Opened last semester, the Great Hall in the Student Community Center proves to be the ultimate money-saving destination for college students. We should take more advantage of it.
At the back of the SCC is a kitchen where students can store their lunch, dinner, or maybe make coffee, upon receiving permission from the Associated Students Organization.
A few steps away from the Great Hall is a vending machine that serves instant hot cappuccinos, lattes and other coffee drinks for as cheap as 75 cents.
It does not cost you the price you would pay in gas because it is more or less a five-minute walk from anywhere on campus.
The SCC also offers free wireless Internet which can be accessed while sitting comfortably on a couch big enough for you to put your feet up on.
If it gets crowded and a little bit noisy, the library is conveniently located the next building over.
Although the number of students who use the SCC has increased since the start of the semester, there are still many who will go to a nearby Starbucks or Borders to study.
Those students may be spending up to $20 a day on items including two or three cups of coffee, and one or two Subway sandwiches.
Add that to the charge of a wireless network for Internet use on your laptop or cell phone. Even if you use a similar service such as T-Mobile HotSpot, it still costs up to $6 a day.
Are all these trips to Starbucks and Borders really worth the extra gas money to fill your tank every week?
For the amount of money spent on fancy coffee and Internet, this experience comes only with a small couch or a wooden table and chair.
But if loud noises like the blender and that rock song every 15 minutes or so count as perks, then maybe the students are getting their money’s worth.
Frugality shouldn’t be a foreign word to students. Let’s head to the SCC and enjoy our privileges.