The academic year is coming to a close, and your student is probably excited for a long, well-earned break from classes. As he or she ties up their loose ends and prepares to leave campus for the summer, they may realize their meal plan still has some unused points and meal swipes. Because unused points and meal swipes cannot be used during the next school year, your student should find ways to use them before the semester officially ends. Depending on the number of meal swipes and points left over, the task of using them all can seem daunting (or fun!).  Luckily for you and your student, we have some tips for how to spend them!

1. Spend Points at the Bookstore

Your student probably has their eye on a comfortable IWU sweatshirt, a nice mug or a new backpack. The campus bookstore is a great place for students to spend extra points and treat themselves to something new. The bookstore has a wide array of items available for purchase, ranging from bracelets to earbuds or backpacks to devotionals! Encourage your student to pop in for a visit.

2. Eat Chick-Fil-A for Lunch

During the week, students need to wait until after 2 p.m. to buy Chick-fil-A with meal swipes, but if your student has an excess of points, then he or she can get Chick-fil-A any time of the day without worrying about the cost!

3. Make Dinner with Friends

Trader James is the campus convenience store located in the student center. Students can use points there to purchase items, such as spaghetti and tomato sauce or cake mix and frosting, to make an easy and relaxing dinner with their friends. This is a great way for students to spend quality time together before summer break.

4. Buy an Entire Pizza from Mario’s

If your student is planning a study session with friends, then he or she can treat their friends to a pizza from Mario’s. One pizza costs six meal swipes, and it is an easy way to use extra meal swipes while providing snacks at study sessions. Each meal swipe at Mario’s comes with two sides and a dessert, so your student and their friends will have plenty of snacks available to them!

5. Enjoy a Family Dinner on Campus

If your family happens to visit your student before the end of the semester, use extra meal swipes to pay for your family to eat in Baldwin or at Wildcat together!

6. Eat at “Fat Meal”

If your student is up late studying with friends, they may decide to take a break and eat the late night breakfast in Baldwin. Students affectionately call this the “fat meal,” and it is open from 10:30-11:30 p.m. on Monday through Friday. Encourage your student to give it a try!

Were these tips helpful? How does your student spend their extra meal swipes and points? Let us know in the comments below!