Pitt I.D. key to extracurricular perks

College will wring your wallet dry — it is an unfortunate, universal truth.

With fees looming around every corner, budgeting and bargain shopping will be vital on your collegiate journey. Luckily, a great weapon exists to combat the rising costs of student living: your University of Pittsburgh ID.

This plastic pal will get you student discounts at retailers of all kinds — 15 percent off your entire purchase at Charlotte Russe, for example, or hundreds of dollars off Dell or Apple computers. All it takes is a little research to find brands with a soft spot for young, broke intellectuals.

Neat, right? But let’s not forget some of the more basic — and arguably most important — functions of a Pitt ID.

If you’re living in an on-campus residence hall, then make sure to keep your ID with you at all times. Without it, you will not be able to access your residence hall or dorm room — think of your ID as a slim, rectangular key.

With your card, you have access to both your dorm room and a priceless night on the town — literally.

For a “pop” artistic revelation, grab a free bus ride to the North Shore and visit the Andy Warhol Museum. Here you can interact with the Pittsburgh native’s work and plunge into his life and culture.

Only 1.3 miles from The Warhol stands The Mattress Factory, an installation art museum. Wander through the imagination of talented artists, commissioned to transform three neighboring buildings into the home of contemporary masterpieces.

Home to both local and internationally recognized artists, The Mattress Factory’s exhibitions draw coverage from major publications like The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, but is all live and free for Pitt students to see for themselves.

Back in Oakland, The Carnegie Museum of Art is home to a wide range of work dating back to the 1600s and shares a building with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Want to see one of the finest dinosaur collections in the world? It is only a leisurely stroll from the Cathedral.

If your thumb is of a greener shade, visit the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens for horticulture at its finest. You can find their organic artistic displays blooming across the street from Schenley Park.

Your ID will also get you discounted tickets to both cultural and sporting events, such as the Pittsburgh Opera, Ballet, Symphony Orchestra and Public Theatre, as well as Pirates and Penguins games.

For those of you who plan on taking advantage of other on-campus services such as the fitness centers, library, free bussing and computer labs, you and your ID will be spending a lot of time together. These services all require a Pitt ID for use.

Get to know your ID. Give it a home in your wallet or on your lanyard.

The city of Pittsburgh is at your fingertips — you are a free bus ride away from the amazing food, art and sports of Pittsburgh. All it takes is a flash of your Pitt ID.