Old Golds? Pit swipes? Food dollars? Oh my.

While you probably spent a decent amount of time contemplating the several meal plan options on campus, now it’s time to officially put your meal plan to the test.

While Pit swipes come in handy when you want to grab a wide variety of food options in either the Pit (labeled the Fresh Food Company in Reynolda Hall) or the New Pit they are especially useful when you run out of Old Golds and food dollars, mastering how to effectively use the on-campus meal plan is key to surviving freshman year.

These deals are tasty and easy to order off the Tapingo app on your phone, but watch out — they run out quickly! Old Gold swipes are combo meal deals that many on-campus eateries offer, but some deals are better than others.

As an incoming senior, here are my top four tried-and-true Old Gold swipes:

Subway

This 24/7 on-campus chain will quickly become a staple in your diet at all hours, especially because an Old Gold here gets you a six-inch sub of your choice, a bag of chips, AND a fountain drink. What’s not to love?

Chick-fil-A

While Chick-fil-A might not wow you if you’re already from the South, it will quickly become part of your life if you’re not yet used to it. The Chick-fil-A Old Gold menu is especially unique because of its wide assortment of offerings.

The Original Chicken Sandwich, medium waffle fries and a fountain drink combo will never fail you, but neither will the Chargrilled Chicken salad with a fountain drink or the eight-count chicken nuggets with medium waffle fries and a fountain drink.

Even better, if you need a quick breakfast before class, the four-count Chicken Minis, hash browns and fountain drink combo is hard to resist.

Zick’s

For one Old Gold swipe, you can get either two (huge) slices of pizza or a flatbread with your choice of soft drink — AKA a bang for your Old Gold buck.

Introduced in 2016, Zick’s’ new and improved menu is complete with a wide range of flatbread selections such as the Thai-inspired “Thai-tanic.”

The crowd-favorite “Puff Daddy” with tater tots and BBQ sauce has kept students coming back for more. You can even make your own!

Whether you want to have a quad picnic with your friends or shoot some pool inside, Zick’s is the spot for a solid Old Gold.

Shorty’s

This sit-down establishment in Benson is ideal if you have some time to catch up with friends, play a few rounds of trivia or watch football.

Shorty’s might have the most iconic Old Gold menu of all time because it’s different every day and rotates between items like grilled cheese and signature salads, but the five-star chicken tenders and fries is always on the Old Gold menu, which makes Shorty’s the best Old Gold on campus.