When I was just a wee tot (and by that, I mean less than a year ago) I visited UNC one weekend in April to finally decide if it was where I would go to college. The student tour guides made plenty of excellent, romantic points about attending school at the United States's prestigious first public university, but at the end of the day, they knew what we really wanted to hear about: the food.
The opportunities for food I don't have to pay for was definitely a main selling point and probably influenced my decision more than I realize. In fact, I was told on multiple occasions that I could survive on campus without a meal plan because I could live solely off the free food.
Honestly, that's a theory that's yet to be proven wrong. Hundreds of opportunities for free snacks take place here every single day, but it is up to each individual to seek those opportunities out on their own. Let me help you get started.
Phree Phood
The motherland of free goodies at UNC and truly a blessing to all Tar Heels. Phree Phood posts daily information on where to find free food both in residence halls and at on-campus events. You can find them on both Facebook and Twitter for your preferred social media convenience.
The RHA Text List
Prepare thyself. If you're a resident of a dorm community (or not - we’re not telling either way), there is a complete list of codes you can text to be notified of free food in residence halls. Just look for your residence hall’s code, send it in a message to (810)-10, and wait patiently for the mac n’ cheese Monday notifications to start rolling in.
Bulletin boards
You’re wondering where to find free food, but little do you realize that it's all around you, hiding in plain sight! What do I speak of, you ask? Bulletin boards! You’re missing out on hundreds of opportunities when you pass by papers hanging up on bulletin boards all over campus. Particularly towards the beginning of the year, clubs and organizations post flyers advertising events where they’ll serve free food. You can also look in bathroom stalls since people post flyers there, too, but some people might consider seeking out free food while sitting on the toilet to be a bit counterproductive.
The Pit
If you hang out around the Pit, free food is bound to show up eventually. Whether it be trying out samples or putting yourself on a club listserv, there are usually some form of goodies being given out to passers-by. After all, what better way to get people to stop pretending to be concerned about something on their phones and take a flyer?
And a bonus...
Although this isn’t a tip for free food, it is a tip for the second-best thing: almost free food. If you’re looking to snack for cheap, both the apps UConnection or Hooked will save you plenty of money every time you pick up some food from Franklin Street which, as we both know, happens on a pretty hourly basis.
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