12.01.08 | Why I wish I was still a student with a Student Advantage Card
I’d like to preface by saying that I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Any national holiday celebrating family and gluttony is A-okay in my book.
But you know what absolutely sucks about Thanksgiving? Public transportation. To be more specific, Greyhound/Peter Pan/Trailways bus-style public transportation, on the busiest travel day of the year, traveling along the #1 and #2 worst traffic situations in the whole United States (according to some traffic study, and in this case, the Massachusetts Turnpike and I-95 NYC area, respectively), spending 13 or so hours holed up in a bus/station(s) on a route that usually takes a little less than 5. Thanksgiving rocks.
Why the ominous title? Why do I still wish I were a student, wielding that ever-powerful Student Advantage Card? Well let me tell you a story. Way back in oh, 2006, there was a young man with big dreams for saving big money. Not being the embarrassed type to take a girl out to the movies coupon-book in hand, he happily cashed in on good savings opportunities whenever they presented themselves. So when his RA approached his dorm floor with a savings opportunity that he had to pay 20 bucks for, red flags went up. But he went for it. And boy did it pay out. He spent the next year happily saving 10-50% at his favorite online retailers, and the $10 cash back he earned on his first purchase (which was Dominos, which meant that Dominos pizza that night cost approximately 2 dollars) was an added bonus to sweeten the deal.
Most importantly, the young man routinely saved 15% at Amtrak to travel to and from home, using the reliability of railed transportation to his benefit (no frightening bus stations, no traffic jams…even though Student Advantage offers 15% off Greyhound too!).
You guessed it. That young man was me. And this year, in the spirit of saving money, I passed on the slightly more expensive train ticket to and from home in Jersey in favor of the Greyhound. Had I still had my Student Advantage card, the discount would have more than made up for the price difference, and I’d still have 8 hours of my life that I’ll never get back (a little dramatic, but still, it was an awful bus ride).
That logo is a sight for sore forced-to-watch-Polar-Express-twice-on-a bus-ridden eyes. If I still had my card, I’d be happily gobbling up savings on Christmas presents and would have already purchased my discounted train ticket home for Christmas. It’s not too late for you, I mean it.
- And if you’ve already used your Student Advantage card to save some money, tell me about it! Comment on what you bought and how much you saved, and I might have a special points code for you. Otherwise, enjoy this one: ONTHEBUSS
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I’m planning to get a Student Advantage Card for my daughter. We weren’t sure how often she’d be taking the train, but as it turns out, she’ll probably ride frequently. The bus is not an option, as it doesn’t go near Nigara University where she attends college. The only problems we’ve had with the train are the usual delays, but since it’s a direct route, there’s no connecting train to worry about missing. She started school in the fall and has ridden twice so far, and she’s planning a round trip for the upcoming break. I had to drive her back to school after Thanksgiving because she had too much stuff to take with her, and the traffic was horrendous! I’d never made that trip before. At first I thought there must have been an accident on the thruway, but eventually I realized that it was just one huge bottleneck. I hope I never have to do that again!! I’m going to try the Student Advantage Card, but if the discounts don’t really add up, I just won’t renew it next year.
February 4th, 2009 | #
sounds rough. I need a card
January 25th, 2009 | #
wow
January 24th, 2009 | #
I need a card too
January 16th, 2009 | #
Thanks!!
January 15th, 2009 | #
college puts so much stress on teenagers who can’t afford it. my parents are always telling me to fill out more and more scholarship papers, its never ending. everyone needs money our economy is going to hell.
December 30th, 2008 | #
Shari, are you studying in the U.S.?
December 29th, 2008 | #
I would like to know if international students are eligible?
December 23rd, 2008 | #
I’m gonna sign up. Sounds good … gonna save me a lot of money.
December 19th, 2008 | #
Very interesting I need this card I’m signing up me and my sister
December 19th, 2008 | #
Wow…I need a student advantage..
December 18th, 2008 | #
I’ve had one for a year now and I haven’t found a way to use it yet. I think it’s because I’m in a dinky college town. However, the discounts that are available are pretty amazing for any college student.
December 18th, 2008 | #
sad… good story though!
December 17th, 2008 | #
anything that can help me save money,i’m all for it.
December 17th, 2008 | #
I definitely need one of those!
December 17th, 2008 | #
I have one of those cards and i love it.
December 17th, 2008 | #
wish there were a way for all of the people to not to have to worry about college money. That would invite even the poorest (AS I AM) to join. It’s hard trying to find the money to pay for all the expenses.
December 16th, 2008 | #
I’ve only used my card once, and I used it to buy train tickets to visit my friend this summer. I saved like $35 or something like that, which was nice, because altogether, the price was close to $300.
December 16th, 2008 | #
I just signed up for the card and can’t wait to save on rental cars and amtrak! It will definitely help in the long run! I hope you have a better Christmas trip then Thanksgiving!
December 16th, 2008 | #
I used my card to buy a greyhound ticket to go home for christmas and saved more than $30… It doesn’t save on a lot of the other places unless you live in certain areas… But it does definitely pay for itself when you use it on amtrak or the greyhound
December 16th, 2008 | #
i need one of those!
December 16th, 2008 | #
@Tanisha,
I swear it does. You save on Greyhound and Amtrak.
December 15th, 2008 | #
Does this SA card really save you money on Greyhound? I had a card in 1999 and I didn’t really save anything because the bus from Charleston to Atlanta was driven by Southeastern Stages and therefore uneligible.
December 15th, 2008 | #
the whole card thing seems like it would be really usefull
December 13th, 2008 | #
Well to me ithink every has to be responsible for his credit
card so we have to be good people so dat we canb be wellcome
d by evry one in any situation we face& also no one is perfectwe all go astray many times.God bless u all.
December 13th, 2008 | #
wow that is terrible!
December 12th, 2008 | #
That is cool
December 12th, 2008 | #
Gotta love that public transportation!
I’m waiting for my Student Advantage Card to come in the mail. For all the shopping I do, it’s going to be well worth it. I’m almost excited.
December 12th, 2008 | #
I dont really ride buses. Im more of a car person.
December 11th, 2008 | #
I NEED MORE POINTS! I’m glad I have a car!!!
December 11th, 2008 | #
It sounds great but I have some healthy skepticism! I wonder if there is a catch.
December 11th, 2008 | #
I feel your pain. I live in New Jersey and attend UVA in Charlottesville, VA. Instead of using Amtrak and the Student Advantage card, I took a bus. It was a bad choice because the 6-hour trip took 8 hours with all the traffic!
December 11th, 2008 | #
I’ve always hated long bus trips, but they’re better for the environment in the long run. We need to build more bullet trains.
December 11th, 2008 | #
I’m not a credit card person, but thta student card sounds benefical
December 11th, 2008 | #
Learn something new every day. Useful domestically, but I’m studying abroad next term… the TRUE test! Wouldn’t by chance get me a discount on the Metro in Paris, now would it???
December 10th, 2008 | #
Sounds like a handy tool. I’m going to be relying on public transit a LOT when I transfer. That might be a good investment.
December 10th, 2008 | #
this sounds awesome
December 10th, 2008 | #
i hate bus rides! or any other type of public transport at that. thats why i would leave like a week earlier
December 10th, 2008 | #
cool essay
December 10th, 2008 | #
you can never be to sure about everyday traffic. being stuck in traffic is a real bore, even when your on your way home with the five’o clock traffic.
December 9th, 2008 | #
Traffic is the worst! I hope your thanksgiving is better next year!
I think I might get a student advantage card!
December 9th, 2008 | #
wow! i think i need me a card 2!
December 9th, 2008 | #
this is a nice story
December 8th, 2008 | #
traffic is not fun but what can we do about it? i know how it feels to be stuck in a traffic i go to school everyday and im constanly late because of traffic
December 8th, 2008 | #
I am so excited to get back into college. Any help I can get is much appreciated. This is why I am doing everything I can to get assistance. I am on disability, but I don’t want to be that way all my life
December 8th, 2008 | #
I need to get a card.
December 8th, 2008 | #
dude listen despite being pessimist why don’t you try looking on the bright side by enjoying the ride despite traffic. Think of it as an adventure instead of a money waster. Trust me I have been there I know. Takes development!!!
December 8th, 2008 | #
Brittany–we always INSIST that you DO pay the balance off each month. There’s a world of benefits out there worth taking advantage of with credit cards if you pledge to yourself that you’ll do that
December 8th, 2008 | #
I am going to get a card for that unexpected ride home.
December 8th, 2008 | #
Yeah man the greyhound or “dog” like I call it sux and blows at the same time.
December 8th, 2008 | #
trains are much better, i will look into getting a student advantage card.
December 7th, 2008 | #
I wish you a better Thanksgiving next year
December 7th, 2008 | #
Credit cards are a bad idea unless you pay the balance off every month.
December 7th, 2008 | #
While c.c. are a useful tool for building credit, they can lead to a wirlwind of trouble too. It doesn’t take much to add up to a lot of long term debt. Trust me, I know. College loans add up to enough debt. Don’t get caught up with c.c.s too.
December 7th, 2008 | #
Sounds good
December 7th, 2008 | #
i love it its great
December 7th, 2008 | #
Be environmental frindly, ride the bus, save money!!!!
Get a bus pass.
December 6th, 2008 | #
cool
December 6th, 2008 | #
Saving money is always a good thing, but really I would use public transportation on a holiday to get somewhere.
December 6th, 2008 | #
Ya I know how you feel. It is nice when you get discounts being a student I’ve had quite a few myself. Anything from food to an awsome discount for some Muy Thia boxing classes! Oh the advantages
Traffic for sure is a problem though when you are commuting on the holidays… Thank goodness it’s the bus driver driving and not you though eh!
December 6th, 2008 | #
Wow it have to be a way for not paying for college!!!
December 5th, 2008 | #
I dont like travelling for the holidays too much either. My old school was five hours away from home. and gas certainly wasnt cheap. but I transferred.
December 5th, 2008 | #
I wish i had a credit card
December 5th, 2008 | #
I actually recieved a SA card from my university at no cost. I actually threw it away
I didn’t know it actually had good savings…usually free cards like that have all kinds of crazy limitations.
December 5th, 2008 | #
this is so cool,but you have to control money that you spend
December 5th, 2008 | #
this will help
December 5th, 2008 | #
anything will help me save money
December 5th, 2008 | #
YA traffic sucks bro
December 5th, 2008 | #
credit cards are bad and good
December 5th, 2008 | #
credit card is a tool to handle life
December 5th, 2008 | #
This is so cool
December 5th, 2008 | #
cards are scary but if your careful it works out!
December 5th, 2008 | #
Credit Cards are useful but sometimes they cn still be hassel. You might forget to py the bill re might forget tht you even used it
December 4th, 2008 | #
Boy! do I need one of those !
December 4th, 2008 | #
credit cards are useful bu risky at that same time. But i’ll look upon this card you may speak of and see the interest of it
December 4th, 2008 | #
card is a money saving machine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 4th, 2008 | #
Wish I new there was such thing as a card to save.
December 4th, 2008 | #
I also did not relize there was a card with such savings!!!
December 4th, 2008 | #
wow…Thanks!!
December 4th, 2008 | #
i have a student advantage card and love it! i am from virginia and i go to school in new york, so i do A LOT of travelling on breaks and what not. i save money every time i go home, which is great because it’s so much more reliable and easier to sleep on as opposed to a bus.
December 4th, 2008 | #
I didn’t even know there was such a card. I should get one.
December 4th, 2008 | #
woooooooooowwwwwwwwww!!!!!
December 4th, 2008 | #
I am sorry to hear that you went through that Captain J!Hope your Thanksgiving was still nice!
I realized I did not know that you were still a college student. Where are you going to school now? Personally I am taking a year off from college to help out with finances at home and then continuing for my Bachelors degree at the University of Maine at Farmington. I am going to become a teacher of some kind. That’s my life dream!
December 4th, 2008 | #
craziness
December 4th, 2008 | #
I know, credit cards are great for emergencies!
December 4th, 2008 | #
i need that fer sure
December 4th, 2008 | #
thanks
December 4th, 2008 | #
wow
December 3rd, 2008 | #
cool
December 3rd, 2008 | #
word.
December 3rd, 2008 | #
wow.
December 3rd, 2008 | #
I’m all for saving money!!!
December 3rd, 2008 | #
Sounds like I need one of those!
December 3rd, 2008 | #
Thanks, Captain J
December 3rd, 2008 | #
@Gina–next time buy the 5 dollar preferred boarding pass. It allowed me to skip past the 500 people waiting and hop right on a bus. But don’t make the mistake of eating the Port Authority pizza across from the Greyhound ticket area.
December 3rd, 2008 | #
The discounts sound good but not good enough, and why for online purchases only?? Yet, the trael discounts are definately worth it. I may consider the card due to those incentives only.
December 3rd, 2008 | #
Ouch sounds like you had a good time. I don’t like the holiday traffic either try getting into Chicago the Sunday after Thanksgiving it’s a mess
December 3rd, 2008 | #
I was on the Greyhound bus from NYC to Boston on Sunday!! It took me 10 hours to get home. The line for the bus wrapped around the inside of Port Authority multiple times! That was quite a terrible day :[
December 2nd, 2008 | #
I just wish there was a way we wouldnt have to pay for college
December 2nd, 2008 | #
I really need to get me one of those cards!
December 2nd, 2008 | #
The card sounds like a good investment. I live where the snow gets higher than the houses so its easier to take a bus to get home and back to school. I wish I would have looked into the card 2 years ago when I started school!
December 2nd, 2008 | #
Anything that helps me save money I am for it.
December 2nd, 2008 | #
I feel ya. Traffic, holidays, transportation.. don’t want to even think about it. The card sounds convenient though!
December 2nd, 2008 | #
I cannot tell you how I feel your pain to not be considered as a student allegible for the student advantage card because i never had one before. But i will definitely look into this card information
December 2nd, 2008 | #
i have used my saved money on the bus passes to help pay for my tuition…27 dollars a month is better than 1.75 per ride..
December 2nd, 2008 | #
I got one of these. I have used it a few times and its paid for itself already. Probably most students would make their money back in savings, if not for purchases online then for travel home for the holidays. One trip saves you more than the cost of the card.
December 2nd, 2008 | #
I saved 3 dollars with my Student Advantage card… but the bus was an hour and ten minutes (at least) late anyway. If I had waited, I would have missed the connecting bus (different bus company) and had to wait another 4.5 hours for the next one. I would have spent a total of 10 hours to make a 3 hour trip. I got a friend to drive me to the other terminal. Ridiculous. There was no reason for that kind of delay — the roads were all clear, there was no snow anywhere! So now I have a useless ticket that i didn’t save very much on at all.
December 2nd, 2008 | #
Well this sounds rather terrible..but I do hope that you were able to enjoy your Thanksgiving anyway..I mean it would not have been worth it if you weren’t able to enjoy the turkey and potatoes..That student advantage card sounds pretty awesome.
December 2nd, 2008 | #
Yes, i have experienced ur view of what you went through on thanksgiving. I acutally experience it every day. The thought of transportation is good and bad for me. You never know what to expect when traffic appears right before your eyes, but you realize that you have no other way of getting wherever you want to go. Not only that, the bus driver can be within their own world of moodness and that results to whether how fast or slow they are going to drive the bus. One thing I learned from your experience is that i never knew anything about a Student Advantage Card. I would normally pay my way through transportation, wasting all thge money i had on me to get to school. And quite frankly, i never had more than 5 dollars for anyway. So, i definitely consider question about this card and hoping that it will help me save more than i’ve ever saved in my life.
December 2nd, 2008 | #
Wow what a story
December 2nd, 2008 | #
The traffic does suck and i never really thought of the card helping me with transportation needs after hearing your story I a willing to spend the money to get one now.
December 2nd, 2008 | #
I wish there were a way for all of the people to not to have to worry about college money. That would invite even the poorest (AS I AM) to join. It’s hard trying to find the money to pay for all the expenses.
December 1st, 2008 | #
i need a card
December 1st, 2008 | #
oh trust me, I KNOW quite well that traffic in general sucks around the holidays. Ever try to cross a toll bridge on Thanksgiving night? WITHOUT the pre-paid pass? Nightmare. Want to make it worse…put your parents in the passengers seat. What joy.
December 1st, 2008 | #
I can feel your pain as far as the traffic! I didn’t ride the bus; my parents made the round trip by car instead. But, the 1:15 minute ride to/from school took 3 hrs in bumper-to-bumper madness on I-90. As far as the StudentAdvantage card, I purchased one at the start of the semester, and I agree that it is WELL WORTH IT!! I have used my card at various locations so far, such as Greyhound (savings $6 for 4 tickets to/from Boston), Barnes&Noble ($2 savings on a book needed for school)and the best deal was on a winter coat purchase from Macy’s. Macy’s offers two discounts per year, at 10% off if you own a card. I saved $20 on the coat just for using my card, which was on top of another discount that I got for using one of their store coupon codes. On this one purchase alone, I got my money back for the StudentAdvantage Card, and I expect that I’ll be using it alot more before the year is up.
December 1st, 2008 | #