There's more to the college experience than fascinating lectures, frat parties and pricey textbooks. There's all that ramen, for one thing.

Mom and Dad may have paid for a dorm meal plan, but dining hall hours don't always jibe with student schedules or tastes, for that matter. Many students find themselves on the wrong side of campus, or still in class, when the cafeteria closes. Late night study sessions require refueling. And a pizza-based diet gets old — and fattening — quickly.

So here are some fresh cooking ideas that will be equally at home at the big U or in harried non-college households, too.

Start, says Belmont, Calif., chef Gigi Gaggero, by identifying what's available and developing a repertoire of easy-to-prepare dishes.

Check out local farmers markets for fresh produce finds, which will allow students to create Caprese salads, bruschetta and similar simple fare without so much as a microwave oven.

Basic cookware, such as measuring spoons, mixing bowl and a cutting board, make gourmet pursuits easy, even in a dorm setting.

Be considerate about aromas, and aware of appliance restrictions, Gaggero suggests: Don't cook fish, whip up homemade kim chee or burn the popcorn in the microwave.

As for appliances, read the fine print on the housing contract first. Mini-fridges are allowed everywhere, but the rules on microwaves, crockpots, rice cookers and George Foreman grills vary from dorm to dorm.

Many dorms have a communal kitchen. Or you can "borrow" a friend's apartment stove during a study session to cook a week's worth of baked potatoes or pasta.

"Cook a week's worth of spaghetti, penne or rigatoni," she says. "Drain it and toss it in a little bit of olive oil, then portion control it into baggies."

Reheat it in the microwave and add store-bought sauce; toss it with butter, garlic and fresh herbs; or top it with cooked, shredded chicken. That pasta can also be served cold, garnished with fresh veggies and tossed with an Asian peanut or sesame dressing.

Baked potatoes are also a reliable standby. Try splitting and stuffing them with cheese and broccoli, before zapping them in the microwave.

Of course, many vegetables can be cooked in their entirety in the microwave. Karen Rogers graduated from UC Berkeley last year, but the Berkeley resident still remembers slicing eggplant, drizzling it with olive oil, salt and a pinch of garlic powder.

"It was simple, healthy, and only required seven minutes in the microwave," she says. "Another favorite was sweet potatoes sweetened with brown sugar and dabbled with butter. All I had to do was poke the sweet potatoes with a fork and pop them in the oven for 10 minutes before they were soft."

Of course, there are caveats, too. Make sure your mini-fridge is cold enough to keep milk and meat safely chilled. Don't use a chicken-spattered cutting board to dice your vegetables. And avoid setting the building on fire.

BREAKFAST IN A MUG

Serves 1

You will need to adjust the timing to your microwave oven's specifics. Unlike most microwaved eggs, these come out fluffy and light.

• 2-3 teaspoons butter

• 1 tablespoon milk or water

• 1 or 2 eggs

• Salt, pepper to taste

• Shredded cheese

1. Place the butter in a 12-ounce microwave-safe mug or small bowl. Microwave on high for 20 to 40 seconds, or until melted and sizzling.

2. Add the milk, eggs, salt and pepper, and whisk with a fork. If you're using one egg, microwave it on high about 35 to 45 seconds, or until it just begins to set, stopping halfway through to give it a quick stir with a fork. For two eggs, it may take 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Remove eggs from microwave when they are still soft and moist in the center. Sprinkle with cheese and let sit for a minute or two to set.

— Adapted from "Dorm Room Recipes" (Quick Study Cooking)

ASIAN-INSPIRED CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE NOODLE SALAD

This salad is infinitely adaptable. Vary the vegetables, pasta type and dressing to suit your tastes.

• Chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces

• Thin egg noodles, fusilli or other pasta, cooked and drained

• 1 bunch fresh chives, chopped

• Assorted vegetables, such as red peppers, carrots and snow peas, thinly sliced

• 1 small bunch watercress or arugula, stemmed

• Sesame seeds, lightly toasted in a dry skillet

• Sesame or Bang Bang Dressing (recipes below)

Toss the chicken, cooked pasta, chives, vegetables and watercress with the dressing of your choice. Serve hot or cold, garnished with toasted sesame seeds and chives.

SESAME DRESSING

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• 1 teaspoon sugar

Whisk the dressing ingredients together, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.

BANG BANG DRESSING

• 5 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter

• 3 tablespoons hot water

• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon cold water

Stir the peanut butter and hot water together until the mixture becomes smooth, or as smooth as crunchy peanut butter can become. Add the remaining ingredients and blend well. The mixture should be just thin enough to spoon over the chicken and pasta. If necessary, add another tablespoon of hot water.

— Adapted from "The Student Cookbook," Linda Collister and Ross Dobson, (Ryland, Peters and Small, 2009)