You're going to gain the Freshman 15'there's no getting around it. But lest this evoke thoughts of flabby bellies, take a moment and imagine the wonderful indulgences that will comprise those 15 pounds of collegiate gluttony.
Lucky for you, you'll get a kick start on your delicious endeavors here in Madison during Welcome Week, when various campus groups put on events to attract new faces. These groups have figured out the one thing guaranteed to bring in the crowds: free food. So grab a calendar of events and put your wallet away. With careful planning, you can map out a week of free meals.
When Welcome Week draws to a close, it will be time to get acquainted with your nearest dining hall. There are four main dining halls on campus'Pop's Club in the Southeast area, Frank's Place in the Lakeshore area and one each inside Chadbourne and Liz Waters halls. They all offer the same menus, but here's a tip: Liz Waters is by far the best, with a monster salad bar and a nice view of Lake Mendota.
To keep the financial world from raining on your palatable parade, here is my dining hall advice: Don't be lured by the fresh fruit in the salad bar. One strawberry will cost you its weight in gold. You're better off attempting a dorm-room garden than paying $6 for a bowl of fruit with each meal. However, priced at the same rate as the fruit is the cornucopia of cereals. This means you can have an enormous bowl of Cocoa Krispies for less than 50 cents. The greatest lesson you will learn in your first semester of college is that cereal is not breakfast food'it is a gourmet option for snacks, lunch and even a romantic candlelight dinner.
There will be times when making it all the way down to a dining hall will seem like a marathon. Times like these call for quick and easy in-room meals. Even those used to gourmet cuisine will come to appreciate the magnificence of the three staples of the dorm diet: Ramen noodles, Easy Mac and our beloved cereal.
And for those special occasions when Cap'n Crunch just won't do, Madison offers one of the most diverse, quality dining scenes in the nation. In fact, a commonly cited statistic is that Madison has the most restaurants per capita of anywhere in the United States.
To become a true Madisonian, you must eat Ian's Pizza. There are two on-campus locations, one on State Street (115 State St.) and one near the Southeast dorms (319 N. Frances St.)'both feature some of the most bizarre and incredibly delicious pizzas you will ever find. The best part: The fun really starts late at night, when a line of hungry students a block long adorns the front of Ian's.
For a more traditional Wisconsin experience, head to State Street Brats, 603 State St. It's the old German-style building at the bottom of State Street'hard to miss. The food is decent, but you really can't beat the atmosphere. Huge TVs, a rowdy crowd, and free popcorn make the juicy brats taste even better.
Finally, to bring the list full circle, you must experience Yummy Buffet for the ultimate Madison dining value. All day, every day, you can devour an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet for a mere $5. The food is surprisingly tasty, and you have a good two hours before the gut rot sets in.
Maybe you're not all as obsessed with food as we are here at the Food page. Perhaps you're convinced you have the discipline to maintain a healthy diet. But fitting in to your new community is a big part of your freshman year, and step number one is to embrace the gluttonous traditions of the Cheesehead state. We're not on South Beach, and we wear huge winter coats 10 months out of the year'so go ahead, eat those deep-fried cheese curds.
