Student internet use isn’t all about funny memes, cat videos and sending selfies with a unicorn filter to your mates at 3am. Apps, group chats and nifty software can have a hugely beneficial effect on the finances, grades and social life of the students who are privvy enough to search for treasure on the net.
Of course technological expertise isn’t something today’s students lack but the internet is now so vast that it is sometimes hard to find the stuff that could change your life for the better. Glide was set up to make the lives of students easier so we love any opportunity to make sure the student internet you are paying us for is put to good use.
One of the shared bills that you can set up with Glide is a student internet package. Our broadband is fast and unlimited so unless you like to write your essays in a bijou coffee house with no wi-fi you won’t need a dongle. So how else can we help? This guide will give you a few clever little hints and tips for how to save money, make friends and bag yourself an excellent degree.
Make lots of friends
Social media sites have been getting lots of bad publicity recently but we think that they are a vital tool for helping students make new friends, keep in touch with existing pals and gain access to all the information as to what party is happening and where.
Facebook may seem be a little naff now but having and maintaining a profile on there is worth the electricity bills spent on keeping your phone and laptop charged. If an event is planned at the Student Union then you can guarantee it will have an event page on Facebook with all the details and who is going. If you’re not active within this huge community then there’s a chance you might miss out.
Arriving at the beginning of Fresher’s Week knowing no-one will make an already nerve-wracking experience much harder. Search Facebook and Twitter for the name of your halls of residence or the course you are taking and it’s likely you’ll very soon be in touch with loads of equally nervous new students who will become the friendly faces you meet up with in your first week of Uni. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, be bold and create a group yourself.
Save money
One of the best things about being a student is the discounts that every shop, website and service provider want to offer you. 10% off this, 20% discount on that, free food from Maccy D’s, it’s awesome!
Students are at the beginning of their spending journey and retailers want to secure your customer loyalty early so they are keen to offer discounts and perks while you’re at university. Take advantage we say, as often as possible!
The internet offers access to websites which give students exclusive discounts. Order an Apple Macbook from their UK store on a university computer and they will give you an educational discount. Software can be bought for a snip from websites such as Studica and Software4students. Google it and you may never have to pay full price for anything for as long as you’re a student.
Restaurant deals, online clothing discount codes and cheap travel are everywhere on the internet. Yes, it may take a bit of effort to find them initially but once the sites are bookmarked, it’s easy and you’ll save pounds.
Boost your academic grades
There are some wonderfully helpful academic tools on the student internet.
- Google Scholar will keep you at the cutting edge of your area of study. It lets you search for keywords such as ‘electricity bills’ and then send you an email to let you know when a relevant article or paper has been published. Your lecturers will be thrilled with how much you know about the latest research in your field.
- Google Reader allow you to subscribe to websites which have been highlighted as essential reading by your tutors.
- icio.us is a very cool website will become your archive of everything you have read on the internet which will be useful to your course. Save the article and tag it with a keyword so you can find it easily, the research may not be relevant to the essay you’re doing now but it could have sparked a thought that will lead to the most amazing of all dissertation titles in existence.
- Mendeley is similar to del.icio.us, it creates a database of downloaded journals and allows you to organise and tag in a way that makes sense to your studies. It even creates a bibliography for you. Every student understands the pain of referencing and Mendeley is the answer to your feverish prayers for salvation from the tedium.
For more information about student broadband packages and the bill splitting service for students offered by Glide, contact our friendly team to find out more.