Being an art school student means you are constantly in need of supplies you can get in a moments notice. Being an art school student in Center City means that you are constantly in need of supplies that are going to cost almost as much as your tuition. With winter break being only a few days away, most students will be sure to putschool as far into the backs of their minds as possible, but this month free of school it is the perfect time to do some supply shopping! An entire month without any projects due means that there is no rush to run to a near by art supply store in search of a $20 brush or $8 glue stick. This will allow students the freedom to take their time and take advantage of other options that, living in the city they normally cannot get to. At this point students might not know exactly what big supplies they will need but there are plenty of things that they can stock up on using any of these three options.
Option 1 – Craft Stores
Craft stores like Michaels are a slightly cheaper way to stock up on some less common art supplies that you might need for the year. Craft stores are full of fabrics, clays, paints, glues, and lots of other art supplies that would cost a fortune in the cuty. The last days in the city students should try to talk to older students in their major. Ask them what supplies they think you might need. Then while you’re in the store think about your major, use common sense, and take advantage of sales!
Option 2 – Regular Stores
Some people live in areas that do not have craft stores but this is not a problem! Everyone has a store like Wal-Mart or Target nearby and these stores can be great places to find sales. While these stores might not have some of the more unique and high quality supplies there are plenty of things a student can get much cheaper here. Here you can find things like glue guns, fabrics, threads, rulers, and pencils. In the city all of these things are in high demand for an art student. So be sure to stock up so you have enough to last the rest of the year! This will prevent you from having to run to an art store later in the year and spend $5 on a .50C glue stick.
Option 3 – Online Shopping
If all else fails go to the Internet! There are online stores for everything now a days! This will not only be convenient it will give students the opportunity to get a head start on some of the more unusual supplies they might need for their year. This could include things like special paper, clay, or anything else they might not be able to find in the city. While at school shopping on the Internet is not always an option because supplies are often needed immediately and students do not have time to wait the time it takes to ship. Over break there is no hurry so cheap Internet stores are a great place to search!
Christmas break is a great time to relax and get over all of the stress that classes have caused. But while students are home they should take advantage of the opportunity to save money and be prepaired!