Being a university student is not just about burying your nose in textbooks, it’s also a time to take advantage of the perks that come with your student identification card (ID).
We can totally relate the struggle of making ends meet with your monthly allowance as a student. Before you drown yourself with instant noodles, here are some ways your student ID can help make it (slightly) easier to survive financially.
You can enjoy deals on movies, fun activities such as bowling with your friends, and even purchase discounted MacBooks just by flashing your student card.
Besides that, you can also use your ID to apply for additional student cards that offer marked down prices on necessities such as stationary and public transport!
Here are 10 deals just for students to save some cash while making the best out of their university life.
1) Sing your heart out for RM50
Neway karaoke is a frequent stress reliever for working adults and students alike. With personal rooms and an awesome sound system to highlight the singer in you, students can get discounts just by flashing their university ID.
However, different Neway outlets have different promotions. Here are the deals you can get at 1Utama.
Monday – Friday | ||
Saturday | ||
Monday - Thursday | ||
Friday - Saturday |
Sing the latest tunes and check out their promotions in other Neway outlets listed here.
2) Catch a movie for cheap
Watching a movie is an essential part of student life – it’s a place to bond with your friends or, you can even go alone during a study break.
Just show your student card at the counter when you purchase movie tickets at TGV, GSC, MBO Cinemas and mmCineplexes to enjoy these prices.
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eCurve, Damansara Mondays to Fridays (excluding Wednesdays and Public Holidays) City Square, Johor Bahru Mondays to Thursdays (excluding Wednesdays and Public Holidays) |
For more information check out TGV, GSC, MBO Cinemas and mmCineplexes websites.
3) De-stress and keep physically fit
Science has proven that exercising releases feel-good chemicals that sparks happiness, which is why it’s a good activity to invest in during university, especially with all the assignment deadlines.
If you can afford a monthly gym membership, then head to The Outlaw in Subang Jaya to enjoy their student package. However, it you’re afraid to commit to a membership, head to Real Fitness in Puchong as they charge student rates by entry.
Check out the prices below.
Visit Real Fitness at:
31-1 & 31-2, Jalan Merbah 3,
Bandar Puchong Jaya, 47170 Puchong, Selangor,
Visit the Real Fitness website for more information.
Visit The Outlaw at:
No.5, Jalan TS 6/10
Taman Subang Permai
Subang Jaya
Check out The Outlaw’s Facebook page for more information.
4) Breakout with your friends at Nu Sentral
Take a break from textbook algorithms and solve mind-boggling puzzles at Breakout in Nu Sentral. You can pick from various storylines and work out mind-boggling puzzles within 45 minutes to escape the room.
Sounds like your kind of thing? Here is the student rate – just present your ID at the reception counter and have fun.
10am – 4.30pm | (prices depend on how many pax per room) |
Visit Breakout for additional information.
5) Purchase Apple products at education price
Fancy yourself an Apple? Known for their revolutionary devices, you can now get yourself a Macbook, iMac, Mac Mini or iPads for a discounted price.
Just head over to the nearest apple store and show your student ID to enjoy the education price. Once you are verified as a student, pick and purchase the device you want.
Here are the price comparisons of some devices they are offering under this programme.
Tips
You can also get your income tax paying parents to claim tax on your purchase. A taxpayer is entitled to a maximum of RM2,500 tax relief per year under lifestyle tax relief for laptops.
6) Enjoy a Korean lunch in between classes
If you’re craving Korean food, head over to Seoul Garden to enjoy special student prices on their lunch and dinner meals. You can indulge in yummy barbequed meat marinated with Korean recipes and quench your thirst with refillable beverages!
Check out the prices below.
IOI city mall 1Utama Palm Mall Aeon Mall Shah Alam Setia City Mall DPulze Shopping Centre Paradigm Mall Sunway Putra Mall Melawati Mall The Mines IOI Mall Selangor Setapak Central Star Avenue Shah Alam | RM37 (includes refillable beverages) Dinner – 4pm – 10.30pm RM 41.90 (includes refillable beverages) | RM40 Dinner – 4pm – 10.30pm RM51 |
Check out their website to view their various menus in different outlets.
7) Bowl over some pins for as low as RM3
If you’re stuck on what to do during the weekend, why not try your hand at bowling? You can bring out your competitive spirit and compete for the highest scores with your friends.
Check out U-bowl and Pyramid Megalanes Bowling to enjoy student discounts.
U-Bowl
Saturday, Sunday and Public Holiday: RM3.50 (10am – 2am) |
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Pyramid Megalanes Bowling, Sunway Pyramid
8) Race your friends at Sepang International Kart Circuit
Trade in your usual weekend plans for a day to race at the Sepang International Kart Circuit. Located within the iconic Sepang International Circuit, you and your buddies can speed through the 1.247km long track and conquer (or attempt) the 11 challenging bends.
Feel the thrill with these student rates.
For more information visit the Sepang Circuit website.
9) Shop stationery and books at Popular
Purchase reference books, stationery or gadgets at Popular bookstore with discounted prices when you sign up for their membership card.
Students only pay a special fee of RM10 for two years of membership to enjoy these benefits. Normal membership fee is RM12 per year.
- 10% storewide discount at over 150 bookstores in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore. Discount also applicable at HARRIS bookstores and CD-RAMA departments in Malaysia only.
- 20% discount on Popular choice, Pilihan Popular and Popular Recommendation titles.
- Free quarterly POPCLUB Magazine Malaysia Edition only.
- Treats on your birthday month.
Additionally, the card also provides deals on selected merchants such as Marrybrown, Juiceworks and other retail purchases!
To learn more about the card and check out its other discounts, visit the Popular website.
10) Sign up for other student cards
On top of your student ID issued by your university or colleges, you can also apply for other student cards that serve bigger and better privileges.
From discounts on accommodation to flight and public transportation fares, these cards will have your university life covered from textbooks to travel.
ISIC cards
The International Student Identity Card (ISIC) is valid globally, which means you can get discounts abroad and locally. With this card, students enjoy special deals curated just for ISIC holders which include entertainment, food, activities, accommodation and even flight fares.
There are about 42,000 deals worldwide for ISIC cardholder and full-time students aged 12 and over from school, college or university are eligible to apply.
For those who are studying aboard, you can sign up for their ISIC – HI Malaysia Co-Brand Card, which provides hostel benefits worldwide as well as their regular ISIC deals.
However, you must purchase the card to enjoy the benefits and it is valid for 12 months from the date of issue.
Here are the prices.
For more information on ISIC cards check out their website.
KADS1M
The 1 Malaysia Student Discount card, which was launched by the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK), is a debit and ATM card with the added value of discounts on food, activities, books, stationary, retail, IT products and more.
The card – which is offered for free – is valid for Malaysian students enrolled in private and public institutions for minimum of one year.
All you need to do is open a KADS1M Bank Rakyat account, fill in their online form, wait for a confirmation letter and collect your card from a Bank Rakyat branch.
After that you will be able to enjoy discounts such as the ones listed below.
- Give that instant noodle a break by getting a Special Student Meal set at RM 17.50 nett at the Chicken Rice Shop.
- 5% to 10% discounts on books and stationery at Bookworm.
- Penang Assam Laksa + Ice Peach Tea @ RM14.90 nett at Sepiring Cafe
- 1% – 10% on IT gadgets at The One Technology
- 5% discount on accessories at PC Image (i.e. mouse, cooler pad, bag, fan, headset, mouse pad, cable, power adapter, power bank, webcam, cleaning kit, mobile accessories).
- 20% off at Fitsy Sports for martial arts, dance and other workout classes.
- 10% off stationery and books at Public Mags Distributor.
To check out all of their student discounts, visit the KADS1M website.
Myrapid concessions card
Using public transport as a student to travel around the city will save you money with a concessions card -it carries a 50% discount on cash rates for RapidKL Bus, BRT, LRT, Monorail and MRT services!
This cost-saving card, which is subjected to yearly renewal, costs RM15 and is stored with an initial value of RM9.50. After that, you can reload your card at all RapidKL BRT, LRT, Monorail, MRT station, TNG SPOT and any TNG Reload Point.
You can download the registration form from their website and apply at their Concession Registration Counter at Pasar Seni Bus Hub from Mondays to Saturdays.
You will also need these documents to support your application:
- Mykad/Passport
- Original student card
- Original student confirmation letter with study duration of above 6 months from date of application
For more information visit myrapid.
However, avoid overspending
Although we encourage you to enjoy university life to the fullest, even with these discounts, there is a risk of spending more than you should, especially with the rising costs of living.
In 2016, a survey by the Muslim Volunteer Malaysia Association revealed about 26,000 students from six public universities were struggling to cope with the rising costs of living and were surviving on instant noodles and rice with fried egg – some student bodies had launched programmes to help feed these struggling student three meals a day!
Thus, to combat the risk of being broke, here are some things you can do.
Work part-time
University schedules will allow you to work part-time as there will be breaks in between classes or you will have a full free day. Use this to your advantage and take up a part-time job such as being a barista or find freelance gigs (i.e. event waitressing) to get more pocket money for your spending. If you have a car, try signing up and driving for ride-sharing applications such as Grab or Uber.
Save up with an app
Since we use our phones on a daily basis, there are free applications to help you budget. Set your goals and track your expenditure to ensure you have enough money to survive the uni days. You can find such apps with a quick search on the App Store or PlayStore – try out Bank Rakyat’s TouchStyle application, which is formulated for the typical Malaysian. This way you can manage money at your fingertips for both Android and iOS users!
Practise money-saving tips
It’s always a good idea to have cash stashed aside for emergencies. Spending less and sticking to some money-saving hacks will get you closer to the comfort of financial stability during your university days.
You can use hacks such as buying food in bulk and other eccentric tips to begin your money-saving journey.
Additionally, you can also cook more and eat out less to save up. Dairy and meat are expensive, hence, focus on buying more fruits and veggies!
Let’s see how much you can buy within a week with a RM50 budget.
That’s less than RM50 per week and if you stuck to this for the whole month, you would only be spending RM200!
Nevertheless, it’s always good to start saving habits early in preparation for the future but you’re also only a student for about four years of your life, so enjoy it to the fullest and make use of these deals – just remember to stay within your limit to work hard and play hard!
