After a semester of eating dining commons food -- or avoiding it by eating at Panda Express -- your ID card might be low on meal points.

With a week of finals ahead, eating well should be of utmost importance, and it is possible to do so with only a few dollars.

First, buy a case of Ramen noodles, preferably the variety pack. You'll have oriental, chicken and beef flavors, which make a perfect lunch, dinner or late-night snack. Not only is Ramen cheap, but it can be gourmet as well.

Buy some chicken and vegetables -- they're not too expensive -- to add to your meal.

Keep an eye on values in the dining commons' convenience stores. Specials are updated every two weeks, Director of Residential Dining Lisa Wandel said.

The dining commons convenience stores will offer a special on Pepsi 12-packs during finals week, Redifer Commons' Assistant Manager Dave McClelland said.

Also, instead of throwing out those Valpak Coupon envelopes, check them for deals on pizza, subs and everything in between. You can get good deals on www.lionmenus.com as well by clicking the "food specials" tab.

"We just launched this new hump day promotion ... last Wednesday," Justin Goldman, a Lionmenus management partner and '05 Penn State alum said. He said it will continue every Wednesday for the rest of the semester.

While Lionmenus itself isn't running any special promotions solely for finals week, Goldman said restaurants will call about what specials they want to run during that week.

"Finals week is actually one of the busiest weeks of the year for restaurants," he said. "[Students'] refrigerators are empty ... they don't have time to go food shopping ... eating out is very popular around that time."

Since most restaurants are so busy, Goldman said they won't discount food too much during finals week, so you'll have to be a little more resourceful.

You're probably sick of having your WebMail inbox overflowing with club listserv e-mails. Don't delete them. Instead, mark down on your planner when the club's going to have its "last meeting," go to it and eat their free pizza...

Just kidding.

You might feel a little guilty about going to a meeting just to eat, but free food is always welcome. So don't forget tonight's Late Night Study Break in the dining commons. It's free for A La Board members and $1.25 for guests. The menu includes scrambled eggs, sausage, fruit and ice cream. It's from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Findlay Commons and 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. in all the other dining locations.

Make sure to get there early; there was a line through Findlay Commons last semester.

Whatever you do, no matter how desperate for meal points you are, don't try to sneak into the dining commons.

"Unfortunately, it does happen," Wandel said. If dining commons staff catches the individual, they will take the student's ID card and charge him or her for the meal. If a student is caught more than once the student will be referred because sneaking in is considered a crime.

"They're stealing from our A La Board members," Wandel said, encouraging students to tell a staff member if they see another student sneaking in.

If you have too many meal points left at the end of the semester, remember that they will not be on your card next semester, and the deadline to reduce your meal plan has already passed.

Make the best of it, and spend your extra money at the Berkey Creamery. Buy your family cartons of ice cream as a thank you for helping you move out. The Creamery also sells thermal bags so your ice cream will make it home without melting. Each bag is $3 and will keep ice cream cool for up to 12 hours, Creamery Supervisor Veronica Brown said. Every year, Brown said, students come to the Creamery to spend their meal points.

"We take their balance before they shop so they know their limit," she said. "They have tons and tons of stuff they put on the counter."

This year, another option is available. The Creamery can take your remaining meal points and put them on a gift card.

"This way if they're coming back the next semester they can shop then," Brown said.

Treating yourself to an ice cream cone is one of the best ways to relax after a tough final.