As the end of the year rapidly approaches, it is time to start thinking about holiday shopping. Once you’ve determined who you’re shopping for — which friends and family members are you playing Secret Santa with this year? — the focus shifts to what you’re buying and how much you’re willing to spend. For college students who don’t have a surplus to splurge on gifts, this can cause a lot of stress.
Luckily, companies have students in mind this time of year. Student discounts are easy to obtain; usually all you need is proof of enrollment at a university. Many places offer student discounts and great deals if you know where to look.
If you’re looking for a larger gift for a family member, there’s always the option of electronics. Brands like Logitech, Samsung and LG offer discounts on their products, and many online services also provide deals for students. Babbel, NordVPN and Dropbox are some examples of useful services that offer money off the original price. For other deals not just specific to students, Best Buy consistently has good holiday discounts. Be sure to keep an eye on what products you want.
Student discounts are most abundant when it comes to clothing. Many fashion brands offer a small percentage off their inventory — Adidas offers up to 15% off in-store, and stores like American Eagle and Forever 21 provide online codes to enter at checkout for up to 20% off. It may not seem like a lot, but a little goes a long way when you’re shopping for many different people at a time.
A practical gift that’s not often thought of is a streaming service. Many services offer annual subscriptions, which can provide a person or family with hours of entertainment. Students can pay for Hulu for just $1.99 a month, which is 75% off the normal price. Amazon Prime and Prime Video offer six months completely free for students, followed by a payment of only $7.49 a month. HBO Max offers 50% off, and YouTube Premium offers a free trial followed by a monthly discount. Streaming services are a very useful option, especially for those who are hard to shop for.
For the fashionable ones in your life, many beauty lines will offer money off for students. Clinique and Fenty Beauty both offer 15% off their products, and HiSmile and Charlotte Tilbury offer even more. The price of makeup can add up rather quickly, so it’s worth it to snag these deals while you have the advantage of being a student. These products can make for great stocking stuffers.
This is nowhere near the limit of what’s available for students. All of these discounts are available on the UNiDAYS app, which provides a hub for student discount codes and links. All you need is a student email to prove enrollment in a university and the app will do the verification on other websites for you. There’s a massive list of brands on the app that students can choose from, and there are the occasional limited time deals that pop up. You can even just search up your favorite brand followed by the phrase “student discount.” You might be pleasantly surprised.
None of these have to apply just to the holiday season — students should take advantage of these all year round. Treating yourself is the least you can do after a tough exam.
