If you are reading this then chances are you are embarking on your first overseas journey. Congratulations, you are about to have a life-changing adventure. To give you a bit of a head start on hijinks that might ensue, we have compiled a list of things that all first time travelers inevitably go through.

Start with some homesickness, and make your way to lovesickness… and everything in between! Bon voyage!

Start with the fighting!

No we are not talking about your video game fight pep talk; you will inevitably start having fights with your travel buddy be it your best friend, your partner or just family. That is because you will be spending all the waking hours together and that will eventually make you get sick of each other. Learning about each other quirks and habits can be a double edged sword. Do not be surprised if you feel such amount of abhorrence for each other that you will end up wondering why even you decided to travel with each other in the first place. Get as much of college student online discounts as possible to save a few fights over money.

What’s the solution?

Starve off from making any kind of rash decisions. Do not act on ideas like ditching them to travel alone for the rest of the road. These are people you absolutely adored before you got on a plane together, and now a different side of theirs is just apparent to you. So, do not act out of impulse, take a breather or if so a few hours apart from each other and you will get over this. Chances are they are feeling the same way about you as well.

Moments when you “want your mommy”!

If this is the first time you chose to travel alone without your family then be prepared to miss them. Like a lot! Now, we know what you are thinking, “No way that will happen, I booked this trip to get away from them, I want to find my independence”. And you will do so. But in between loud hostels and exhausting day trips you will learn to grow a deeper appreciation for your own bed and the warm embrace of your family.

What’s the solution?

Feeling homesick is normal, but no need to bump up on the return tickets. Just remember to stay in touch as much as you can and remember this is just one trip for a few days, you will not be gone forever.

Getting lost!

Okay you have gone through every map of the area and have all the apps for getting around that came recommended from Lonely Planet, but you will end up getting lost! It is something unavoidable. But treat this as your stepping stone to the vagabond life!

What’s the solution?

The key is to maintain calm and not panic. In fact try and enjoy it. This is one of the best ways to get a feel for the place. Be prepared for this moment, learn basic directional vocab of the place and find yourself around! Also once you are there find out places that offer discounts with student ID.

Sprint discounts for students makes backpacking easier for kids in college, which is the best time to travel, explore and learn from experience!

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You may have touted yourself to be the loner type. When your friends complain about their partners you roll your eyes around for several minutes and sigh, then comes your most taunting “I am a free bird and I can do whatever I want” speech. A speech that secretly kills you a little inside, yet you put up a brave front. I am the lone wolf with a prowl of pride, yet I am unhappy and sad inside.

It is ironical that sadness is always met with anger from others. People attack you when you are the most vulnerable. And getting attached to someone means that you are so sensitive to everything about them that even a slight change in their tone makes you churn the thoughts about what you might have done wrong.

But there is a reason you took to the path of solitude, someone left you scarred and now going through the same things is giving you the uneasy jerk of PTSD! But think of it in this way – if you could love the wrong one so much, imagine how much you can love the one that’s right.

So, put your best foot forward and ask out your crush on a date, Kolkata is India’s Paris for those with the right eye.

Here are the most amazing date-worthy places in Kolkata:

Take her out for some coffee:

The best way to get to know people is to have an interesting conversation over a cup of smoking hot coffee. Accompany it with some freshly baked cookies and you have two perfect pairs in the setting! 

Tip for first date: pick the perfect outfit that makes him/her go ‘Wow’ when they lay their eyes on you, but also it should not seem like you are trying too hard. Keep 30 minutes for getting yourself ready so, that you do not need to rush, but also not make your date wait. 

A good place to have coffee in Kolkata is at the Caafe 360 degree. They serve good quality cuppa and also an assortment of lounge menu. To make the most out of this special day we recommend getting a YUP Card subscription. A YUP Card is only available to college students in Kolkata and offers amazing student offers on restaurants.

Make Ice Cream better:

If you and your date both enjoy a sweet tooth, then the place to take her out on a date is at Mama Mia. Also associated with YUP Card one can enjoy exclusive studentoffers on Mama Mia.

 

Tip for those going on a first date: while your instinct might compel you to ask several questions but, do you really want you date to appear like a college or job interview? All you need to do is to make the conversation going. You could even try making funny observations like – “Don’t you feel awkward when you make accidental eye-contact with people who have stopped next to you at a Red light”.

Show her your adventurous side with a themed restaurant date:

The best way to connect with people and have real chemistry; is to be your own weird self. So, if you think roller-coaster rides and arcade games are the best places to date or a quiet walk by the old cemetery is romantic! Then so be it. 

You could further mix it up with a themed-restaurant lunch or dinner date at Jaisalmer, this is a north Indian restaurant with amazing ambience and a la carte and buffet menu worth salivating for hours! With a YUP Card subscription you can get student discount at Jaisalmer of up to 10% off on the total billing amount. 

Here were a few from the long list of date-worthy spots in the City of Joy! For more such articles and news on best deals for students stay tuned to the updates from YUP Card.

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Thinking of inviting your college mates on a night out at a nearby pub? How about playing some games to celebrate your thirst? Let’s have a look at the four most popular drinking games played at renowned restaurants by college students.

1. Old is Gold, so try your hands on some beer-pong: The age-old game of beer pong is a favourite among college-goers. Over the years rules for playing this game have undergone changes depending on the members, but the basic norms have remained unaltered. The basic ingredients for the game remain the same and include – a ping-pong table and classic red plastic cups. To play the game first, set up a formation of 10 cups on each side of the ping-pong table. Note that the cups should be placed in a triangle. Fill each cup with roughly three to four ounces of beer. If you have big groups then divide them in two teams. Then the players while standing on either side of the table must aim to toss a ping-pong ball into one of the cups of their opponent team. The team clearing all the cups is deemed as the winner.


2. The All-in-one party hit: Drink-a-Palooza is originally a board game involving each member using their skills. This way no one feels left out in the party. Given the challenges are not repetitive; the social gathering won’t get stale. This monopoly of party games combines both old and new drinking games into one box.


3. The King’s Cups: You need plastic cups or glasses placed on the table and spread a deck of card removing the jokers. This forms a circle of cards around the glass. Players stand in a circular position with their drinking glasses and are asked to draw a card. What makes this game an absolute favourite is the fact that people can socialise.


4. The Bomb shot: A game also called as Depth charge is a game that suits just right for people who simply can’t do without alcohol. Alcohol, pint and shot glasses are used for playing this game. Restaurateurs hosting the party have to mix two types of drinks. The proportion will be three-fourth of beer placed on the table with a shot glass of whisky floating in the beer mug. When the glass tips over into the beer, players need to drink it all and those that lose must perform a funny stunt.

Now that you are aware of what to play it will also be wise to save your pay at boozy parties. YUP card takes care of your bills once you subscribe to the card to get exciting student offers on restaurants.

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Love the feeling of being creeped out when watching a horror movie? The sudden jolts from fear when a loud sound or a horror movie effects from out of nowhere scares you is your favorite feeling? Then you are in luck this Freaky Friday as we have compiled a list of the best Bollywood horror movies for you to get a good dose of cold chills down your spine for the weekend.

Yes, some horror movies of Bollywood have ruined the reputation of such scary movies with their bad scripting, ugly, unrealistic makeup and costumes that are more funny than scary. But that does not mean the film industry that releases the most number of feature films in a year (enough film to cover the whole distance from Mumbai to London) does not have a few hidden gems of horror flicks in its bag.

Let us see what you could watch while eating gourmet popcorn from Batcaves. And to make the deal even sweeter YUP Card subscribers are getting a college student discounts online of 5% with every order of Gourmet Popcorn from BatCaves.

Five best horror movies of Bollywood that will make you sleep with the lights on:

Raat (1992):

One of the toppers in the list of horror movies of Bollywood, this is one of the best Ram Gopal Verma films that scared a good many back in the 90s. This film still has its moments of supernatural thrill that are not too over exaggerated like that of a factory-made horror movie nuances. Once you watch this cult classic which is one the scariest Hindi horror movies you will never look at [spoiler alert] cats the same way.

A kitten dies and that is what sets in motion a series of bizarre paranormal events.

Bees Saal Baad (1962):

The famous Lata Mangeshkar song of Kahin Deep Jaale Kahin Dil scared Indians out of their wits. It was the highest grossing film of 1962, which was based loosely on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s story ‘The Hound of Baskerville’. This still happens to be one of the most scary horror movies of Indian cinema even after 50 years of its release.

Horror Story 3D (2013):

Named appropriately this is a movie based on a seemingly predictable plot where a group of young friends decide to spend the night at a haunted hotel. Soon enough with sunset things get convoluted and there are more than a just a few scenes that can make you jump off your seats.

Mahal (1949):

Often thought to be the first horror movie of Bollywood this is a movie that scared generations with timeless minimalistic creepy scenes. This film is based on reincarnation but its scary scenes have scared audiences for decades.

Bhoot (2003):

Throughout the movie the scare element is kept simmering with a few high jumps of the scare graph. This was one of the last really gripping movies released by Ram Gopal Verma which is loosely based on the English classic The Exorcist. While its second part is not very scary but the first part definitely takes away the prize for being the best horror movie.

Are you brave enough to watch these movies alone? If not share your popcorn with best deals for students on gourmet popcorn from Batcaves.

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Kolkata is a place steeped with history borrowing from its colonial past, politics, culture and liberalism with support for all kinds of eclectic beliefs. This is the land traversed by poets, writers, musicians, artists, rebellious politicians, economists and much more. Many make the mistake of brushing this place off by calling it “old school” stuck in a time warp of the 70s. But in terms of beliefs, thoughts and ideas Kolkata is much ahead that the rest of the country.

And when it comes to romance, the Bengali way of serenading your special lady to the tunes of “Chini go chini tomake”… or some of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ with self-played guitar music goes far beyond posh restaurants and hotels. But still when you meet your missing puzzle piece splurging a bit sounds only under doing.

Here is how you can make the day special for your girlfriend without breaking the bank account. And if you are in college this could be even easier with great college students available in Kolkata.

Begin the day with authentic Chinese breakfast at the street food stalls at Tiretta Bazaar:

Best to reach before 7 am to eat some of the best Chinese available at affordable prices. Sip piping hot duck soup with the best pork wantons served by Kolkata’s resident Chinese community. The bazaar is century old and starts at 6 am and gets packed up to disappear until the next morning at 8 am.

Then take a lazy stroll from Ahiritola Ghat to Kumortuli and…

If you get some extra time take an auto to Haritaki Bagan Lane for soaking more of Kolkata charm

While not the best routes to take in comparison to the wide and clean roads of the newer parts of the IT centric corporate city areas, but still a quaint riverside walk is one of the best ways to absorb the real Kolkata charm.

View the idols of Durga in making by the artisans in Kumortuli and take a stroll around the narrow North Calcutta Lane called Haritaki bagan lane to reminisce about the aristocratic past of the French-windowed bungalows.

The main attraction ­– Indo-European architecture mixed with art deco splashes here and there. (note that clicking pictures here is often chargeable)

Get sporty at lunch at the Bikers Café

If you are the adventurist kind of couple rather than the cheesy mushy kind, then you will love to lunch at the Bikers café in Kolkata surrounded by some great enthusiastic crowds, with biker size scrumptious meals. And what’s more? For students with YUP card subscription you can get college student discounts on every billing order.

Walk off the heavy meal with some serious shopping at New Market

Practice your haggling skills while you buy the best of street fashion and junk jewelry to make your special lady feel extra special at the oldest market in Kolkata.

Quench your thirst with some chilled beer at the Big Ben at Kenilworth

Get all the feel of going back to Kolkata’s colonial past with this British boozer like pub and with your college ID bag some extra student offers. 

Catch the latest show at the Star theatre and get your evening fill with Goli Vada Pav

One of the oldest movie theatres in the city, the architecture of the theatre is reminiscent of the city’s royal past.

Get spicy with some Pav Bhaji at Goli Vada pav the favorite hangout spot for youngsters in the city.

                                                                     Flat 10% off Total bill

End the day on a sweet note with some gelato from Mama Mia

While parting with your loved one for the day might be bitter, but you can sweeten things up with some delicious ice-cream from Mama Mia. The gelato from this place stays frozen for the longest time (so you get to spend some extra time with her to avoid getting a brain freeze).

                                                        Flat 20% off on all your purchases at select Mama Mia Outlets

Now go have some romantic time out with the taste of Kolkata.

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Have you recently joined college or university and are living by yourself? Then apart from the overwhelming feeling of independence will be accompanied by the lackadaisical attitude towards the kitchen or cooking in general. And if a traumatizing firecracker incident has also left you scared of flames, then reaching out for the takeaway menu will seem like the better option for you.

But if ulcer or jaundice does not entice your appetite or simply the costs of ordering in everyday are bringing your budget down, then hold fast and trust in us when we say that you can do it. Cooking is an essential life skill which must be mustered by all earthlings irrespective of age and sex. So, why not start now so that your liver can breathe some relief.

Here in this article we have enlisted the kitchen cupboard basics that must be stocked by you; so, that you always have a full stomach and tasty dishes up your sleeves.

The good old black and white duo – salt and pepper

The most common of spices that a chef simply can’t do without which are be used to spice all foods to turn them grand from bland. Did you buy those tasteless chips from the takeaway restaurant again while walking back home after having a few extra drinks? Now the next thing on the list will only be to bin them. After all the after taste of a hurl does not go well with salt-devoid, bland chips, so spice it up with some salt and pepper to get some taste to it. Spice things up with a good sprinkling of old salt n pep.

Grow up and get some red – chili powder will help to give you that extra kick

An old time favorite of all cooks, the taste of a little chili goes a long way. And it will be especially helpful for you if you catch a bug to help with that runny nose. Spice up those potato wedges for the late night movie-time snacking, chili powder can also turn basic pasta sauce into a fiery feast. Use it to spice up the warm soup nice and hot during cold winter nights to feel warmer. Also to save the faint hearted souls thankfully it comes in varying degrees.

Cart those pasta packets at the grocer’s to keep you from sleeping hungry

For deadbeat poets, writers and artists and college students, pasta is your best friend. One can cook it easily in a short time adding different types of things to it. Moreover, it is not only filling but also cheap.

The simplest snack you can make is pasta with some grated cheese to finish it off and you are good to go for the night. Also this tastes much better than the pot noodle you heat up on lazy nights.

Sweeten the deal with some – sugar

Keep things sweet with some sugar. Your neighbor may not be the friendliest one, especially during your hot-mess college days. So, if you do not want to be that annoying character from old sitcoms, keep stock of the good old white crystals (no pun intended) as it is needed in all types of recipes and also helps to swallow the medicine easily. Imagine days when you don’t get pancakes or your morning coffee without sugar! Doomsday Shoomsday, sweet tooth knows no race!


Now find amazing stores with student discounts with a card that gives unlimited swipes. Register for your YUP card now.

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