With tuition culminating in thousands of dollars each semester, students at the University of Mississippi can get their money’s worth by taking full advantage of the many services offered to them free of charge. From doctor’s appointments to tutoring, the university offers a wide variety of services for students to help them succeed in their academic and personal lives.
Here is a list of 10 free services that all UM students should check out.
Expensive equipment
If you want to “wow” your professor with a multimedia project, the library’s IDEAlab offers free equipment loans. Most equipment can be checked out for a maximum of three days and can be requested by sending an email to idealab@lib.olemiss.edu. The equipment includes microphones, cameras and even MacBook Pros with access to Adobe Creative Cloud. The next time a big project comes around, filming on a phone is not the only option.
Professional clothing
While they might not say it outright, many employers expect applicants to “dress for success” at their interviews. If your closet is lacking in this area, the university’s Career Closet gives you access to create a complete professional outfit ahead of a job interview, career fair or professional opportunity. Clothes, shoes and accessories can all be found at the South Oxford Center in room SW 1800. The closet is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Doctor’s appointments
Perhaps the highest-value service on this list, the university’s Student Health Services are a major time and cost saver for students.
“Students who utilize Student Health Services will only pay a one-time fee of $10 per semester for their first visit with a provider,” the Director of University Health Services Alex Langhart said. “Compare that with visits to an urgent care or private clinic whose office visit can range from $150 to $300 or more each time you visit.”
The university has two student health centers, which includes their newly opened South Oxford Center location. Langhart also noted that the Student Health Centers offer services typically only offered at specialist clinics.
“One service many students don’t realize we offer is comprehensive women’s health care, including gynecological services such as contraception counseling, IUD placement and routine preventive care,” Langhart said.
To schedule an appointment, students can call (662)-915-7274. If students are struggling to pay for additional services, such as lab work, they can apply for up to $500 in assistance through the UHS Medical Expense Fund.
Tutoring
If a complicated concept, or even a whole unit, is standing in a student’s way of passing a particular course, most university departments offer free tutoring services. The Student Success Tutoring section on the UM website provides information on subject-specific tutoring and general student success workshops. Under the Departmental Tutoring subsection, there is information on tutoring services provided by each department.
The New York Times
All UM students have access to one of the nation’s premier newspapers and all of its perks. To activate the free New York Times membership, create an account with your university email on the NYT website and claim your digital pass. A membership gives you access to every article, game, recipe, review and podcast the Times produces. The membership expires upon graduation from the university.
Mental health care
Accessing mental health services can be an incredibly complicated and expensive process, even with a good insurance plan. However, the university provides students free counseling services through the University Counseling Center in Lester Hall.
The UCC offers students the chance to talk through the stress of school, interpersonal relationships and trauma in a confidential setting. To book an appointment, the UCC can be reached by calling (662) 915-3784. For medication needs, students can speak with a UCC psychiatric professional for a one-time fee of $25. All following appointments are free.
Microsoft Office 365
Many professors prefer using the Microsoft Office suite over newer applications, like the Google Workspace suite. For those who have not utilized their free Office membership, opening files with a “docx” at the end of them can be a dreaded task. No need to fear, though, because all UM students can log into Office using their email address and MyOleMiss password. Make sure to use the “olemiss.edu” domain at the end of your email instead of the “go.olemiss.edu” domain.
Films
A little-known library database accessible to UM students is movie streaming platform Kanopy. Before renting the movie you can’t find anywhere online, try checking Kanopy for the title. The platform includes cinephile favorites such as “Lady Bird,” “Parasite” and “The Florida Project,” all at no cost to students.
Paywalled literature
Nothing is more frustrating than running into a paywall on an article that would be perfect to include in an essay. The first place to look for the article is on the library’s “One Search,” which scans the university’s 400+ databases. If the article is still not free to access, the library can loan it from another university through the Interlibrary Loan Service (ILS). After filling out the ILS form, library staff can typically find the article in one or two days.
Proofreading and presentation help
With the amount of essays and oral presentations required of students in college, it can be hard to ask a friend to look over every project before submitting it. Fortunately, Lamar Hall houses a Writing Center and Speaking Center for students to speak with trained consultants about their assignments. Writing Center appointments assist in every stage of writing a paper, whether it is brainstorming, proofreading or formatting. Speaking Center appointments give students access to a consultant who can assist with any speech communication needs before a class presentation.
