Cinema
My favourite way to relax during busy study weeks is watching a movie at the cinema. Luckily, a movie night does not have to be expensive at all. At Kinepolis, for instance, every Tuesday night is student night and you only pay €12,00 for a ticket, including a Grolsch beer, wine or bottle of water! Vue offers a discount on Tuesday nights as well (though not especially for students): a ticket costs just €7.50 and popcorn €2.00. At Concordia, you can even catch a movie for just €7,00. The perfect budget-proof night out!
Active outings
For the active students among us, there are plenty of options too! At IJsbaan Twente, near the campus, you can ice skate with a student discount. You can get these discounted tickets at the UnionShop. Another option for an active outing is padel, a kind of mix between tennis and squash. At Plaza Padel, you will receive a 50% discount as a student if you book a court on weekdays between 9 am and 5 pm. If you are looking for more extreme activities, head to ZERO55. On weekdays, you can go karting, laser gaming and more with a 20% discount!
Food and drinks
After all those activities, you must be hungry. Luckily, Enschede also offers good student deals at various eateries. For example, at Brasserie Willemientje, you get a 10% discount upon showing your student card. Here you will find a wide range of delicious lunches, with lots of options for vegetarians and vegans! On weekdays, this is also a great place to study. At Happy Italy, students can eat affordably as well. Here you pay only €8,50 for a Pizza Salame or Pizza Margherita and a drink (valid Monday to Thursday until 6 pm).
My favourite place - and that of many other students - for dessert is Van der Poel. And they happen to have a great student deal as well! At the UnionShop, you can buy a discount card for ice cream worth €12,50 for only €10,00: that's one free ice cream, basically!
Shopping
Want to go shopping with a discount? There are several shops in Enschede where you can do that as a student. At Studio Spitsbaard, for instance, you can shop vintage with a 10% discount. Several retail outlets, such as Xenos, WE Fashion, H&M and Hunkemöller also offer student discounts. A complete overview of shops offering student discounts can be found here. Pro tip: if you create a (free) account via UNiDAYS, you will benefit from even more discounts at different stores and brands.
Swapfiets
As a student in the Netherlands, a bike is, of course, indispensable! Swapfiets offers bike subscriptions with a 10% discount for students. For those who are not yet familiar with the concept: with Swapfiets, you rent a bicycle for a fixed amount per month. Something breaks down? Then the bike is repaired or replaced within 24 hours. This way, you will always have a working bike!
Museums
Fancy some culture? As a student, you can visit the Rijksmuseum Twenthe and De Museumfabriek completely free of charge. At Rijksmuseum Twenthe, you can find a large collection of both ancient and modern art, along with changing exhibitions. De Museumfabriek, located in Roombeek, is a combination of art, culture, nature, technology and science. The perfect cultural outing when you have an afternoon off!
UnionDeals
The Student Union - that is, the student activism body of the University of Twente - also offers a bunch of discounts for all kinds of activities and products: the UnionDeals. From subway sandwiches to rental cars, working spaces abroad and cooking workshops - they have a deal for everyone, so don't forget to check it out before buying!
Must-have discount cards
I highly recommend the Study in Enschede discount card to every student in Enschede. It gives you the best student discounts and, not unimportantly, it's free! Discounts are offered at eateries like De Broodbode (where they have the best sandwiches in Enschede, if you ask me), Coffee Fellows and the Twentsche Foodhal. You can also visit The Gamebox and the hairdresser at a discount, and you can even order Enschede merch! You can find the full overview and order the card on the website of Uit in Enschede.
Finally, there is Knaek, an app that allows you to get good discounts in Enschede and other places as a student. You do pay €25 per academic year for a membership, but the money you will save with the deals makes it more than worth it.
With these tips, you'll never have to pay too much again and you'll be all set to enjoy everything Enschede has to offer. Count your savings!
