For many students, when they get to college, they are getting their first taste of freedom. I know that’s how I felt. You get to call the shots on what you wear, how late you stay up and, most importantly, what you eat.

While Drake University does have a dining hall, going there three meals a day every day can get a bit boring, and that’s when most students, myself included, turn to food delivery apps, one of the most popular being DoorDash.

Sometimes, when my friends and I don’t feel like going to Hubbell, we will order different meals off of DoorDash and eat together in the lobby of our hall.

I did this quite a bit last semester and it was fun. I got a break from the usual meals I had from Hubbell, and I also got to try some new foods. However, there was one problem I didn’t realize I’d face until I was already facing it: money.

The expense of DoorDash is one of the reasons that, for me, DoorDash is highly overrated. As a first-year in college, I don’t have much money in general, let alone enough to throw away on food delivery.

There are many reasons why I feel DoorDash, and food delivery in general, is overrated, and one of them is because you can go out and get a meal instead! Being swamped with work and not wanting to walk to Hubbell is the only time I can justify food delivery to myself. However, if you have the time and the means to go out and get a meal instead of ordering it in, I encourage it.

You can try totally new foods and restaurants instead of waiting for your driver to arrive and hand over what is potentially an already cold meal. It can also be cheaper than DoorDash because you don’t have to pay a ton of extra fees along with your order and tip.

There are so many wonderful restaurants around campus that aren’t in my hometown, so I’ve gotten to experience wonderful new restaurants while also getting to take a nice walk. Additionally I’ve taken the DART system multiple times with my friends so we can go to places downtown as well.

I have saved money by going out with friends instead of having food delivered from the same restaurant. Not only do I save money, but the quality of the food is better most of the time.

Last semester, when I had the stomach flu, I used DoorDash to order myself some food and medicine.

I watched the app as my driver went and picked up my order, texted me that she was sick and needed the medication I had ordered, and drove away with my order. This was not the first time a DoorDash driver had stolen my order. It was irritating nonetheless.

Since that incident, I haven’t really used DoorDash. Though it can be useful when you need it, negatives like the price and possible theft don’t make the experience worth it.

In my opinion, DoorDash is overrated and many people, especially college students, cannot afford it due to a lack of income. This semester, Hubbell has made steps towards improving the dining experience here on campus, which has made my view on eating there better.

I enjoy the new UCook station and have used it quite frequently. Now, when I want to reach for my phone to order something, I just go and make it myself at Hubbell instead. It’s extremely convenient, especially since I don’t have to spend the money and risk someone running off with my dinner!