Blog Post 3: Explore, Experience, and Save

Now that we are officially into fall and summer is behind us, it’s time to start thinking about winter. Some Vermonters will start to plan vacation get-a-ways to warmer locations, but for the true Vermonters, myself included, we start dreaming about the first snowfall.

As a college student, I am exposed to many opportunities. For example, last year I bought a pass to Smuggler’s Notch for just 65 dollars. A Smugg’s pass for an adult starts at $589. The college discount is unbeatable. It pays for itself after just 1 use! Another really awesome benefit about going to Saint Mike’s is that each weekend you can get a free ride to the mountain through the Wilderness Program. For many students here, this is a very inexpensive way to learn to ski or ride.

Although the deal was incredible, I looked at other options for this winter. I found out that there are college discounts at almost all of the mountains. Some deals are better than others but nonetheless, college students are lucky to have these markdowns. I think it is extremely important to take advantage of them while we can.

This winter I will be riding primarily at Jay Peak and Burke Mountain. The pass I found and decided to purchase is called The Judge. It covers both mountains and cost me $199, oddly enough the same price as a Jay Peak pass alone.

The Judge is sold in tiers. The first tier sells at $199 and the price rises from there. Basically, the earlier you buy, the better the price. If I wasn’t a college student and wanted to buy the same pass, I would be paying at least $849, which is four times as much as the discounted cost.

Discounts are offered for other people as well. For example, Jay Peak has two age groups for Senior discounts, the 1^st group includes those from 60-69, and the 2^nd group is anyone over 70. There are also discounts for Juniors and Children.

As a college student, it is so important to me to experience things and take advantage of what is offered during these four years. These discounts cannot be overlooked. I’m already in my second year. My college career is going to be over quicker than I will ever believe possible.

Once I graduate, I will be paying a lot more for the exact same experiences. That’s how these companies and locations can afford to offer these great deals. Not everyone will stick around and continue to buy passes after college, but at least some will.

My suggestion to all of my readers is to take advantage of discount pricing, no matter what your age. Try something and if you don’t like it try something else. Your loss will be a lot less when you aren’t paying full price. You never know, you might fall in love with a new store or hobby.