How To Go/Stay Vegetarian in College

Meal plans can be enticing due to the perceived convenience, but depending on the location of the dining halls compared to your classes, dorm, etc. and the price, they often don't make sense especially for vegetarians
I recommend working out how much the meal plan costs per day (semesterly rates can be really hard to comprehend without breaking it down). They're often a lot more expensive than you think (although it varies by school and plan, but don't be surprised if the number is around $20 a day). Keep in mind my go to chipotle bowl is about $8 at college, $20 a day is more than I would likely spend eating out (that's 2.5 bowls)!
Opting in or out to the meal plan is a personal choice (if it's even a choice at your college- be sure to check if opting into the meal plan is required, especially if you're a freshman and/or living on campus). Although if you do have the choice, I recommend looking into where the dining halls are, how many there are, when they are open, and comparing their daily price breakdown to what you can get at other places for that price or less.

Make sure to buy some protein like cheese or nuts
Be realistic with what you will eat and in what quantity
Top tip: buy some sort of leafy greens every week and find a way to sneak them into as many meals as possible
Another top tip: if you're not the best cook (don't worry me neither) find some sauces/dressings you really like; it can hide a lot

Here's an post from about a year ago (unfortunately prices have gone up since then, but the rest of the content is still applicable): "How I Make 1 $7 Chipotle Bowl Last 3 Meals"

Finding a place to eat out with friends can be a long and complicated process, especially when dietary restrictions are involved. Although, finding vegetarian options when eating out is likely drastically easier than you think. Personally, in my 10 years of vegetarianism I only had a hard time finding something vegetarian and that sounded good to me on the menu once.
Next time you eat out I recommend checking out the menu for vegetarian options and you'll likely be pleasantly surprised. If not, my advice to both new and seasoned vegetarians is to either ask for help if you're struggling (the staff have almost always had this question before) or ask if it's possible to make substitutions or removals (worst case scenario they say no)