Major Discounts... For Students Only (NUS Extra Card)

Member Name: blonde_girl774

Product:	NUS Extra Card
Date:	28/09/09 (307 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to Get & Great Discounts.

Disadvantages: Only for Students.

I've recently returned to University as I've decided I want to be a teacher, two years in the working world after completing my undergraduate degree was enough for me! It was a big decision to make especially considering the financial implications of becoming a student again which were exacerbated by the fact that my boyfriend and I are living together now so I not only have to support myself but also a house as well. However I took the plunge and after being offered a place in late 2008 I finally started my course a couple of weeks ago and so far it seems to be going well, except for the massive workload that seems to be obligatory that is!

Now the benefits of being a student are actually quite small, I know when you're eighteen and you go off to University there are loads of benefits including the wild nights out and the fact you only have eight hours of lectures a week, but when you're a mature student doing a thirty to forty hour week and having to run a house these benefits lessen quite dramatically. Apart from the fact I'm exempt from council tax for the next nine months the only other benefit I've come across so far is that fact that I've been able to apply for an NUS Extra card, something that I have quite sorely missed since graduating from University a couple of years ago now.

The NUS Extra card is brought to students by the National Union of Students. It's a voluntary membership organisation meaning not every student has to join up and is linked to each Student Union that you'll find on almost all University campuses throughout the UK. Through these student unions the NUS represent the interests and views of students nationwide. They aim to "promote, defend and extend the rights of students and to develop and champion strong students' unions." They promote notions such as diversity and equality among students although the main interaction the majority of students have with them is through the NUS card.

While I was completing my undergraduate degree my University card had the NUS logo on the back of it meaning that not only could be used as a library card but also to gain me the NUS benefits. However more recently it seems that students actually need to apply to join the NUS directly in order to receive a card. The easiest way to do this is by visiting their website at www.nus.org.uk and clicking on the NUS Extra link on the left hand side menu. This will take you to a new page where you can click on "Order Your Card Now" which will start the ordering process for you. It's quite a simple process and took me about five to six minutes in total.

Firstly you'll be asked to enter your place of study, this is where your card will be sent to and you'll be sent an email when you can go and pick it up from your Student's Union. It's not sent directly to your home address as before your University give it to you they need to verify that you're actually a student there. After that you'll be asked to supply a photo which can either be done via a webcam or simply uploading a head shot that you've got stored as a JPG file on your computer already. Next you'll be asked to enter some personal details such as name, date of birth, email address, etc. before being asked to pay £10 for your card by debit or credit card.

After you've made your payment you'll receive an email from RBS to say your payment has been accepted within two hours and also an email from the NUS to say they're processing your card request within twenty four hours. It takes roughly seven days for it to be delivered to your Student's Union although it might take slightly longer at busier times of the year such as now. Once it's been dispatched you'll receive an email to inform you so you know when to go and collect it. You'll find your card is the same size as any other debit or credit card and shows your basic information as well as your photo, make sure you slot it straight into your purse or wallet!

So you may well now be thinking why on earth have I spent £10 to get an NUS card? Well my main reasoning behind buying one was not to join the National Union of Students and promote all their various policies but to take advantage of the discounts that they bring to students as a result of being a member. If you've been shopping any high street stores recently you'll probably have seen notices up offering extra student discount in about half the shops to try and entice all those new students to spend their money there. The card basically entitles you to discounts from 5% to 25% off in various entertainment outlets, restaurants, shops and on websites.

So where can you get discount with an NUS card? Well just to give a taster here's some of the places that will accept it... Amazon and Play offer 5% off on their websites, quite a few places off you 10% off including Burtons, Comet, JJB, New Look, Superdrug, Topshop / Topman and Warehouse, 10% - 25% off at Odeon depending on your film choice and reduced student prices at other cinema brands, 20% off cleaning at Johnsons and 40% off at Nicky Clarke hair salons. Other places such as Blockbuster do different offers depending when you go and what you want to rent while Pizza Hut offers 20% off at all times or various 2 for 1 offers during the week on their pizzas.

As if that wasn't enough if you get your card soon enough you can take advantage of some special offers. Many places, are offering 15% - 30% off for the next few weeks to celebrate Fresher's Week so it's well worth getting hold of your card soon. To take advantage of the NUS discount all you need to do is produce your card when you go to pay at any till point in the stores that offer student discount. Just a word or warning, if you're using it at places such as Pizza Hut it's well worth presenting it when you ask for the bill as when they bring your receipt it's often a real hassle for them to put it all through the till again if you don't show your card beforehand.

I went shopping at the weekend (I can't seem to stay away!) and saved myself about £20 using my NUS card so it's already paid for itself in a sense. There are also several competitions you can enter on the site as a result of being a member to give you a chance to win various prizes including a bike and a car, these change about once a month! Most shops do demand the NUS Extra card now, very few will accept a student card. I'd recommend getting this card to any student out there, no matter how long you're a student for the card is valid from the 1st September to the 31st August the following year so if you buy it now you'll have eleven months of discounts to enjoy!

I found when I was doing my undergraduate degree I'd be saving around £5 to £10 on average each week from either shopping, visiting the cinema (where I saved £1.30 each time), visiting McDonalds (free fries and a drink with a Big Mac or other burgers) and so on. It's simple to get hold of, some Unions will give you the chance to pay for the card there rather than using the website too, and it's a great thing to carry around in your purse or wallet at all times. If you've got any further queries or questions then you can visit the NUS site where there is a FAQ section but for just £10 I'd say to you students out there that you won't find a better bargain all year!

Thanks for reading.

Summary: A discount card from the National Union of Students for students.