Alright, let's be real for a minute. There are quite a few sweet perks to being a college student. You get to walk that fine line between being a kid and being an adult. For many, your sole job is to get up and learn every day. And there are some parties to attend every now and again, right? Another great perk for being a studious, hardworking, fiscally conscientious future leader of America is student discounts.
Fast food restaurants, clothing stores, movie theaters, big chains, mom-and-pop shops, if you're a college student, you can score big on savings at spots all across the Alamo City. The next time you roll out of your dorm room, make sure you bring your student ID to take advantage of some great deals.
Clothing
So, you've got a closet/hamper/floor full of sick T-shirts and killer kicks. But this is college! Tastes change with every new season that Yeezy puts out a line of clothing. Bottom line, you're going to need some new clothes. Just show your student ID for 15 percent off at Banana Republic, J. Crew and The Limited, and 10 percent off at Urban Outfitters. Be smart, be frugal, be fashionable.
Food
Food Fact: everyone needs to eat. Second fact: one cannot survive long on hot dogs and ramen noodles. So what's a hungry undergrad to do? Most Burger King, McDonald's, Subway, Carl's Jr., Taco Cabana, and Dairy Queen locations near campuses in town offer anywhere from 10 to 20 percent off orders when you present a valid student ID. Domino's Pizza, Pizza Hut, Papa John's — same deal. Pizza! Be sure to check the location before you place your order, just in case you're counting your pennies.
You can't be a student today, especially a college student, without reliable tech gear. Tablets, smart phones, laptops, desktops — you're going to need some combination of these to get your work done. Microsoft offers an Office Suite especially for college students for $99.99 online at microsoftstore.com/student. For phones, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile all offer special college student discounts of various amounts depending on your plan and your phone. Best Buy also has deals on laptops, tablets and desktops for students who shop online and in their stores. And at the Apple Store, the secret code is to ask for their "Education Discount."
Arts & Entertainment
Sometimes, frequently quite honestly, college students need to blow off some metaphorical steam. What's better/more wholesome/relaxing than an evening at the movies? AMC, Regal, and Alamo Drafthouse all offer discounted student tickets. To get these tickets, you'll need your student ID. Looking for a little more high-brow entertainment? The McNay Art Museum, San Antonio Museum of Art and Briscoe Museum of Western Art all offer discounts for students. Not enough? How about catching some sweet NBA action on a student's dime? Our hometown Spurs have a program called Spurs U where they announce on Twitter and Facebook if tickets are available. Bring your student ID to the box office and get $5 H-E-B Fan Zone tickets or, for big ballers out there, $40 for lower-level seating. Viva Los Spurs y Los Discounts!
Online Shopping
So you want to do some shopping online? Well, the mecca of online shopping is Amazon, of course. If you sign up for Amazon Prime Student, you get tons of discounts on all kinds of items, shipping discounts and deals on streaming videos and music. Students can also get up to 80 percent back on textbooks they resell to Amazon. It's a pretty good deal. Perhaps the second most popular online store, eBay also offers discounts for students, including 60 percent off certain clothing and electronics. And since these are straight up-purchases, you don't have to deal with anyone sniping you on an auction.
