There are other factors involved in the decision to eat on-campus or off-campus, namely, money concerns. Duke and Volvowski both claim that making their own meals is equally as expensive as having a meal plan, if not cheaper.

“I didn’t save a large amount, but it’s definitely not more expensive,” Duke said.

Trying something new can help students expand their diets.

Duke and Volvovski also believe they are eating slightly healthier now that they choose their own food.

“The fruit they offered in the dining hall was questionable at best,” Duke said. “We usually have some fruit and vegetables around now and I actually eat about two full meals a day, whereas last year I’d have a sugar cereal for dinner because the regular food was so bad.”

Dr. Tanya Horacek, a professor of nutrition at Syracuse University, says students’ health is not dependent on whether they eat in the dining hall or off-campus, but rather the choices they make wherever they eat.

“One reason students eat less healthfully is that they skip meals,” said Horacek. “Get your meals in - at least three. Also, I know that college students are creatures of habit. Get out of that comfort zone - try something new. Finally, college is a social time. A lot of students stay up late and eat and drink. But eating and partying all the time, that’s a waste of energy, not to mention brain cells.”

Horacek doesn’t believe that these unhealthy habits lend themselves any more or less to on-campus or off-campus eating.

“I prefer to have a say in what I eat,” said Duke.

In the end, it’s a matter of taste.