Here are some ways for students to receive support and save time and money
While being in college isn’t always easy, there are many perks associated with being a student at UC Davis. From unique discounts with certain companies to invaluable on-campus resources, Davis has many often underutilized resources that can save students both time and money. As six of the nine Editorial Board members are graduating this year, these are the resources we wished we knew earlier in our college career:
Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center
From financial to mental wellness resources, the Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center is one of the most useful organizations for students on campus. It is built and designed specifically to serve students; according to their website, the mission of Aggie Compass is to “ensure that every student has safe, secure housing, access to healthy food, and financial stability, that will help them succeed at UC Davis and in life.”
Their housing resources are valuable for students experiencing any level of housing hardships. The Aggie Compass website provides information on specific student-based programs like its rental assistance program, which offers grant assistance for students who may be struggling to pay rent due to unforeseen circumstances, and contacts and organizations on campus and in the city of Davis that can provide help with broader housing issues. Aggie Compass recently helped an Editorial Board member’s housemate acquire a hotel room when their roommate tested positive for COVID-19 and wasn’t eligible for isolation housing.
Aggie Compass also can direct students to programs aimed at reducing food insecurity that every student can access. For example, the ASUCD Pantry offers free perishable and nonperishable goods, menstrual products and toiletries for all students. It operates within the MU and is open daily. Another program, Fruit and Veggie Up!, distributes fresh fruit and vegetables twice a week that are sourced from local farms. Aggie Compass also can help students fill out applications for CalFresh, a state-run program that offers long-term food assistance.
Peter J. Shields Library Resources
The Shields Library is a helpful resource when it comes to academics. Not only can you schedule an appointment with a librarian who specializes in a specific field to help you research for papers and projects, but you can also parse through their pre-prepared research guides on how to organize your research and utilize library resources. Better yet, there are a number of indoor and outdoor spaces available for those looking to collaborate and talk with others and those looking for quiet study spaces. (There’s a reason Shields was voted Best Study Spot in the Best of Davis this year.)
Shields offers a number of practical resources as well. These include first-come, first-serve private study rooms on the second and fourth floors and a number of rentals from the front desk, including laptop and phone chargers, portable battery packs, white boards and markers, graphing calculators and noise-canceling headphones. It also has computer rooms and workstations as well as printing, copying and scanning for a small fee.
Student discounts
Being an Aggie and a student also means getting some pretty sweet discounts. This includes complimentary access to The New York Times using your UC Davis email address, a bundle subscription of $4.99 for Spotify, Hulu (with ads) and Showtime for students and reduced subscription prices on apps like Headspace and free access to Microsoft’s Office 365. Also, students enjoy access to the ARC through student fees and educational pricing and tech support for various products at UC Davis Stores.
Mondavi Center
Not only does the Mondavi Center draw performers from around the world, students get half off single ticket prices for all Mondavi Center events, as well as one free ticket for any event presented by the Mondavi Center or the UC Davis Department of Music over the course of their time at UC Davis. Once a quarter, the Mondavi Center also hosts a study session before finals, during which students can prepare for their final exams while listening to classical music.
While this list is not exhaustive, these resources are some of the Editorial Board’s favorites — we encourage you to utilize these as well as others to help save time and money while working hard in school.
Written by: The Editorial Board
