Student fees go a long way at West Virginia University

It's that time of year again: I hear people griping about paying their student fees. It's a lot of money, for sure. But we get a lot of great services for our student fees.

Here are a few that are well worth taking advantage of. Unless otherwise noted, everything mentioned here is free to West Virginia University students.

Student Rec Center

The WVU Student Recreation Center is an amazing facility. It's modern, comfortable, well-equipped and smells far better than most gyms. And it has more to offer than you might realize.

There are personal trainers available for free. Whether you're out of shape and looking to trim up or developing a serious weight-lifting plan, make an appointment with one of the trainers.

First, they'll do a comprehensive analysis of your fitness. Then they'll develop a plan for you.

And if you like, they'll go through your workouts with you once a week, so you can be sure you're maximizing the benefits of your workout routine and minimizing the possibility of injury.

Ever considered taking up rock climbing? The climbing wall has free equipment to check out. And if you don't feel like getting up on the ropes, bouldering (climbing low on the wall, so you can just jump or fall off) is a great way to get started or to work on your form and climbing muscles.

There are classes in yoga, spinning, Zumba (I admit, I don't know what it is, but the people in the pictures look awfully fit) and probably fifteen other things I don't know about.

There are triathlons, poker tournaments and kayak roll sessions as well as intramural sports leagues.

There's the outdoor recreation center that will rent you everything from snowshoes and winter camping gear to kayaks and paddles (for a small fee).

They also organize trips that are a great way to get into outdoor activities, help you explore some parts of West Virginia that you might not have seen, and make new friends.

Libraries

First off, you have access to nearly every book ever printed through WVU Libraries.

If it's not in the collection, you can get just about everything through E-ZBorrow or Interlibrary Loan (textbooks and some not-so-popular new releases aren't available).

And that's not just stuff for classes. You can also get the latest fiction, music instruction books and travel guides.

There are powerhouse Mac computers with monster screens in the Downtown Library's basement that you can use for movie and music editing.

There are copiers you can use to scan documents or references, and you can e-mail them to yourself for free.

There are reference librarians that want to help you – many of them studied library science – with anything you could possibly need help with.

There are also some really nice chairs in beautiful, quiet rooms that make a great place to take a mid-day or between-classes break. And there are group study rooms that you can reserve for those tough group projects.

Student Health

The Student Health Center offers complete physicals for $30, including lab work. A physical at a private doctor's office could cost more than 10 times that.

You know you should have one every year – take advantage of the amazing price. They also offer gynecological exams, cholesterol and blood sugar testing, STD and HIV screening and more, all at very reasonable prices.

And they have free condoms.

The Carruth Center offers 12 free counseling sessions a year to students. Out in the real world, that's at least a $1,200 value.

Whether you've got major issues to work through (And who doesn't?) or you just need someone to talk to about some relationship worries, counseling can be helpful. If you're having trouble adjusting to some facet of college life, go talk with someone – many students find just a few sessions very helpful.

Student Legal Services

In the basement of E. Moore Hall is the Student Legal Services office.

They have professional lawyers on staff to help you through any legal difficulties that you may have. Whether it's a disagreement with a landlord or questions you have about a run-in with the police, free legal advice is a huge blessing.

And that just scratches the surface.

While I was writing this article, I looked up something about the Rec Center and learned there's an arts and crafts center in the basement of Braxton Tower in the Evansdale Residential Complex where students can make pottery, stained glass, tie dye, beaded jewelry, candles, and more.

You're going to spend a lot of your time at WVU studying, and you'll probably spend a decent amount partying, too. But there's so much more here. You're paying for these services already through your student fees.

So look around, talk to people, and be open to opportunities, and you'll find that your student fees are actually quite a bargain.