While the 211 new and returning residents of City College were tucking into a lunch of make-your-own sandwiches, baking and fruit yesterday, across the road in a cold, wooden flat, for flatmates it was lunch of a very different sort.
Jessica Bowden (19) said she was enjoying flatting after spending her first year at Arana College, particularly the chance to cook her own meals.
‘‘I love cooking, I tend to make food in advance and then heat it up later. ‘‘I just love the freedom of being able to eat breakfast in my pyjamas, looking like crap in the morning.''
Eating some reheated brown rice, canned salmon and mixed vegetables, Jessica, a nutrition student, said her discipline had lapsed at times during her first week flatting and she had resorted to dining on takeaways last week.
Fellow flatmate Josie Marsic (19) said she flatted last year, enjoying the freedom of being able to eat what she wanted, when she wanted it.
On the menu for Josie yesterday was a microwave pizza, but she said the girls were doing better than their two male flatmates ‘‘who haven't even cooked yet''.
Jessica said with the boys tending towards bread and baked beans, the flatmates bought their groceries separately.
Across the road it was an altogether different story for the students at City College.
Andorra Medic (18) from Auckland was piling his plate with massive sandwich complete with pasta salad on the side, cake, biscuit and an apple for dessert. ‘‘The food has been awesome since I got here,'' he said. ‘‘It is just as good as home.