Student services to take advantage of before you graduate
Bascom Hall is pictured in an aerial view of the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. Other major campus facilities include, clockwise from bottom center, South Hall, Birge Hall, Van Vleck Hall, the Medical Sciences Center, Van Hise Hall, and North Hall. Photo: Jeff Miller
From technology trainings to career advising, UW–Madison has a wide variety of services that students can take advantage of. But as soon as you graduate, all of the student discounts and free services go away.
With graduation on May 12, graduating seniors only have about a month left to take advantage of those perks — which isn’t very much time. But there’s still a lot you fit in before that to help prepare for your career, or get student deals.
Here’s a list of the best student services and discounts so you can try to fit them in before graduation day. And if you’re not graduating, it’s still good to know about these student advantages, so you can use them before it’s crunch time.
DoIT Tech Store
Technology training
For UW students, DoIT’s Academic Technology group provides free technology training in a wide variety of software and computer programs. Attend one of their free in-person classes to learn how to use Photoshop, Excel, HTML, Premier Illustrator and more. There are still a bunch of classes open this semester.
Or if you don’t feel like going outside, you can also train yourself online using Lynda tutorials — which are also all free. Normally, using Lynda costs $29.99 a month, so you should really do any trainings that you’re interested in before you graduate.
Undergraduate Reagan Stultz uses her sticker-covered laptop to review notes for an upcoming chemistry exam as she studies at Union South. Photo: Jeff Miller
Free and discounted on software
From Microsoft Office to AntiVirus protection, DoIT provides a number of programs that are free for students to download. You can also buy a year-long subscription of Adobe Creative Cloud for only $60 (when you’re not a student it’s usually $120-$995 per year, depending on the plan), and other deeply discounted software. Take advantage of the discounts before it’s too late!
Fixing your laptop
Having any technology issues with your laptop? You can bring your computer into DoIT to have them try to to fix it for free, as long as you’re a student. Some more serious repairs might cost money, but it’s worth going in to see what they can do to help.
UHS services
Get a health checkup
Before you graduate, it’s a great idea to check up on your health at UHS. You could get a nutrition or wellness appointment, an STI screening, or stop by the clinic or schedule a mental health appointment. After you graduate getting access to these services can be confusing and expensive, so check up on your health before you go!
Personal wellness
You can also get a professional 50-minute massage for only $40 — something that can cost around $90 outside UW. Treat yourself with a relaxing massage to prep for finals.
In addition to massages, UHS also has a number of personal wellness options, including wellness sessions, acupuncture (for $20), meditation classes, yoga, and more.
Massage therapist Mike Johnson works with a patient in a clinic treatment room at the UW Health Integrative Medicine program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on July 15, 2010.
Career advising
Hopefully you’ve started planning for your post-graduation career already. But you can still get feedback on your latest resume and cover letters, or just make sure there’s no information you’re missing before you go into your field. Take advantage of the free professional advice!
Rec Sports
When you graduate, it will cost you $233 per year to use the Rec Sports facilities. It’d be smart to work out as much as you can, or go to as many group fitness classes as possible, before graduation comes and you have to pay to go to the gym.
UW Libraries
Checking out materials
When you graduate, you can’t check out or borrow materials from the library unless you’re a Friend of the Library or an Annual Fee Card Holder. If you have any books, movies, board games or CDs you’re interested in checking out, you should do it before you graduate.
The juxtaposition of campus life during summer-session is seen as two silhouetted students study indoors next to a lakefront window in College Library at Helen C. White Hall at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on July 26, 2016. Outside in the background, paddleboarders, docked boats and a lone windsurfer on dot Lake Mendota. Photo: Jeff Miller
Online databases
UW–Madison libraries offer a wide range of online databases that you can use for free. If you have any lingering curiosities or questions you want to read about for free before you graduate, now’s the time to look through JSTOR ($20 a month when you’re not a student) and other research databases available through UW’s libraries.