Blog — Sisters for Financial Independence (2024)

To be fair, are these things really “free”? Yes and no. In the moment, you probably don’t have to pay for many of these things in-person, but realistically you probably paid for student activity fees, health insurance (maybe waived), and more. Your tuition is paying for something. Additionally, the items listed below can vary from school to school, and are especially varied during the Coronavirus pandemic, where many schools are managing virtual classes, hybrid settings, or other setup. Whether you’re spending your time online, or one day can return to campus, you might as well take advantage of what you can! They’ll be more expensive once you are out in the real world.

Food

One of the most obvious, but also hit or miss, is scoring free food by attending campus events. We love some free pizza and drinks. Your school will probably offer free meals at some point, but it’s up to you to get out of your dorm room and get it. Student Appreciation Day. Game Day. Pancakes with the President. Carnival foods for a campus fair. Popcorn and drinks for a movie night. Midnight Breakfast. There are plenty of opportunities to grab something to eat. As you progress through college, you probably will also be able to discern what events are worth going to and what’s not worth your time or stomach. All in all, school events with free food are your savior when you don’t have time between class or money in your wallet.

Gym

Whether it’s to combat the “Freshmen 15” or to focus on your general health, you should take advantage of the gym and fitness facilities on campus. Most schools will offer satisfactory fitness centers that could include weight rooms, cardio equipment, sports facilities (basketball courts, tennis courts, soccer field, a pool, etc), and may even offer exercise classes, like yoga, Zumba, fencing, or racquetball. Unfortunately, after college, you will probably not have the luxury of having a free gym 5-minutes away from your room and gym memberships come at a cost.

Guest Speakers, Lectures, Special Programs

This might sound boring, but you should probably try to attend a few events that have guest speakers, panelists, and whatnot. Your school (or the clubs and organizations) probably selected these people for a reason -- they’re respected in their field, have achieved something amazing, and can inspire students like you. Sometimes in the “real world”, these guest speakers and their presentations come at a cost, so hear from them while it’s free and available. Maybe you’ll learn something new and exciting to you. Bonus if there’s free food!

Memorabilia

Free shirts. Free water bottles. Totes, mugs, flags, hats, pens, and more. You name it. You’ll probably end up with too many free t-shirts. They can’t all be sleep or workout shirts, but with a collection of school memorabilia, you’ll have enough for yourself, your dorm room, and to give away to family members. Your school wants you to be a walking advertisem*nt, so don’t be surprised if they’re giving away anything and everything with your school name on it.

Entertainment

I’ll admit sometimes, campus entertainment can be a joke sometimes, but with a few friends, it can still be a fun time. From talent shows, to movie showings, dances and silent discos, open mic night, and more, there’s usually something going on around campus. Some events might be at a premium but will give a huge discount to students. Go see or do something that you wouldn’t have sought after before. If there’s no campus-held events, your school may partner up with outside vendors and institutions to provide additional fun programming, like concerts, tours, museum visits, comedy shows, and more. They might even provide transportation to and from campus.

Tutoring

Your school will probably have a tutoring or writing center set up, whether physical or virtual. Luckily for you, if you need help in math or English, it’s probably not at a cost to you. These tutors are usually other students who are getting paid to tutor you! Don’t be afraid to ask for help, before it’s too late. Most programs have already adapted to virtual-tutoring too, so don’t worry if you want to keep your distance.

Health Services

Your school should have some sort of health services on campus or nearby. Health services can provide informational sessions related to mental health, physical health, nutrition, sexual education, and more. I, personally, waived my school’s health insurance policy because I was under my mother’s insurance plan, but regardless if you’re on the school’s plan or not, you can probably still take advantage of the free, educational resources they provide. Your school might offer STI testing, flu shots, and free condoms, so it’s worth seeing what you can take advantage of before you head to your personal doctor or minute-clinic/urgent care.

Counseling/Therapy

While mental health is an ever-growing priority, many students may not want or know how to deal with their insurance policy regarding getting help. I decided to separate this from Health Services, but your school will offer some sort of counseling services at your convenience. This is a really important feature because many students can find themselves struggling, whether it’s with school/life balance, adjusting to a virtual school environment, coping with tragedy, academic support, addiction counseling and referral, multicultural counseling, LGBTQA+ services, or general stress management. Unfortunately, some schools’ counseling facilities can be inundated and it’s important you take advantage of what’s available, while also advocating to expand services.

Transportation

If you’re commuting, you’ll probably have to worry about parking fees and commuting costs. Be sure to check if there are any student discounts on trains, busses, metro passes, and more.. Additionally, your school may offer free shuttles that can get you around campus or to/from the local train station. For those who don’t have a car, or aren’t allowed to have a car on campus as a freshman, you should look into other transportation options. If you live on campus, your school may offer shuttles or shopping vans to get you to and from shopping destinations in your area, like grocery stores, the mall, etc. This can save you a few bucks, especially if you rely on Ubers/Lyfts to get to certain areas of interest.

Career Services

Career services isn’t just important when you’re a junior or senior trying to find a job. Career services can help you find internships, research opportunities, scholarships and grants to apply to, and more. My school held everything from the large career fairs, to resume/CV reviews, networking events, mock interviews, and more. Career Services are still trying to make an effort to be a resource to you, even if all their programming is digital/virtual.

Programs & Software

Besides getting the discounted student version of certain computer programs, some schools may offer software available for download for free! Check your school’s website or ask if there is a digital software library. This could include Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk Products (AutoCAD, Revit, etc), Creo, MATLAB, Solidworks, and more.

Libraries

Campus libraries aren’t just a good place to study or nap. Whether you use the physical space, or the digital version of your library, your library services may offer other services besides the actual books that are in there. Besides research databases to help you with your essay assignments, libraries can also offer magazine, journal, and newspaper subscriptions, photo databases, digital books, movies, and more. Libraries can also be your go-to place for printing services and computer labs. Your local library (non-campus) may also offer other perks, like museum passes for card holders.

Alumni Status

As an alum of your school, you’re probably going to be given some benefits as a graduate. It’s their way of thanking you, but also their way of buttering you up so they can ask you for donations. Regardless if you give them money or not, your school might offer an alumni card, which can grant you access to school facilities. This can be especially helpful if you live locally to your school. My alma mater offers access to the athletic/fitness center, libraries, and more as an alumni. If you go to a school where athletics are also a big part of its college culture, you probably will also get some sort of discount for games and/or season passes.

Free Samples

Companies and vendors like to advertise their products and services to college students, which means they might set up tables on your campus green or in your campus center to gauge interest from students like you. Sure, you might have to talk to a company representative for a few minutes, but eventually they’ll offer you free samples and products (or if you’re lucky, you can just grab and go). Sometimes some companies will also have brand ambassadors, who happen to actually be your college classmates! I knew a girl who used to be Prime Student Ambassador for Amazon and would give away mini first-aid packs, frisbees, cups, and miscellaneous items. As for other companies, I’ve received everything from free feminine products, phone grips and accessories, to even free Redbull!