With the final two weeks upon us, it is nothing but hustle and bustle from here on out.

This last stretch of the academic year means studying, reflecting back, making new goals and getting rid of old books and even unused RDA.

This will be my guide and tips for any RDA-life people to spend your remaining sum wisely (or unwisely depending on your viewpoint).

This semester I mostly lived off of CougarCash, which I spent on food like Panda Express and Subway or lots of ramen that I would bring back from Seattle over breaks. I would also try and attend as many events offering free food as possible or sometimes treat myself to restaurants with actual real money. So I have a decent amount of RDA left to spend in these last two weeks.

I was also very strategic about the dining hall food I wanted to eat. All of the dining halls post the food they are serving for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. Keeping this in mind, I would always check the menus and decide exactly what I wanted to eat.

Sometimes the dining hall’s menus were inaccurate with foods they didn’t actually have or foods they forgot to mention. This eating lifestyle allowed me to barely spend RDA.

Any remaining RDA from the previous semester can roll over to second semester, but it does become a use it or lose it situation when the year ends if you are moving out of the residence halls.

RDA can roll over from spring to fall if you purchase more RDA and live in residence halls. There are some people who are on track with the amount of RDA they have leftover. As of April 25, people who purchased RDA at level 1 should be $112, RDA 2 should be $146 and RDA 3 should be $174. I have a little over $400 RDA left.

There are two ways to go about spending an abundant amount of RDA. One can either spend it on themselves, or others.

If you choose to spend it on yourself, I would suggest stocking up for possible summer session or even next year. Stock up on snacks, toiletries, plates, cups and anything else you might need. Bulking up with supplies and food can simplify next semester if you don’t need to constantly buy those things at Walmart.

The other way to spend RDA is selflessly. Treat a large group of friends to Flicks food late at night or buy everyone Freshens. Take your friends to Flicks and let them buy whatever they please in supplies and food. With everything being discounted at the card swipe, it takes a lot to put a dent in RDA.

I hope this helps all of you. Maybe spend some RDA money on lots of snacks for your last study sessions. Either way, it has to go. I wish you all the best of luck with finals.