10 Things College Students Should NEVER Pay For
Let’s face it….
College is SUPER expensive whether you have the means to afford it or you’re struggling to get by it can be a real financial burden for anyone.
The upside of the large sticker price is that colleges usually come with ALOT of amenities and if you really want to maximize the amount you’re paying then it doesn’t make sense to pay for things that are covered in your cost of attendance.
The sad part is that most of us either don’t know most of the services offered for free and sometimes its that we’re just too lazy to find out what’s actually available. Trust me, that’s been me. Regardless of whatever boat you fall into here are 10 Items college students should never pay for.
Fitness Membership
This one is a no-brainer.
Almost every college has some sort of gym or recreational sport that their students can take part of. It’s NEVER worth it to pay for a pricier gym. Gyms aren’t the only type of fitness activities colleges offer though many college gyms also offer free class, one on one personal training and many more.
Also, if you live in a college town a lot of gyms offer free trials or free introductory classes for college students. The options of endless so college students should never pay for fitness memberships.
Plastic Water Bottles
Almost all colleges have some sort of water filtration system and usually, they are all over the campus and very accessible! Even if you’re paranoid about running out of clean water by simply buying a reusable water bottle or water jug to keep in your room you won’t have to keep buying plastic water bottles.
Not only is it bad for your wallet but its also bad for the environment. So next time you go college supply shopping ditch the plastic water bottles.
Common Cleaning Supplies
Did you know that most colleges have a supply closet in your residence hall and that if you simply ask or look around to find it you can get anything from a broom and mop to borrow or rolls of paper towels, trash bags, and much more!
Colleges usually stay heavily stocked on these supplies because they use them constantly and they are usually available to students.
Tutoring Services
In college, you don’t need a fancy tutor to get by!
Most colleges have a writing center where you can get help editing your papers but there are also department tutors as well that are paid by the college for more applied skills like math and languages.
Colleges want you to succeed so there is always a free option to learn more and boost your grade. If you end up hating the tutors at your college you can also go to your professor’s office hours and they can help clear things up as well!
Remember that you PAY for your school to educate you so if you feel like you need extra help they are entitled to find someone that can help you as long as you put in the work as well.
Books
Listen as a book lover I’ve been guilty of buying books and having them sit on my shelf for ages. Books can get really pricey and sometimes we’re not even sure if we like them!
College libraries usually have a lot of popular fiction and nonfiction books and usually you can check them out months at a time! Not to mention colleges also have access to audiobooks and even some ebooks! If there’s a book you love and your college doesn’t have it you can usually put in a request and they’ll get it!
I haven’t spent a dime on books since i’ve started college and yet my collection has grown exponentially, not only from borrowing books but I’ve also got books from book drives and events.
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Digital Equipment
Again college libraries are an underutilized resource!
Did you know that most college libraries don’t just have books but they also have a ton of other equipment as well? You can get anything from a camera, podcasting equipment, background and much more. Libraries are about providing educational resources and equipment is apart of that! So check out your college library to see what sort of equipment you can borrow and for how long.
I started my youtube channel without spending a dime!
Microsoft Suite
This software is free for college students at most colleges and you can stop by your colleges IT depart to get this and other software installed. I’ve been able to Microsoft suite, Adobe cloud, and Anti-virus all installed on my laptop by simply visiting my campuses IT department.
If you’re looking for the other college resources I have a post that you can read right here.
Campus Gear
I know as college students we get very excited and we want to rep our school but let’s be honest you don’t need to jump the gun and start splurging on fancy college gear because you definitely be getting them for free.
Colleges want you to rep them as well so at almost any campus event they’ll give away free T-shirts, hoodies, water bottles, stickers, and ball caps. It actually kinda crazy how much free campus apparel you can get. I’ve NEVER purchased any school apparel and yet I have a whole draws worth of campus T-shirts and hoodies.
Do future self a favor and just wait for the free stuff.
Subscriptions to newspapers or journals
As a librarian, it hurts me when I see students pay for subscriptions to the new york times and other newspapers just because they don’t know they can access it for free. If you wanna support journalism and writers go for it but do not pay for them because you think you have to.
By simply going through your school’s library website there will usually be a tab for newspapers where you can search for the article you're looking for and if by chance it’s not there (which is rare) your school can request and get it to you electronically!
The rule of thumb is if it has to do with your education your school is usually subsidizing it by offering it at a discounted price or completely free so always ask before you buy.
Networking Events
Why would you pay to go to networking events when you can get your school to do it for you!
Colleges WANT you to go to networking events and conferences that’s why usually they’ll have free options on their campus but also if you see an event that you think would be cool that’s not on your campus there’s usually a development fund that will pay for you to go!
Just reach out to your school’s offices and let them know that you’re interested in the event and I promise they’ll find a way to get you there (if its reasonable of course)
So there you have it!
Some may call it finessing but others call it being innovative.
Colleges are meant to support you and your educational and personal development journey and there are so many ways they do that at no upfront cost to you so take advantage! This is usually a short period in your life where everything is slightly cheaper! Go nuts!