College students struggle in a myriad of ways. These four years are usually the time when you experience some of the hardships of everyday life, but you don’t really realize it yet. Now you have to budget things when for some, that was never a thought in their mind.

There are exceptions of course. People come from different backgrounds and may already know how to do all of those things we call “adulting.” They’ve experienced some hardships of life for better or for worse. But for those who haven’t, Iona does a pretty fair job of exposing them to it.

One thing that has always escaped the mind of people though, when it comes to learning those everyday skills you’ll need when you leave college, is cooking. From what I know, most people on campus go to Vitanza Commons or LaPenta Marketplace for food, which is very understandable. In college, time is crunched and bellies must be filled fast, but I don’t think that is an excuse to forget the skill of cooking. It can always come in handy. It may not be used in your current situation where you’re in college – you may be busy with clubs, a sorority or fraternity or working some odd job. But cooking will definitely be used once you leave this campus and find a career.

In the real world, people have bills and they need to get them paid. Meal prepping is one way to have extra cash to pay your bills or even to have some leftover to spend on yourself.

I do it myself, even though I’m in college. It’s easier for me than it would be for a resident because I commute. Even in that situation, a resident could potentially get a job on or off-campus and have a friend with a car take them to and from the Stop and Shop at New Roc City or the Shoprite here in New Rochelle. From the supermarket, they could make two big recipes that yield 5-6 servings, and they have lunch and dinner for the week. A few more bucks could get you breakfast for the week as well.

The major problem with all of this though is definitely motivation. Even if people do know how to cook, motivating yourself to do that alone can be really tough. That’s why I believe a cooking club could really be a fun and helpful club to have at Iona. It would be simple, but students could rent the Gael for a day and go to the supermarket once a week with club members, get what they need and help each other cook. I think it would be a fun experience where people could make friends and improve their cooking.

I see the problems though, of course. Where are they going to cook on campus? Even if Iona were to add more student-accessible kitchens, how much would that cost? Why should the college even provide that if they already provide food for the students?

The main reason I see for it is self-improvement. Investing in the students is one of the best things Iona can do and has done before, and creating a cooking club would be a unique way to do it. Just some food for thought.