One thing you can’t prepare for in college is the dining hall food. After the excitement wears off, you’ll realize that the dining hall rotates its options regularly and you can quickly become bored. Even if you brought extra snacks to sustain yourself, you’ll eventually need a real, semi-healthy meal (so no, unfortunately Chick-fil-A does not count). Luckily, the Pit has an abundance of options — if you know how to get creative. Below are a few of the many “Pit hacks” to use when the regular stuff gets old.

Breakfast Burrito: For when cereal just won’t cut it.

1. Get in line at the egg station. Get whatever vegetables, cheese and meat you want. When it’s your turn, ask for a scramble with however many eggs (or egg whites) you’re hungry for.

2. While your eggs are cooking, go to the sandwich station and ask for the wrap of your preference.

3. Retrieve your cooked eggs and place them in the open wrap. Roll up the wrap into a burrito. 

This truly is one of the most customizable Pit hacks. The egg station has so many options for great additions — tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, ham, sausage, cheddar and mozzarella, just to name a few. You can also hit up the salad bar for other options or find a bottle of hot sauce to douse your eggs with.

Hot Chocolate: For when you can’t wait in the long line at Starbucks.

1. Go to the drink section with the coffee and hot water. Grab a packet of hot chocolate powder from the bin next to the tea bags.

2. Pour the powder into a mug or to-go cup. Fill halfway with hot water and stir.

3. Fill another quarter of the mug with chocolate milk.

4. Fill the last quarter with French vanilla creamer.

On cold, dreary days, nothing quite beats a warm, cozy cup of hot chocolate. Sadly, the Pit doesn’t have whipped cream or marshmallows to top it all off with.

Instead, the mix of French vanilla creamer and chocolate milk adds a delicious richness that tastes as if you have melted marshmallows already in your cup.

Ice Cream Sandwich: For when Halo Top just isn’t passing as real ice cream.

1. At the dessert station or in one of the jars throughout the Pit, find two decently sized, non-crumbly cookies.

2. Take your cookies to the ice cream machine. Carefully swirl your flavor of ice cream onto the flat side of one cookie. If this requires too much hand-eye coordination, you can just put the ice cream in a bowl first and spread it onto the cookie.

3. Place the second cookie on top of the ice cream, flat side on the ice cream.

4. Roll your creation in M&M’s or sprinkles.   

If you’re feeling adventurous or are a fast eater, take your cookies to the waffle makers. Place the cookie in the middle of the waffle maker and press it down for 10 seconds. This flattens the cookie and makes it warm and melty on the inside, the perfect accompaniment to the cold ice cream. A word of warning: this makes the ice cream melt faster, so eat immediately!

Cereal Ice Cream: For when you have the urge to Instagram your food.

1. At the ice cream machine (use ice cream, not “frozen yogurt”), swirl your favorite flavor into a bowl or cone.

2. Walk over to the cereal station and get half a bowl of cereal, like Cocoa Puffs or Lucky Charms.

3. Sprinkle the cereal onto your ice cream as desired.

Not only is this a delicious treat, but it’s also aesthetically pleasing. You can easily post a photo of your inventive ice cream on Instagram to prove to all your friends back home that our dining hall is truly superior.