As a fellow college student, I am a strong proponent of soup! Every couple of weeks this semester I've made a big pot of chicken soup, corn chowder, or chili to stick in the freezer for quick, easy reheated meals. My other go-to is pasta. Good luck with finals :)

I loved the idea I saw on this site about making your own freezer burritos, which has served me well for a quick and healthy lunch to bring to work. I usually fill mine with black and pinto beans cooked with tomatoes, chipotle, cumin, a little cilantro, and pack it in with rice (beans + rice = complete protein!) and might throw in a little tofutti sour cream on top....

Takes a bit to assemble but then you have a great meal (or midnight snack) three minutes away for the next few weeks. (So thanks TheKitchn for the idea!!)

Or cook a ton of brown rice and freeze it in individual containers or bags. Then you can do a quick stir fry of veg, tofu, eggs ect. and just pop the rice in the microwave for a few minutes.

Although both my ideas are contingent on you having graduated from a mini fridge...

I make this soup every winter and I adore it. It's a nice balance of starch, greens and meat:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sweet-Potato-and-Sausage-Soup-240092

Yes to the big old soup pot, and YES to the freezer burrittos. I made a batch when they first posted here, and then made a BIG batch again a couple weeks later. I now have 10 burrittos in my freezer and they are the best emergency rations. Made-ahead egg dishes like Spanish tortilla, frittatas, and quiches can be sliced up and ready to eat any time. Best of all these foods are happy at any temp.

i'm a law student in the same boat. i survive on healthy, protein- & veggie-packed casseroles
here's my formula
1 c grain (usually quinoa, sometimes brown rice)
1 can beans
1-2 cups chopped nibbly bits (shredded cheese, chopped pancetta, leftover veggies like sauteed mushrooms, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes)
1 cup chopped greens (use sturdy ones like kale or collards)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3-1 c dairy product (sour cream, cottage cheese, ricotta-- this can be anywhere on the spectrum of whole fat or no fat)
salt & pepper to taste

use it to stuff a winter squash or bake it in a casserole pan-- it will take about 45 minutes at 350

this is also a great way to clean out your pantry/fridge before you head off for winter break!

I'm a phd student in the same boat. I like to slow cook chicken thighs or a pork roast and incorporate them into easy meals (pasta!) throughout the week. Good luck with exams!

I used to make a big pot of beef, veggie and rice stew during dead weeks and I've always been a fan of hoagies. Recently I can't get enough of the calzone recipe the kitchn posted a few months ago. I would consider drying some fruit and meats myself too for portable snacks in the library (if your library is as friendly about food as mine was).

I used to do a lot of vegetarian tacos in college. Warmed black beans and corn, mixed with a little shredded pepper jack cheese, top with pico de gallo and avocado slices.

Another suggestion would be to do some quick stir fries, heavy on the veggies and light on the meat. Meat is expensive anyway!

Chili in a crock pot (they are cheap new or thrift). Ground meat and/or just beans chopped veg(onion,corn,peppers,whatever ) from the freezer put in pot for 3-4 hour, even unattended. And serve with cheese, sour cream, etc. Ohh and some Frito's for dipping! Cheap and tons of food!

I always made a huge pot of black bean soup which can be:
-eaten on it's own or with chili toppings
-added into quesadillas as a bean base with toppings like queso fresco, cilantro, salsa, etc.
-added to tortillas for bean tacos and topped with avocado, feta, and radish
-added as a topping on top of microwaved or baked sweet potatoes along with toppings like greek yogurt, chopped leftover veg, etc.

I'm a student too, so I know how much fuel one needs for studying hard. My advice is to make a bit pot of soup, filled with veggies and some dumplings, it really is great to just heat it up and eat a comforting meal.
Cereal, oats, trail mixes, bread (freezing bread is also amazing, so you can pull it out of the freezer and heat it up), all are pretty useful when the hunger hits.
And when energy is low, and the mood isn't really high, chocolate and sweet treats are really important. I always have some chocolate nearby, and my recent obsession is baking muffins or other sweet stuff and freezing them, so I can have it whenever I want.

This chickpea-spinach curry made with canned chickpeas, and you could sub out the spices for an equivalent amount of regular old curry powder. Add some cayenne for heat if you like. Serve with naan or rice and plain yogurt.

These lady's have saved my busy/young/broke-ish behind, many a time: http://www.biggirlssmallkitchen.com/2011/09/the-11-best-quick-dinners.html

I really like Ellie Krieger's energy bars for a quick breakfast or snack. The recipe is at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/energy-bars-recipe/index.html. There are a lot of ingredients, but they're really easy to whip up and they freeze well. They're much better than the prepackaged ones you can buy in stores!

Chili, lazagna, stews, etc.... I am also a student and I usually cook on weekends and then eat the food during the week. If you do this every week then you will have enough that you don't need to repeat meals during the week. In your case you can get everyone to make something different. It is also good if you don't all eat at the same time.

When I know it's going to be a busy week, I make one of these: http://www.betterbudgeting.com/frugalrecipes/pennecasserole.htm
Quick, easy and tastes great reheated. I've tweaked it along the way - garlic and italian seasoning to the beef. I even sneak in veggies and fool my husband by using the Ragu that has 1/2 cup of veggies in each serving.

Turkey chili? I add lots of veggies (leafy greens have become a favorite) and beans and it's healthy and delicious. We use dried beans so I make a big batch and use the extra in another dish.

Fish is my favorite brain food. Rather than cook a big batch of something to last you the week, pick up a fresh piece of fish on the way home and bake it with some simple seasoning (lemon, red pepper, and breadcrumbs are great).

Saute a veggie to go on the side. Dinner will be on in about 15 minutes. If you want to do this a few days in a row with different fillets (salmon and tilapia are my fast-cooking faves), you can cook up a big batch of rice or potatoes to go with it on day one and then reheat as needed.

The best part of this is that there's really no thought required when you're not following a recipe. Just bake til flakey!

I love the idea of a big pot of steel-cut oatmeal in the mornings and I'd recommend a big batch of veggie soup that you can easily add a protein to if you'd like. Or roast a chicken (while studying) on Sunday (Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk maybe?) and then pick on it all week long...

though I'd be lying if I didnt say that during grad school finals week I lived on clementines, green tea, diet dr pepper and sour cream cutout cookies... for 7 semesters.

Taco soup is always a favorite at my house. I got the recipe from my college roommate - she used to make big pots of it and freeze individual portions for when she had no time to cook.

1-2 lbs ground beef
1 can of corn
1 can of green beans
1 can of wax beans
1 can of kidney or pinto beans
1 can of garbanzo beans
32 oz canned, stewed tomatoes
16 oz tomato sauce
2 pkgs taco seasoning (or just use your own spices)

Do not drain any of the cans. Brown the beef in the bottom of the soup pot then add everything else, including all the liquid from the canned vegetables to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes. Enjoy with tortilla chips.