Heading to college/university for the first time can be a terrifying experience for some. It is also quite an expensive experience!
So, one curious person took to Reddit to find out what some of the best resources are that students should be aware of to get the most out of their studying by asking, “What are some free/low-cost resources college students should know about?”
Below, you will find a series of resources for students that will help them save money, make the most out of their time studying, and keep them in their best physical and mental health!
Getting The Most Out Of Your Library!
“Use the library for everything you can: textbooks, movies, games, music, printing, quiet study space, tutoring, etc. Librarians love to help and you might be surprised what they can lend out to you. I borrowed a telescope last week!” — SignoreReddit
I remember the day that I realized you could check out DVDs from our uni library. It was amazing. I felt like I was back at Blockbuster video choosing my films!
Student Discounts On Streaming Services
“Spotify Premium, Hulu, and Showtime for $5/month total with a student email address. Works for grad school students too. Not helpful with productivity, but very helpful for sanity.” — hooterscooter
Amazon Prime used to do a free year of Prime for students, which was a godsend for when I had exhausted Netflix and needed other shows to watch as opposed to actually doing work.
Free Food!
“Pay attention to events calendars. Most college events have free food. This may be different for this semester, but don’t underestimate it down the road.” — mywifemademegetthis
The freshers’ fair at our university was always a goldmine for free food vouchers for local restaurants and takeaways! Although, the vouchers themselves taste terrible, just a heads up.
Google Scholar
“Google Scholar. Great free google [ sic ] search engine that gives credible articles to use in research papers and [shows] you how to properly cite them.” — andyb2383
This is another resource that I used during my time at university and it really helped save time when it came to bibliographies. Another student elaborated: “I exclusively use this in the MSc I’m currently undertaking. You can [log in] to your university’s network (library credentials?) to get access to most of the documents/papers. [Referencing-wise] it’s incredible as it gives you multiple styles (e.g. APA/Harvard etc). You can also view ‘related’ papers which I’ve found incredibly helpful.”
Finding Out What Your Student Fees Cover
“While not technically free, you probably pay a bunch of student fees for access to the gym, pool, free/reduced cost public transportation etc. Understand what things your student fees cover and take advantage of them.” — wazzle13
It took me until third year to realize that my student fees covered a gym membership. I mean, I only used it a handful of times, but it was worth it when I had it!
Free Food From A Temple
“If you are a starving student, and there’s a Sikh temple in your area, they do something called a Langer. It’s basically food they serve to the community and it’s legitimately good. They usually will ask you to volunteer or do some kitchen work in exchange. Me and a group of 4 college students would attend regularly, and the food was great.
“I was broke and had to pay my way through college with zero support. I had a friend that told me about the Langer, but I was worried they would push the religion on me. Didn’t happen at all. I was nervous just showing up, but they were some of the kindest people I’ve ever met with zero judgement. I’m not religious, but Sikh people restored my faith in humanity.” — MexicanAlemundo
Flexible On-Campus Jobs
“Expanding on the library in other ‘life hacks’ on campus… Look for part time work on campus either as a student worker or under work study. Shifts tend to be a lot more flexible so you can work between classes (go in for two hours, go to class, then come back) and they [oftentimes] are supportive of allowing you to use downtime to study. Plus the work experience is great — I worked in the Business College and the student union and they were excellent references after graduation.” — WeirdWally1980
I took advantage of this while I was at college too. It’s definitely a better way to balance work and studying than working at a job somewhere that will not give you appropriate time for your studies.
Clep Testing…
“Clep testing. It’s a program that allows you to take a single test rather than an entire class for credit. It’s only for some general academic courses, and each college has its guidelines on how they apply to credits. That said taking advantage of them can reduce the time and money required to earn your degree.” — hboc22
This was not something that I was ever made aware of. One person also added the caveat, “This is true to an extent! If you’re really not looking to suffer through that class again then go for clep, but for example I could have taken a clep for history but If I did that, I still needed a certain number of hours in humanities courses. It was easier to just take the course full of material I already knew than to load on another course I wasn’t familiar with. Depends how interested you are and how the credits apply to your major.”
Free Counseling
“Please use your school’s on-campus mental health professionals. They are easy to access, usually free, certified, and acutely aware of the stresses and issues with college life.” — FamousMesa
In recent years, a lot of campuses have realized the importance of maintaining the mental health of students and have adopted more and more resources to keep students in their best shape. There is no shame in asking for help, and it can do you a world of good!
Getting Massively Discounted Software
“A lot of times your university will have stupid cheap software licenses for students/faculty. At my university we got Adobe Creative-Cloud licenses for $10/year and free Microsoft Office licences (this was before office 365, so it wasn’t a subscription). Sometimes the cheap software is only for certain departments/majors but at mine they had several deeply discounted software packages any student could buy.” — tuscaloser
This was actually one of the most popular answers on the thread, mainly thanks to people who had gotten Adobe software at a steal!
Finding Old Editions Of Textbooks
“Find the previous editions of your textbooks. Frequently they will be as cheap as $0.05. If your professor pulls homework questions out of the current edition go to the library and use their reference copy just for the questions.
“Although with a lot of the access codes needed these days it might not be possible.” — YallNeedSomeJohnGalt
This can be a great idea, but it is also quite important to make sure you’re not buying anything too old! Also, if you’re planning on selling your own textbooks, then make sure you sell them fast because if they’re too old, they won’t sell.
Free Condoms!
“I feel like it would be good to point out that the majority of places have free condoms for student use, making it easier for everyone to stay safe.” — SomeCTdude
A lot of schools and universities do this now, as it makes sense to try and teach your students to make the right decisions in all aspects of their life. Practice safe sex, guys and get free condoms! Sorry to sound like an after-school special!
Understandable Math Resources
“Paul’s online math notes for calculus. It’s filled with examples and decent, down to earth explanations that don’t confuse the sh*t outta you”! — NicksThicc
I actually had a quick look at this website to make sure that it was really as good as they say, and it is very clear and handy for someone looking for math resources!
Citation Managers For Faster Bibliographies
“Mendeley. [It’s] a citation manager geared towards [peer-reviewed] literature. It has a browser extension that downloads the pdf/citation, and integrates with [Word]. As you’re typing, you can add [in-text] citations by searching for the author. Then when you’re done, click add bibliography. Boom.. Done. Its made by [Elsevier]. Once you use it, you’ll wonder why you ever added citation by hand/one at a time.” — HeyYallWatchThiss
Mendeley is not the only citation manager out there as well. There are many different software programs out there that offer this service, dependent on your own specific requirements!
Preparing Yourself For Work!
“Data suggests that the number 1 reason students go to college is for better job prospects once they graduate. Because of this, remember that to a recruiter or HR department, college is more than just your academics. It is about all of your experiences: class projects, personal projects, getting involved on campus through student orgs, student worker positions, volunteering, internships, etc.
“This means you should make use of your school’s Career Center well before spring semester of your senior year so that you can learn how to talk about yourself professionally: through a resume, cover letter, interviews, networking. Learning the basics earlier and working on them each year as you look to secure internships will make you a really successful candidate once it comes time to find a full time job. As some of the other comments have mentioned, your student fees pay for resources you have access to through the Career Center, so take advantage of them!” — peacharnoldpalmer
In fairness, this is perhaps the most tedious answer on this thread! Although, sadly, it is very true and very useful!
Using Student Tutor Services
“Many colleges and universities have writing centers staffed by fellow students. They go through your writing assignments with you, identify the strengths in your writing and places you can improve for everything from basic grammar to transitions to your thesis to references, citations and formatting. And since they’re fellow students, they’ve already done those same assignments and know what the professor is looking for.” — doolyboolean3
While some campuses will not allow people to help you with current assignments, there is a lot to be said for having tutors go back through old assignments in more detail to really identify the specific areas that you need to improve on in the future!
Free Online Lectures
“Khan Academy has some good resources I’ve been using to study for one of my anatomy and physiology courses.
“Every person I know that has taken the course has said how hard it is, and I wanted to get a running start. Someone referred me to the link and it’s been great! I have about 60 pages worth of notes.” — qwasymoto
Getting Free Textbooks
“Never buy/rent your textbooks from the college bookstore unless you can’t find them anywhere else online. Seriously, bookstores overprice the sh*t out of your books and you will save a lot of money getting them from Amazon, Chegg, Ebay, etc instead.” — dailydonuts16
There are also people who said that they bought their books at a discount from seniors who no longer needed them. Also, one other person pointed out, “And ask senior students about which books are useless to buy. Saved me so much money because I didn’t buy books that the prof would never use.”
Using Podcasts To Your Advantage
“This is really simplistic but podcasts. If you are mulling over an essay question, a book, an exam topic whatever the best way to really take on a lot of the perspectives is often to listen to the author speak while you are doing your shop, walking to uni whatever.
“Interviews often see their ideas get challenged and they will often mention other thinkers who have influenced them in positive or negative ways. It’s a great way to really get a grasp on a topic.” — WeirdWally1980
We live in a time where nearly everyone and their dog is running a podcast, and there are countless ones that will be useful in whatever area you are studying. They can also be listened to on the fly!
Claiming Unclaimed Bursaries
“Go to the awards office at your school and talk to someone and find out if you qualify for anything.
“You’d be surprised how many bursaries and similar go unclaimed each year. As a student every little bit helps, and you never know what you’ll qualify for until you go and ask. Some are based on grades sure, but many are based on need or your background or circumstances, and the occasional one is just first person to sign up with a pulse.
“Seriously it’s worth the hour it takes for you to go visit in person and talk to a real person who can guide you through. Or maybe you can do all that [sh*t] online now. But take the time, it could be free money to you and free you up to concentrate on your drinking studies.” — billbapapa
If you have any tips or tricks that students can use that you would like to share, then be sure to do so in the comments below!
