There are plenty of benefits to being a college student, like the discounted tickets to museums, free access to the university gym and library, and all the other things you already know about. But most colleges offer a lot of free resources to help students succeed and just don’t advertise them well. Chances are, if you’re a college student, your college probably offers some of these benefits to you for free. If you’re interested, ask someone or look around your school’s website to find out.
Subscriptions to Online Services
Many colleges offer free access to paid online services. For example, your school might offer refunds for Course Hero costs. Course Hero is a great online resource that offers flashcards, tutors, and study aids for courses at many large universities. Course Hero has no cost for a basic subscription, which gives you access to basic flashcards and allows you to pay per question for help from a tutor. You have to pay for a premium membership, which allows you to download study documents and other great benefits. Fortunately, your school might offer refunds for premium subscription Course Hero costs. Other services you might have access to include online tech training through Lynda, or the ability to borrow things like cameras and laptops.
Tutoring Services
Your college wants you to learn as much as possible from your classes, so many colleges offer free tutoring services. Some hire students who have done well in courses in the past to tutor other students, free of charge. Most universities also offer services like a writing center, where you can take drafts of your class papers to be edited. You also may be able to find services for students with learning disabilities. A learning disabilities center might help you study for class, proctor exams for you so that you have more time to take the test, or just give you advice on getting organized.
Counseling
College is a stressful time, and there are many mental health issues that tend to pop up around the ages of 18-25. Because of that, many colleges offer free access to professional counselors. They can help you deal with anxiety, stress, relationship problems, and even the loneliness that comes from being far from home. There’s no shame in seeing a counselor, and they may be able to help you cope better and grow even more from your college experience.
Career Advice
You’re in college because you want to be better trained for a job, and your school probably wants to make sure that you can do that. Connect with your career services center early on, because they can help you throughout all four years. In your first year of school, the career services center may be able to help you narrow down what kind of degree you want. Many have career aptitude tests or interest inventories that can give you ideas of jobs to explore, or you can sit down with someone who will ask about your interests and goals and help you think about what job you might like. Career services centers might also help you find summer jobs or internships that will train you better for your career after college. In your final year at school, they’ll help you refine your resume, do practice job interviews, and connect with alumni or other professionals in your field. Networking is important for finding a job these days, so take advantage of the access your school has to alumni while you still can.
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