It was rare for me, or anyone else in my group, to finish the geology lab assignment in the allotted time slot in the Environmental Sciences building on my college campus. As consequence, I had to do much of my work for geology outside of the room. With time before and after, it would be inconvenient to return to my room or go to the library to work on my lab. Also, by the time I needed to head to the Environmental Sciences building, I was also in need of a meal, or at least a snack to get me through and into the clear. As a frugal college student, I needed a conveniently located place that offers a certain ambiance conducive of productivity or relaxation for me. Most people know me as a person who loves deals, or any way to save money without thinking of it as a nuisance. It almost becomes an embarrassment to my friends when I fill my water bottles up with lemonade or “accidentally” take a copious amount of napkins. Fortunately it is very easy to save money at this food court, as opposed to going elsewhere.
In search for a place that would accept my university-given currency to save my cash, I stumbled upon the food court. Truly what locked in my decision to pay this haven of selection a visit was the smell of pizza in the cold October air. It was tantalizing; after an 8AM Chemistry lab, 2 lectures and a seminar, I was finally done with my geology lab in the Environmental Sciences building and ready to give my brain a break and my grumbling stomach some satisfaction. I gave in to the smell of pizza and followed it into what was my first visit to the adjacent food court.
Despite the uninviting outside, my built up hunger led me to the inside. Walking in to this food court I was greeted with a long line of college goers and faculty alike at the Starbucks on my left and a market on my right. Both of these places harbored an atmosphere completely different than the one outside, in any academic building on campus. I felt as though I wasn’t on campus anymore. Through the doors of the food court is an atmosphere of understanding; most people there understand that everyone else is just trying to get through their days.
The colors inside of the food court seem inviting and calming. In retrospect, it made sense that I had seen it as a calm place, due to the lighting. A study called Impact of Color in Marketing elucidated the subliminal thought process I had experienced: “…researchers found that up to 90% of snap judgments made about products can be based on color alone”. After reading about this, it made complete sense that I had judged the qualities of this place by the lighting that was a direct variable in the perceived color. The dark lighting of this place makes for an atmosphere that calms you, along with the quiet ambiance in the area. What started with a smell of pizza spewing out of this food court as I walked by, turned into an experience that has brought me back due to the calming atmosphere and plethora of ways to save money.
Strengths and shortcomings
The fact that I can use my university currency has made me a frequenter of this food court. For me, this means that I can budget myself with the 176 university dollars I received with my meal plan, instead of spending my cash. I am a person that is very frugal; I always try to find the best deals on anything. I even do research for larger purchases, and wait for an optimal time to purchase something. This translates into my smaller transactions as well. If you buy into the university currency system, you can purchase your goods at a less expensive rate than with cash. Why wouldn’t I use it? In addition, the pizza place in the food court had a $5 deal. This is my personal favorite, as a college student burning through their savings. With this, I didn’t have to sneak a drinking fountain drink into my water bottle. If I am feeling the need to save even more money, which happens at the end of the quarter when my university dollars are running short, I can also use the microwave or hot water adjacent to the pizza place to make ramen noodles. I could frequent this food court because saving money here became so easy. I found myself frequently at this food court after geology lab on Thursdays, and if it had not been for this conveniently located food court, I would have had to skip several meals.
My schedule last quarter was hard to work with if I wanted to eat meals on a regular basis, and going to this food court frequently was a guiltless way to have a meal and not spend too much money. My mom was always on me for skipping meals due to academic or extracurricular reasons in high school; I was a busy kid. Due to this, I made it a priority to eat regularly and not skip meals in college and this food court has facilitated that. This food court was only about 50 feet away from where I had my geology lab, so it was convenient to have a meal here between classes and not skip lunch. Since I had to have a meal there a few times a week, I was in this food court a lot, which I didn’t mind because it was a manageable environment.
One of my favorite features of this food court was the ambient noise. At all times that I have been there to be productive, it has been at the perfect level for me; I need a certain amount of ambient noise, some sort of stimuli that is not too stimulating or not stimulating enough and this place makes this attainable. The silence of the library is almost eerie to me, and the loudness of the dining halls makes me want to talk to people. The food court seemed to be frequented by like-minded individuals; while eating there one day with my roommate, I noticed he was doing his homework there uninterrupted. I asked him if he could maintain focus and he answered: “It is easy to work here because other people are doing their work, and those who aren’t are nice enough to stay quiet”. When I wasn’t being productive, I also was not forced into total silence during my after-lab sessions when I went to simply eat with my lab partners, so it was perfect in both aspects. In an essay titled “Place” by Lynn A. Staeheli, Staeheli defines the more intangible definition of a “place” as a social location; she claims that a social place develops itself through the relationship it has with it frequenters. The fact that the customers of this food court understand to respect the lax environment is what perpetuates it as a place of productivity and relaxation. This food court seemed perfect for me, almost perfect.
The only reason I avoided this food court was to get away from the Starbucks there; it proved to be too enticing a few occasions, and I usually don’t drink coffee and am very against Starbucks. I believe Starbucks is overpriced, so I try to avoid it, but this food court has proved to be too convenient in providing me this unnecessary treat. I feel guilty afterwards and it seems as though I lose my frugality in the battle against Starbucks.
During peak hours, the environment becomes completely different; the area that was once calm plays host to a stampede of people wanting their caffeine fix from Starbucks and taking all of the open seating options hostage. It was frustrating to come in during 12pm or 4pm as those were the hours when this happened. The food court that I knew and loved turned into what I feared most. It was disruptive, competitive, and the whole atmosphere held impatience and angst. Although this only occurs twice a day for about a half hour.
How the place works and what that means
Here, I know people value a certain environment. The atmosphere the food court fosters creates an area where you can relax and not have to worry about noise issues. As a place to finish assignments or to take a breather after a busy day, this food court meets exceeds my expectations. At first I always thought that I was looking for a place with enough background noise to keep me from craving some sort of sound, but I have found that it is much more than “I like background noise to study”. It stems into health reasons, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, “ambient noise also affects people’s health by increasing general stress levels and aggravating stress-related conditions such as high blood pressure, coronary disease, peptic ulcers and migraine headaches”. Long term exposure to environments that are conducive of stress should be avoided, not just to improve your study habits but for preserving your health. This food court fosters an environment where I don’t have to worry about my health being affected negatively. Even the idea itself of avoiding stress is stress relieving. For me, I can rest assured that I am not exposing myself to harm. First health, then study habits.
Conclusion:
With the laid back atmosphere of a coffee shop, a selection that compares to that of the dining hall, the fireplace that reminds me of home, and an unparalleled convenience, I will consistently be drawn to this food court, and not just because of the enticing smell of pizza. I can only hope that this food court does not attract too many people, changing the ambiance that has been constructed over time.
