Now that you live in one of the culinary capitals of the world of course you should go out, explore, and eat everywhere from Soho to Spanish Harlem. But sometimes only takeout will do. Turn to takeout when...

-you just can’t face another slice of pizza from John Jay.
-you just can’t be bothered to leave your room.
-it is just too cold.
-you have four papers due in the next 12 hours and going out to eat is simply not an option.
-you are homesick, and the only thing that will make you feel better is curling up in bed with good, hot food and an episode of your favorite show.

A couple of quick tips for the take-out virgin:

-Particularly the first time you order from any restaurant, be ready with the street address of your dorm (which can be found on the housing website)—don’t expect to say “Carman” and be understood.
-Ask how long it is going to take, it will save you frustration and them impatient further phone calls.
-Ask how much it is going to cost so you don’t end up running down 10 flights of stairs with not enough cash.
-Meet the delivery guy downstairs, probably outside the lobby of your dorm.
Tip, tip, tip. It is not a suggestion in this city. 10% is barely acceptable, 20% is probably a better idea.

The biggest question is where to order from. It can be fun to collect menus from restaurants, since almost every place prints them in some form, but if you aren’t a collector, try CU Eats (www.cueat.com). The Web site has a pretty comprehensive list for our neck of the woods, is easy to use, and has links to every menu. If you happen to know where you want to get your food, going to the restaurant’s Web site is another option—most restaurants have their menus and phone number posted.

If you are ready to jump into it, but aren’t sure where to start, try one of these Spec Food favorites:

-Thai Market (212.280.4575, www.thaimarketnyc.com) – Friendly, great food, and relatively quick.
-Café Swish (212.222.3568, no website) – Good service is not part of the vocabulary of anybody who works for Swish, but the food is good and delivery ridiculously fast. Also, their delivery zone goes all the way to 220th if you happen to want takeout at Baker Field.
-Sezz Medi (212.932.2901, www.sezzmedi.com) – There’s really great Italian here (fantastic pizzas), and delivery is slow but worth the wait.