Let's address the rather large elephant sitting in the lecture theatre.

University is expensive.

Really expensive.

Depending on where and what you study, tuition fees alone can run into thousands of pounds every year, and that's before you've bought food, paid rent, travelled home, replaced the saucepan your flatmate somehow destroyed or spent £44 during what was supposed to be “just one drink.”

So naturally, you should get as much as possible for your money.

And here's the thing:

Your tuition fees aren't just paying for lectures.

Universities can give students access to an enormous collection of services, facilities, software, experts, opportunities and resources.

Some students use loads of them.

Others graduate three years later having barely ventured beyond their lecture theatre, library and Students' Union bar.

Don't be the second person.

Here are some of the things you may already be paying for, and should probably start using.

1. Use Your Careers Service Before Final Year

There's a strange university tradition where students ignore the careers service for two and a half years and then suddenly arrive during final year shouting:

“HELLO. I REQUIRE A CAREER.”

Don't wait.

Your university careers service may offer things such as:

• CV reviews
• job application advice
• interview practice
• careers appointments
• employer presentations
• assessment-centre preparation
• internship opportunities
• placement support
• graduate job listings
• careers fairs
• networking events
• industry-specific advice.

And this isn't just useful when you're looking for your first graduate job.

If you're in first year and have absolutely no idea what you want to do with your degree, that's actually an excellent reason to visit them.

You have time to explore.

Loomz tip

Book a careers appointment during your first year.

You don't need to walk in announcing:

“I intend to become European Vice President of Something Important by 27.”

You can simply say:

“I don't really know what I want to do yet.”

That's what they're there for.

2. Find Out What Software You Get for Free

Before buying software, check what your university already provides.

Depending on your institution and course, you may have access to software or online services that would otherwise cost serious money.

This could include things such as:

• Microsoft 365
• statistical software
• coding tools
• design software
• specialist engineering applications
• referencing software
• research platforms
• video conferencing
• cloud storage
• language-learning resources
• industry-specific software.

Some universities also provide access to training platforms and professional learning resources.

The exact package varies enormously between institutions and departments.

Before buying anything:

Search your university website for:

“student software”

or

“free software for students”.

You might discover that the thing you're about to spend £100 on is already available through your university account.

3. Your Library Is Basically a Very Expensive Subscription Service

University libraries aren't just places where people sit silently staring at laptops while consuming increasingly concerning quantities of caffeine.

Your university may subscribe to enormous collections of:

• academic journals
• ebooks
• newspapers
• historical archives
• specialist databases
• market research
• legal resources
• scientific publications
• industry reports
• statistical databases.

Accessing some professional databases independently can be extremely expensive.

You potentially have access simply because you're a student.

And here's the clever bit:

Ask a librarian how to use them.

University librarians aren't there purely to tell people to stop talking.

Many specialise in particular subjects and can help you find better sources for assignments and research.

Which could make your essays better.

Which could improve your marks.

Which seems like a reasonably good return on investment.

4. Go to Office Hours

Your lecturer says:

“My office hours are Tuesdays between 2pm and 4pm.”

Everyone nods.

Nobody goes.

Don't automatically be nobody.

Office hours can be an opportunity to ask about:

• something you didn't understand
• an assignment
• feedback you've received
• further reading
• research ideas
• your academic progress.

You're being taught by people who may have spent years — sometimes decades — specialising in the subject you're studying.

Talk to them.

Obviously, don't arrive five minutes before an essay deadline carrying 17 pages and announce:

“Can you just check this?”

But if you have a genuine academic question, use the access available to you.

5. Attend the Random Guest Lecture

You'll probably receive emails like:

Guest Lecture: The Future of Artificial Intelligence in International Supply Chains

You think:

Interesting.

Then delete it.

Three hours later you're watching a man on YouTube attempt to cook a steak in a toaster.

Universities regularly host academics, authors, researchers, business leaders, politicians, scientists, entrepreneurs and other specialists.

Some events are open to students for free.

Go to a few.

Not necessarily because the subject will appear on your exam.

Because university is one of the few periods of your life when interesting people regularly turn up nearby specifically to talk about interesting things.

6. Join Societies, Including One That Has Nothing to Do With Your Degree

Your Students' Union may have dozens or even hundreds of societies.

You'll find the predictable ones:

Football.

Drama.

Politics.

Gaming.

Photography.

Then you'll discover something like:

Competitive Origami Society.

Excellent.

Societies aren't just entertainment.

They can help you:

• meet people
• try new things
• develop skills
• build confidence
• organise events
• manage budgets
• lead teams
• create projects.

And committee positions can provide actual examples to discuss in job interviews.

"Tell me about a time you dealt with conflict in a team."

Suddenly that catastrophic Anime Society Christmas social has professional value.

7. Use the Sports Facilities and Clubs

You don't have to become an athlete.

University sport can range from competitive teams to extremely casual clubs where enthusiasm is considerably more important than ability.

You might find:

• gyms
• swimming
• football
• rugby
• tennis
• climbing
• rowing
• martial arts
• running
• dance
• unusual sports you've never tried before.

Student memberships and university clubs can also make activities more accessible than joining independently elsewhere.

And exercise has another useful benefit:

It gets you out of your room.

Particularly important around assignment season when you realise you haven't seen daylight since Tuesday.

8. Learn a Language

Some universities offer language courses to students who aren't studying languages as part of their degree.

You might be able to study:

• Spanish.
• French.
• German.
• Mandarin.
• Arabic.
• Japanese.
• Italian.

Or something else entirely.

Sometimes these are credit-bearing modules; sometimes they're extracurricular programmes.

Availability and cost vary, so check what's offered.

Even if you don't become fluent, university can be a brilliant opportunity to start.

Future You ordering dinner confidently in Barcelona will approve.

9. Investigate Study Abroad Opportunities

Studying abroad isn't only for language students.

Depending on your university and degree, there may be opportunities to spend:

• a semester
• a term
• a summer
• or an entire academic year

at an overseas partner institution.

There may also be shorter international programmes.

These can be competitive and may involve additional costs, so investigate early.

Don't discover halfway through final year that your course offered a semester in Australia.

That's information you would ideally have acquired somewhat earlier.

10. Look for Internships and Placements

Your university may have relationships with employers specifically looking for students.

That can mean:

• summer internships
• industrial placements
• work experience
• insight programmes
• campus jobs
• employer projects.

Experience can become extremely important when you start applying for graduate jobs.

Two candidates might leave university with the same degree classification.

One also has:

an internship + society committee experience + volunteering + an industry project.

That's potentially a very different CV.

Start looking early.

Some major internship and placement recruitment happens surprisingly far in advance.

11. Go to Careers Fairs Even If You're Not Looking for a Job

First-year students often walk past a careers fair thinking:

“That's Final-Year Me's problem.”

Nope.

Go in.

Talk to employers.

Find out:

• what graduate jobs they offer
• what degrees they recruit from
• what skills they want
• whether they run internships
• when applications open
• what their recruitment process looks like.

You can effectively spend your first couple of years learning what employers want before you need to apply.

That's a considerable advantage over discovering everything six weeks before graduation.

12. Use Your University's Entrepreneurship Support

Got a business idea?

Your university may have an entrepreneurship centre, startup hub or enterprise programme.

Depending on the institution, you could potentially access:

• startup workshops
• business mentoring
• competitions
• networking
• incubator space
• specialist advisers
• pitching events
• funding opportunities.

You don't necessarily need to be studying business.

Computer science student with an app idea?

Go.

Fashion student launching a brand?

Go.

Engineering student inventing something?

Definitely go.

English student with a surprisingly brilliant idea for a subscription-based llama business?

We have questions.

But still go.

13. Check What Equipment You Can Borrow

You might be surprised by what universities make available.

Depending on your institution and department, you may be able to borrow or access:

• laptops
• cameras
• recording equipment
• microphones
• specialist software
• lab equipment
• AV equipment
• chargers
• presentation equipment.

Some universities even operate equipment-loan schemes through libraries or IT departments.

Before buying something expensive that you only need for one project:

ask.

14. Use Academic Skills Support

Nobody arrives at university magically knowing how to write a university essay.

Universities know this.

Many provide academic skills support covering areas such as:

• academic writing
• referencing
• critical thinking
• research
• presentations
• maths
• statistics
• study techniques
• exam preparation
• time management.

There may be workshops, online courses or individual appointments.

The clever students don't think:

“Going to academic skills support means I'm bad at university.”

They think:

“Someone is offering to help me get better marks for free.”

15. Investigate Bursaries, Scholarships and Hardship Funding

This is one area you definitely shouldn't ignore.

Universities may provide various forms of financial support.

Depending on your circumstances, that might include:

• bursaries
• scholarships
• hardship funds
• emergency financial support
• disability-related support
• travel assistance
• accommodation support
• grants.

Eligibility varies considerably.

And some schemes require applications.

Don't assume:

“I probably won't qualify.”

Check.

The worst likely outcome is discovering that you don't.

The best outcome could be actual money.

16. Use Your University Wellbeing Services

University can be brilliant.

It can also be difficult.

You're potentially dealing with:

moving away from home,

academic pressure,

money,

relationships,

loneliness,

work,

exams,

and suddenly discovering that apparently nobody else in your flat understands the purpose of a bin.

Universities usually provide various forms of student support, which may include wellbeing teams, counselling, mental-health support and advice services.

Find out what's available before you need it.

Save the relevant page or number somewhere.

Hopefully you'll never need much support.

But if you do, knowing where to start makes things easier.

17. Use Disability and Accessibility Support If You're Eligible

University support isn't limited to visible disabilities.

Students with disabilities, long-term conditions, sensory impairments, neurodivergence and specific learning differences may be eligible for adjustments or additional support.

That could potentially involve:

• adjustments to teaching or assessment
• assistive technology
• specialist study support
• accessible accommodation
• exam arrangements
• learning plans.

The exact support varies according to circumstances and institution.

If you think you might qualify, speak to your university's disability or accessibility service.

Don't struggle unnecessarily because you think support is for somebody else.

18. Volunteer

Your university or Students' Union may connect students with local charities and community organisations.

Volunteering can be genuinely worthwhile in its own right.

But it can also help you develop:

• experience
• confidence
• communication
• teamwork
• leadership
• project skills.

And it gets you outside the university bubble.

You may even discover an area of work you'd never previously considered.

19. Use Your Alumni Network

This one sounds like something that should only concern 53-year-olds wearing university ties.

It isn't.

Universities often have enormous networks of graduates working across industries around the world.

Depending on your institution, alumni may be involved in:

• mentoring
• careers events
• networking
• industry talks
• recruitment
• entrepreneurship programmes.

If your university offers a student-to-alumni mentoring programme, consider joining it.

Having a conversation with someone already doing the career you're considering can be enormously useful.

20. Actually Read Your University Emails

Yes.

We know.

There are approximately 700 of them.

Library Opening Hours During Reading Week

Delete.

Changes to Building Access

Delete.

Message from the Vice-Chancellor

Absolutely delete.

But hidden among the administrative avalanche can be:

Paid internship opportunity

Free industry certification

Study abroad applications now open

£1,000 student enterprise competition

Employer networking evening

Applications open for student ambassadors

And you've missed it because Gmail decided it looked suspiciously similar to the previous 47 university emails you ignored.

Create a university email routine.

You don't need to read everything.

But scan it.

Build Yourself a University "Free Stuff" List

Here's something worth doing during your first couple of weeks.

Open a note on your phone called:

Stuff My University Gives Me

Then investigate.

Your list might eventually look something like:

☑ Microsoft 365
☑ Careers appointments
☑ CV reviews
☑ Gym discount
☑ Academic writing support
☑ Library databases
☑ Language classes
☑ Laptop loans
☑ Counselling
☑ Employer events
☑ Entrepreneurship programme
☑ Study abroad
☑ Student discounts
☑ Software licences
☑ Internship portal
☑ Alumni mentoring
☑ Financial support

Your university won't necessarily provide everything listed in this article.

But you'll never know what's available if you don't look.

The £9,000+ Question: Are You Actually Getting Value?

It's tempting to think about university like this:

I pay tuition fees → university gives me lectures → I get degree.

But that's only part of what you're buying access to.

Think of university more like an enormous membership.

There's the obvious bit, your course.

Then surrounding it is an ecosystem of facilities, expertise, technology, people and opportunities.

The frustrating thing is that nobody forces you to use most of it.

Nobody is going to knock on your bedroom door and say:

“We've noticed you haven't used your free careers appointment yet.”

You have to go looking.

And the students who do can leave university with considerably more than a certificate.

They can leave with:

• a degree
• experience
• contacts
• new skills
  
• better job applications
• stories to tell in interviews
• friends
• confidence
• perhaps an entirely different idea about what they want to do with their life

Your Challenge for This Term

Don't try to do everything on this list.

You'd never attend an actual lecture.

Instead, choose five things.

For example:

1. Book one careers appointment

2. Join one society

3. Attend one guest lecture

4. Find out what free software you have

5. Apply for one opportunity you'd normally ignore

Five things.

That's it.

Then do another five next term.

Finally...

University is one of the rare times in life when you're surrounded by thousands of people learning things, researching things, building things, starting things, debating things and generally trying to work out what they're going to do next.

Use it.

Go to the weird lecture.

Join the society.

Talk to the employer.

Ask the librarian.

Apply for the internship.

Try the sport you've never played.

Speak to your lecturer.

Find the support.

Use the software.

Enter the competition.

Apply for the year abroad.

Because after you've graduated, you'll probably discover something rather annoying:

A surprising amount of the stuff you could access as a student for free...

now wants your credit card details.