As a freshman, I wish someone had sat me down and told me everything I needed to know about how to eat well at college. Although I probably wouldn't have listened.

If you're smarter than I was, read on. I'll start with some background. In high school, I refused to learn how to cook, even though I was practically force fed lessons once a week during the winter. Now I spend about an hour a day preparing meals. So what's changed?

Freshman year, I ate almost every meal on campus. Late nights with little cash caused me to resort to making grilled cheese sandwiches on a machine precariously perched on a particleboard shelf (or worse, sometimes on my floor). My grilled cheeser, a machine with two flat, metal plates, developed a sweet spot and the surrounding area was a wasteland of old cheese, grease and burnt crumbs -- not too sanitary, but it got me through. Over the next few years, the need to learn to cook became undeniable. I listened to my mom, and I learned to cook small things. We made a recipe book with a dozen meals in it. I rotated through them. I got bored. Then, over the course of the past year, thanks to your readership, food has become a new adventure. A friend told me about epicurious.com -- a Web site for all talents on the culinary spectrum. And I started reading magazines, newspaper articles and cookbooks. I've made all kinds of dishes with origins from all over the world. E-mail me some awesome recipes for Moroccan chicken, lasagna or enchiladas. So, here are some things you need to know.

First off, State College has just about every ingredient you could want. There are specialty markets like the International Market, 328 S. Allen St., and Ciao Italia, 111 N. Butz St., where you can get high quality goods, many of which at very affordable prices.

Second, despite an earlier headline of mine, "Cooking isn't popular among student body," students do, in fact, cook. Furthermore, the reason many people told me they don't cook is because they don't have enough time. But in reality, you have time for what you choose.

State College is up on food movements and some individuals recognize growing trends like embracing organically grown food. I really believe the decisions we make as consumers in the supermarket are the some of the most important decisions we make nutritionally and environmentally.

There are several surrounding locales, like Tait Farm Foods, 179 Tait Road, where movements like community supported agriculture are being cultivated.

State College is home to a fantastic farmer's market that operates several months per year. Try the pesto bread. Get some cider. Vegetarians have several options on and off campus, and there are several groups including Vegetarian Advisory Board (VAB) aspiring toward a healthy meat-free lifestyle.

Cooking classes are available for all levels -- make sure to check out Grace Pilato's beginner class next fall.

Student groups, many affiliated with International Student Council, create events with authentic ethnic cuisine (some free and some very affordable) throughout the semester.

Beer: sweet nectar of college life. State College has home brewers, a local microbrewery and an international beer festival. No matter how many meatheads refer to High Life as "the champagne of beers" it's not true. Real beer lovers treat themselves to quality product whether they are having one or a dozen. Get the Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout at Sharkies, 110 Sowers St., or the Tröegs at Zeno's, 100 W. College Ave.

State College has some great restaurants. The best burger in town is at Red's Steamed Cheeseburgers, 906 W. College Ave. I worked for Roly Poly, 107 East Beaver Ave., (so you may think I'm biased) but they have the best sandwiches of any lunch place. Best coffee shop is Saints Café, 123 W. Beaver Ave. The best slice of pizza is debatable, but nothing hits the spot like Canyon Pizza, 260 E. Beaver Ave., at 2 a.m. One of the nicest surprises is at Café Laura, 101 Mateer Building. Eat there before you graduate. There are also some excellent fine dining options including Harrison's Wine Country Grill, 1221 E. College Ave., and Zola New World Bistro, 324 W. College Ave.