Ten Free College Resources Every Student Should Know About

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Do you ever feel frustrated by the steep price tag of post-secondary education? You’re not alone. If you’re anything like me, the exorbitant costs of higher education leave you feeling frustrated and strapped for cash.

I’ve spent countless hours sifting through the web and my school’s website and experimenting with different resources to maximize my tuition. After plenty of trial and error, I’ve compiled a list of ten invaluable resources that every student should know about to help make every dollar count.

The fees for these resources are included in your tuition and are usually non-refundable. Hence, I consider them “free”.

1. LIBRARY RESOURCES

The library is arguably the most essential part of an institution; everyone has one. These are some of the resources made available to students through the library.

The library is the number one book resource (obviously😏). Most schools can lend hard copies of books to their students (and even non-students); they can also provide soft copies of textbooks and access to some research publications, websites or scientific sites for books.

Depending on the school, some libraries lend laptops to their students for a given period. My school lends laptops to students every semester for the whole semester. Also, it offers weekly loans to students who need them for a shorter period.

You can borrow them every semester or every week, depending on how long you need them (I am currently typing this blog post from the laptop I borrowed from my school because my notebook is terrible). The computer also comes with a laptop bag, charger and a mouse (if you request one).

The school library also lends phone and laptop chargers to students. If you always forget your charger at home or always have a flat battery, you should borrow one from your school library.

The library sometimes has volunteer or job positions open to students. How is this resource? The volunteer or job experience acquired can boost your resume to get related (or unrelated) jobs!

The school library’s resources vary across schools, so you should always ask the librarians what applies to your school. Also, remember the deadlines required for you to return whatever was lent to you because, most times, there is a late return fee associated with those items.

There might also be some resources your school library offers that I should have mentioned, so be sure to ask other students what resources they get from the library and double-check with those who work in your school library.

2. HEALTH AND WELLNESS RESOURCES

The health and wellness centre (your school might have a different name) offers resources tailored to help students achieve mental, physical, intellectual (and sometimes social) well-being through various programs. 

The centre provides (or should, depending on your school) Access and Disability Resources (ADR) for students who need accommodations (primarily for students with disabilities) for exams, classes and other things. They should also be able to provide disability documentation and support students who face discrimination due to their disability.

The health and wellness centre also provides services for students who experience or have experienced personal/academic stress, sexual violence and mental issues. The centre might also offer free immunization and other services through the health centre, such as counselling and consulting services.

This centre also offers free fitness and aquatics facilities, like swimming pools and gymnasiums, which are helpful for students who like to work out.

3. CAREER DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES

This service provides advice, support, planning, and preparation resources to help students pursue their career goals. This resource allows students looking for a career direction, need a career plan, need feedback on their resume or LinkedIn profile or need to improve their job search strategies.

They also assist students in preparing for job interviews; they connect students to potential job employers through career fairs, workshops and employer events. They also help their students with jobs and internships.

Most schools also have several job listings available to students. You should always check with the students association to know when part-time position applications open around the school. Your school should have a website for job postings around the school, like the library, students association committee, convenience stores, and others.

If you want to volunteer, various volunteer opportunities should be available in your school.

It would help if you volunteered in positions matching your course of study or future career goals. For example, as a nursing student, you could volunteer with mental health advocacy, health services or peer support. 

4. FINANCIAL RESOURCES

Most schools give out bursaries to their students every semester with little to no requirements to qualify for the bursaries, and I can’t say how much I see students who struggle with finances sleep on these.

I have always talked to students who need these bursaries; most don’t know about them or are too lazy to apply. Bursaries are very helpful in lifting some financial burdens like tuition, textbooks, and appliances. My school gives students at least 100 new laptops yearly, which is very helpful.

Workshops that empower students financially, like budgeting workshops, tax workshops, and self-employment workshops, are also excellent to attend.

5. FOOD BANKS

Let me get this disclaimer out: DON’T USE THIS RESOURCE UNLESS YOU HAVE NO OTHER OPTION LEFT.

Schools usually design this resource for students who struggle significantly with food or financial insecurity. School food banks are typically open to students of that school to all students (although they should be used by struggling students). If you know anyone struggling, kindly direct them to this resource if your school has one.

6.LANGUAGE LEARNING RESOURCES

There are increasing numbers of students of different backgrounds, which makes it easier for students to learn new languages. Suppose you are a student who needs to improve their language skills; this would be the perfect opportunity to do so! My school holds a tea chat meeting, which allows students to practice their English conversational skills. 

You can also meet with other students to learn other languages (speaking different languages looks good on your resume!😉). My school has a volunteering program called Global Chat. Through this program, students learn other languages from one another and get a volunteer experience record as well!

You should always check with your school to see if they have something similar or better!

7. WRITING CENTER

Virtually all schools have a writing centre, yet only a few students use it. The writing centre provides feedback on all writing styles (APA, AMLA, etc.), and it has been a lifesaver for me. I’ve been using it for feedback on all my essays since my first semester in college, and it’s been instrumental in improving my grades across various courses. I highly recommend giving it a shot. It could be the difference between losing marks and saving them. 

8.MATHS LEARNING CENTRE

It makes sense to have a maths learning centre since most students struggle with maths. My school calls it the maths and stats learning centre, which means you can go there for more than just maths course problems. The best part is that you could meet other professors here for better insights on different topics. I highly recommend it; it’s been saving my life.

9. MAKERSPACE

Are you an innovative student? Do you like to create or experiment with making different stuff? Or is your hobby related to 3D, textile or multimedia?

Then, the Makerspace was made for you.

Makerspaces are designed to support students by providing tools and materials to create with technology like 3D printing, scanning, and programming. Sometimes, there are also resources for knitting, button making, coding, and multimedia projects.

Each university’s Makerspace provides different resources for students. So, you should always check to ensure they have the necessary resources.

Also, some universities make their Makerspace available to Engineering students only, so you should keep that in mind and confirm with your school.

10. BEING A STUDENT/YOUR STUDENT EMAIL

You are probably wondering, “How is this a free resource? I pay tuition every year to maintain my standing as a student.” My point is that your student email helps you get things cheaper.

You can get free access to paid services with your student ID if you are not a student. Also, your student email provides discounts for subscriptions like Amazon Prime, Microsoft 360, skincare purchases, appliances, tickets, and more.

Always check to see if there is a student discount before buying anything for the total price!

SUMMARY

Each college provides many free resources, but most students either don’t need to learn or take advantage of them. Always check with your school and peers to learn about the free resources (or notable resources) they use.

Some of these resources include but are not limited to;

Library resources, health and wellness, career development, financial resources, food banks, your student email/ID and lots more.

Thank you for reading, and I’ll catch you in the next blog post!