For those of us with college students (already!), we know how stressful it can be for our kids to get adjusted to a totally new schedule and, often, a new living situation. We even included meditation apps among our recommendations of apps for college freshmen to download.
That’s why I was so pleased to learn that both Headspace and Calm apps are offering discounted subscriptions specifically for college students, to help them navigate what can be an anxiety-filled and sometimes lonely time.
We’ve long sung the praises of meditation to help us, and our kids, slow down our brains and relax for a few minutes a day, a week, or even just whenever we can fit it into our routine. Meditation apps, mindfulness podcasts for kids, and evenscreen-free devices like Zenimals, give kids of all ages the tools to can help them turn meditation into a regular activity.
And with these two leading apps making it more affordable for college students to download, my hope is that our kids can manage the stress of college a little better on their own. Each offer is slightly different though so keep reading to see which one makes more sense for your college student.
Student discounts on mediation and mindfulness apps
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Headspace Student Plan for college students
The Headspace Student Plan offers a flat annual rate to college students for only $9.99 a year (that’s 85% off!) which provides complete access to Headspace’s deep library of meditations and resources, including sleepcasts and exercise videos to help our kids slow down — and rev back up.
Headspace has also released a Back to School Collection for young adult students, which includes tips from leading experts on topics like fear of the future, leaving home, dealing with distractions, navigating change, and not letting FOMO take up too much of your brain.
Having just sent my second child to college, I know that all of these challenges can become much bigger problems if not addressed early in the semester.
Related: Headspace and Star Wars team up to teach mindfulness to kids.
I find the Headspace interface really fun and easy to follow and know my current college senior has enjoyed her student plan subscription over her four years at school. Even if her “meditation” is done as she walks from her off-campus apartment to her first morning class, taking that mental break has been beneficial.
Calm for Amazon Prime Students
If your college students has their own Amazon Prime Student account (you know, to order all the necessities of dorm life, like snacks), then they can also tap into a special deal from Calm, one of the apps that changed our Editor Liz’s life.
Amazon Prime Students who are located in the U.S. can redeem a three-month free trial to Calm Premium that will auto-renew for only $8.99 a year (!!) for as long as they are an Amazon Prime Student member.
Related: Our favorite self-care apps to help you develop a self-care plan. Because winter is coming.
Along with guided meditations of various lengths, Calm also offers a Daily Move stretching exercise to get the blood flowing, sleep stories to help them get rest even when roommates are up late, and soundscapes filled with music to help drown out ambient noise while studying. I
love that they can browse meditations by time length, whether your college student only has a few minutes — or a whole hour — to zone out. They can even search by various goals, like better sleep or improved focus, which make it quite easy to navigate a pretty robust app.
Please be sure to read the fine print regarding auto-renewals on both plans…er, we mean, make sure your student reads the fine print regarding auto-renewals and make any necessary cancellations at the right time to avoid unwanted charges. We always suggest setting a phone alert a day or two before the auto-renewal date as a reminder to cancel (or not).
That is great that they have college student plans. As the mom of a very stressed out high schooler, I wish they had discounts for high school students too.
Completely agree Maggie! Though I’ve found that if you reach out to an app that you use and ask about a family discount…you might be surprised at how they’ll help you out 😉