35% discount when you use your Dining Dollars! So the $8 Visit Exchange is for $8 even! so easy math when you're trying to use them for food outside of the buffet styles.

[@anshulsuri5619]

Is vegetarian food available in meal plan at osu?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

yes there is!! usually there are options available anywhere you go. I won't say there is a TON!! but it definitely could have improved since I went there :)

[@anshulsuri5619]

@@MyDriftingDesk thanks

[@genius12241994]

Thanks for the video, Marissa! I am an international graduate student. I m quite interested in the meal plan, though most guys I heard from do not seem to be fond of it. Anyway, do you know about the Carmen meal plan? Based on my understanding, dining dollars can be used to purchase food with a 35% discount, yet Carmen1 seems to cost me 428, in exchange for 278 the value of dining dollars, which is 65% of the Carmen price, correct? So what's the benefit of it? Also, if I choose the Carmen plan. Would u recommend me to purchase buck ID cash? since the exchange rate is 1:1, I am not really clear why I should probably use it. Thank you for any of your advice!

[@MyDriftingDesk]

The cost difference between the Carmen and what you’re getting out of it is definitely not comparable lol. But that is just Ohio state trying to make money :) You always can add buck ID cash, I think the benefit of doing that is just convenience because then you could just use your buck ID to buy anything you need and not mess with different cards. I’m so glad the video was helpful!! 😁

[@juliebrammer8554]

Wait what plan do u recommend ?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Depends on how much you eat! I really enjoyed the Gray 10. It was perfect for me!! But the Scarlet 14 is also good if you eat a little more.

[@Minecraft_player203]

Hi Marissa, So I'll be going to OSU in august and I was wondering if there's a benefit to using BuckID cash compared to regular money. Like is it at a discounted price or does it aid in another way?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

You do get a discount when you use BuckID cash on campus/at places that accept it! the % may have changed since I was using the meal plans, so I would check the BuckID website!

[@dr.impactslab]

Hi Marrisa, It may be a late reply. I am just curious about the Carmen 1 dining plan. Is this supposed to be a one meal per day plan for off-campus students? So I can have one meal each day and I still have dining dollars for buying foods? Jayson

[@MyDriftingDesk]

correct!! But you can ration yourself however you'd like. you can use more than 1 swipe a day, but if you want them to last all week then yeah you can use 1 swipe a day for lunch/dinner and buy another meal using dining dollars for the day etc. :)

[@oscarn481]

Is the dining cash and buck id cash money you have to pay back after you graduate or no ?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Nope! :) They give you dining dollars and buck ID cash with each meal plan and that amount rolls over every semester until you graduate, after that they just disappear since you aren't a student anymore.

[@Guppycartier]

I’m still confused. Which meal plan would you better recommend? I’m attending OSU this fall and idk which meal plan is the best one

[@MyDriftingDesk]

It is all up to you and your eating habits. I personally liked the Scarlet 14. :)

[@kajalreddy7212]

which meal plan do u think is the best ?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

It’s all dependent on how much you eat, but for me personally, I would recommend the Scarlet 14. I think it’s perfect.

[@phyliciamarie1964]

Is there a way to check your balance?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

yes! through the OSU app!

[@johnmackshighlights8103]

I only watched cause I love food

[@MyDriftingDesk]

So do I 😍

[@whothehellisrob]

Woah woah woah so if I'm going with the unlimited meal plan I could virtually just rob a c store blind? That can't be completely right.

[@whothehellisrob]

nvm I just did some digging in the comments

[@MyDriftingDesk]

hahah unfortunately you cannot. The unlimited plan does now allow for visit exchanges AT ALL so no grocery shopping at the C stores and no exchanging a swipe for a meal at another dining location that isn't buffet style. :)

[@captaincrunch7948]

i regret getting the unlimited plan after this video haha

[@MyDriftingDesk]

You can always switch up until I wanna say the second week of school!!

[@ibbith8900]

Holy good lord that is confusing lmao

[@MyDriftingDesk]

YUP!!! I don’t know how osu expects us to know this!!

[@parthiv7170]

your cute

[@MyDriftingDesk]

Thanks!!

[@alexwilliams5953]

I don’t know if your going to see this but just wondering if your order is 9.35 and you use a swipe which would’ve leave you with 1.35 would you get 35% off of the 1.35 you used your dining dollars on?

[@MyDriftingDesk]

essentially YES! If you use a swipe and still have stuff leftover, if you pay with dining dollars then you'll get 35% off!