Meal plans may not be as popular with UF students as some might think.
In a recent study by students in a UF public relations research class, the majority of students who participated said meal plans offered unsatisfactory service and food, according to both a focus group and a survey.
In the focus group, which included a random, representative sample of UF students, all students said the food quality could be "considerably improved" and that food is "sometimes undercooked."
The survey had 206 respondents and yielded similar results.
Participants also said that they didn't care for the dining halls' hours of operation, saying the halls open too late and close too early on weekends. In the focus group, all students who lived off campus did not own meal plans.
Among students who did live on campus, about 60 percent were not sure they would renew their meal plans.
A Gator Dining Services marketing program director was unreachable for comment at press time.
Carolyn Harnish, a 19-year-old nursing freshman at UF, has a meal plan because of convenience.
However, Harnish is not convinced that having a meal plan is the best option.
"The food at the dining hall is just never right," Harnish said. "Everything needs salt; that's the rule."
These sentiments may reflect a growing trend among students about meal plans.
CollegeProwler.com, a website that compares colleges through student reviews, rated campus dining at UF as a B+.
Florida State University received a B, the University of Georgia received an A+, and the University of Central Florida received an A-.
Derek LaBrosse, a 20-year-old sport management sophomore at UF, decided not to renew his meal plan at the end of his freshman year.
He is a vegetarian, and food selection was a problem for him while he had the meal plan.
"Omelets are good and all, but you can only have so many before you get sick of eggs," LaBrosse said.
