Imagine this: Four classes in row — each one over an hour, all in different parts of campus — and you have just 10 minutes to get there. Oh, and every professor has banned food. As specific as that sounds, in college it's not uncommon to barely eat. In fact, it's so common that every person I know has at least one day a week where they have to subsist on air and dust particles, Spongebob-style.
Of course, parents or professors say we're being dramatic. "Just pack a snack," or "Eat a big breakfast," they tell us. Okay, Mom or Professor Whatever, how about you try and eat while sprinting across a campus. It's not happening. And considering that most emerging adults feel the need to eat every 30 minutes, 8 hours without a full meal starts to feel like death. But there is a solution.
Supposedly, college is about learning how to be an adult. And if there is one rule that most adults know, it's that you have to pick your battles. Everything isn't worth a 10-minute argument. The odds that your distinguished Cognitive Neuroscience professor wants to argue with a hangry 21-year-old are very slim. It's okay to play with fire.
This is the only school hack you'll ever need.
First, you need to see how serious the teacher is about the rule. Choose a class with the most lenient professor. Start by bringing in small snacks, like Cheerios or grapes, which are noticeable but not annoying (no loud crunching, no Cheetos dust on those classy pressed-wood desks). You have to get your foot in the door before bringing in a four-course meal. After this, if you are not immediately thrown from the classroom, gradually increase the size of your snack.
Next, bring drinks, like smoothies or tea, and set them on your desk. This is to test whether having food out in the open will distract the professor. Always sit in the same seat or close to it, so that the lecturer gets used to seeing someone with something on their desk during class.
Finally, sneak in a full meal. Try something that comes neatly packed, is not too aromatic, and that doesn't cause a lot of loud chewing: a sandwich. Be careful with the timing of your chewing. Eat too slowly, and you could get called out before you finish. Eat too quickly, and the noise might attract attention. Obviously, you don't want that.
People might stare at you; nevertheless you must persist. Those around you might get kicked out for eating, do not waver. Food is the goal, and you're going to get to that finish line as long as you keep trying. I've brought salads, soup, entire Chick-Fil-A meals (dipping sauce included), slices of pizza, multiple smoothies, omelets,hashbrowns, sandwiches, and huge orders of fries into a class with a very strict teacher.
If I can do it, you can too.
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