Interviews

Over the weekend I was able to interview multiple students about their experiences with and opinions  of the meal plan. I learned more about the problems other students have had and have compared them with my own experiences.

My questions included,

1. Do you have a meal plan? If so what type?
2. How long did it take you (or is it taking you) to learn what is and is not on meal plan?
3. How often do you unknowingly overspend on your meal plan?
4. What aspects of the meal plan do you find confusing?
5. What is something you wish you knew/had known in your first semesters regarding the meal plan system?
6. What questions do you continue to have about the meal plan?

Eric, Male, Junior

1. Yes. 105 block plan (not on a weekly bases) $100 of flex.
2. I still do not know what is exactly on meal plan. They are always getting new food, but none of it is on meal plan and everything is always changing.
3. I always know that I'm overspending. (assumes, mainly in the Anchor) Not given enough allotment, especially at lunch.
4. I find the hours of meals confusing also, whats on meal the new idea of combos, and the lack of signage in the anchor which leads to people figuring it out at checkout.
5. I wish I had known all the places I could go to use meals. (example of cyber cafe). Not being able to use two meals at a time. 
6. Why?

Maggie, Female, Senior

1. Yes. 14 meals per week, (does not know flex amount, I believe it is $150)
2. It took me about a month to know what is on meal, it is harder to figure out what meal allotment is and how to stay in it.
3. You're not even always told if you go over so I'm not really sure, guessing about three meals a week.
4. I wish I knew when you had to change meal plans for the coming semester by.
5. In my freshmen year I wish I had understood the process of creating a meal in a grab and go (was taught a lot at freshmen orientation).
6. no questions

Ashlyn, Female, Freshmen

1. Yes. 19 meals and $200 in flex
2. I am still learning, the Anchor has nothing posted, no prices. Friends and upperclassmen are the most helpful in telling me how things work.
3. I've definitely overspent but I dunno because I don't know allotments. About every late night- 3 times a week.
4. At first I found flex confusing.
5. I wish I knew that meals do not roll over week to week.

We decided to compile each of our interview experiences into three Personas below is mine.

Persona-

Occupation- Student/ part-time job

Age- between 17-22

Main goals-

• To be able to stay within means while still enjoying oneself. 
• To be able to buy the food they want to throughout the entire semester.
• To not be confused and misspend their money.

Overall most students have a basic understanding of the meal plan and what they need to do; it is the smaller things that begin to add up which seems to be the problem. Simple knowledge of times and do's and don't's from experiences can save many underclassmen a lot of headache. Another problem is the speed of things; students need to get in and out of grabNgo eateries and this is where the main confusion lies.  That is why having a simple infographic to combine all the questions will be helpful.