University isn't just lectures and library runs.
Whether you're debating what to watch on a rainy Sunday, hunting for the right headphones before Freshers' Week, or trying to make sense of the latest internet trend — entertainment is a massive part of student life, and this is your go-to guide for all of it.
From viral culture and film picks to tech buying guides and the best music to study to, it's all here. Bookmark it, come back to it, share it with your flatmates.
Jump to:
Culture and Trends
From viral TikTok moments and the latest internet-spawned aesthetics to Halloween costume inspo and gift guides for every occasion — this is where student culture lives. Whether you want something to do this weekend or need to decode a term everyone's suddenly using, we've got you covered.
Viral Trends & Pop Culture
Brat Girl Summer: The New Era — Inspired by Charli xcx's album, brat girl summer is an aesthetic built around authenticity, chaos, and unapologetic self-expression. Here's everything you need to know about the trend that took over 2024.
Forget Hot Girl Summer — Here's Rat Girl Summer — A TikTok-born movement encouraging you to go outside, eat freely, and channel a carefree, mischievous energy. Anti-perfectionist, anti-pressure, and honestly very appealing.
Grab Your Hot Rodent Boyfriend — It's Rat Boy Summer — The era of the conventionally attractive guy is officially over. Meet rat boy summer: the celebration of sunken eyes, messy hair, and men who look like Barry Keoghan and Timothée Chalamet.
What Is a Passenger Princess? — Someone who gets chauffeured everywhere while handling playlist duties, navigation, and snack distribution. The viral trend explained, plus how to fully lean into it.
The Biggest Student Dating Icks Revealed — A poll of 2,000 dating adults reveals the top turn-offs, from bad hygiene and know-it-all behaviour to wearing water shoes. Prepare to feel very seen.
What Does Comphet Mean? — A deep dive into compulsory heterosexuality — the societal pressure that enforces straight relationships as the default — and how it shows up in pop culture, from Regina George to Velma Dinkley.
Beanie Babies That Could Make You Rich — Got a box of Beanie Babies gathering dust somewhere? Some editions are worth serious money — this guide breaks down 22 valuable ones, from Princess Bear (around £500) to a set valued at nearly a million dollars.
The Ultimate Rory Gilmore Reading List — Every book Rory actually reads across all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls, organised by season so you can track how her taste evolves — and finally work through the list yourself.
Your Guide to Voting — A first-timer's guide to voting in the UK, with manifesto links for all the major parties and tools like "Vote for Policies" to help you figure out who actually aligns with what you care about.
Things to Do
Get Your Festival Tent for Free With This Hack — Decathlon's "No Tent Left Behind" scheme lets you borrow a tent for festival season at zero cost: buy one, use it, return it after the event for full refund credit. A great alternative to leaving it behind.
The Best Rollercoasters in the UK — A ranked guide to the UK's fastest and most exhilarating rides, featuring Hyperia at Thorpe Park and Stealth, with a full leaderboard of the country's speediest coasters.
Best Cheap and Free Date Ideas — Budget dating sorted: from cheap options like coffee dates and markets to completely free activities like stargazing and hiking, plus at-home ideas for when you'd rather stay in.
Date Night Ideas Around the Country — Date inspiration beyond London, with city-by-city ideas for students around the UK looking for something a bit more interesting than dinner and drinks.
Fun Things to Do for Halloween — Beyond the standard house party: activities, events, and ideas for making Halloween genuinely memorable as a student, whatever your budget.
50 DIY Halloween Costumes for Students — Fifty costume ideas you can actually put together without spending much, from quick last-minute options to more involved looks that'll win the night.
Gift Guides
50 Gift Ideas for Students Starting University — A packed list of practical and fun gift ideas for the fresher in your life, from tech essentials to room accessories that'll actually make halls feel like home.
UK Valentine's Day Gift Ideas and Date Activities — Gift picks and date ideas across every budget — from romantic restaurant evenings with student discounts to creative DIY options for when money is tight.
The Best Valentine's Day Gift Ideas Under £25 — Thoughtful, well-chosen gifts for £25 or less. Because romance doesn't have to break the bank, especially mid-term.
Unique Gift Ideas for Him — Stepping well off the beaten path with gift ideas for the men in your life that go beyond the usual aftershave-and-socks territory.
What to Do on Father's Day: Dinner Ideas, Restaurants & Deals — From restaurant recommendations with student discounts to easy homemade dinner ideas — everything you need to make Father's Day sorted.
Budget-Friendly Father's Day Gift Guide — Great Father's Day gift ideas that won't wipe out your student loan, with options from a few pounds to a little more if you're feeling flush.
Last-Minute Mother's Day Gifts — Thoughtful options you can pull together in a hurry without defaulting to a petrol station bunch of flowers. She'll never know you left it to the last minute.
Mother's Day Gifts for Under £20 — Gifts that'll genuinely impress, all under £20. Being a student is a perfectly valid reason to spend less — not to put in less thought.
DIY Mother's Day Gifts Your Mum Will Love — Homemade gift ideas that feel personal and considered without costing a fortune. Sometimes the effort is the point.
15 Best Christmas Gift Ideas for Parents — Thoughtful picks for both parents, including joint gift options that are easy to split between siblings so nobody has to carry it alone.
7 Simple and Affordable Christmas Gift Ideas for a Student Budget — Festive picks that won't eat into next term's loan. Simple, affordable, and still something people will actually want.
What to Do If You Can't Afford Gifts This Christmas — Honest, practical advice for when money's tight. Because sometimes it really is — and this article won't pretend otherwise.
Sustainable Christmas Gifts Guide — Eco-friendly gift ideas that cut down on waste without compromising on thoughtfulness — good for the people you love and the planet they live on.
TV
Your watchlist, sorted. Whether you've got Prime Video through your student discount or you're just looking for something genuinely good to put on tonight, here's where to start.
Top TV Shows and Films to Watch in the UK Right Now — The best things streaming this autumn, including new series like Carrie and Lupin alongside big cinema releases like The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping and Avengers: Doomsday — plus student discounts to watch them for less.
Amazon Student Discount: Top Titles to Watch — The best films, shows, and audiobooks available through Amazon Prime with your student discount, including upcoming Prime Video originals like Off Campus and Spider-Noir, plus Billie Eilish's live tour album.
Music
From finding the best streaming deal on a student budget to figuring out whether lo-fi hip hop actually helps you study — everything you need to build the perfect soundtrack to student life.
Best Music Streaming Services in the UK: Spotify, Apple, Amazon & More — A clear-headed breakdown of all the major platforms, comparing price, student deals, catalogue size, and what you actually get for your money so you're not just defaulting to whatever everyone else uses.
Does Music Help You Study? — The research is pretty clear: music can motivate, improve mood, and increase focus — but the type matters a lot. Here's why classical and instrumental tends to beat lyrics when you actually need to concentrate.
How to Listen to Thousands of Free Audiobooks on Spotify — Spotify now has over 300,000 audiobooks. Here's how to access them, which subscription tier you need, and the best titles across fantasy, thriller, horror, and romance to get you started.
Film
New cinema releases, films to stream on a rainy Sunday, and the horror movies that'll keep you up at night. Whether it's movie night in the flat or a trip to your local Odeon, here's what to watch.
Upcoming UK Cinema Releases — Your guide to what's coming to cinemas, with release dates and links to student ticket deals so you're not paying full price.
The Best Halloween Movies to Stream — The definitive Halloween watchlist, from stone-cold classics to newer horrors, with the platforms you can find them on right now.
Horror Movies Based on True Stories — and Where to Watch Them — Ten real-events horror films to make movie night properly unsettling, from The Conjuring to psychological thrillers based on real serial killers — all streamable.
Classic Christmas Films and Where to Watch Them — The festive canon, from Elf to Die Hard (yes, it counts), with streaming links so you can get started the moment December hits.
Is Nope Scary? — Jordan Peele's Nope is more unnerving than jump-scary — this breaks down exactly what kind of horror it is, what it's actually about, and whether it's worth your Saturday night.
Tech
Tech is expensive. That's why we've done the homework for you — from budget laptops that'll actually survive your degree to the best gaming setup upgrades and phone deals worth switching for. Everything here is student-tested and straight to the point.
Laptops & Computers
Tech Items You Can't Start Uni Without — Six essential tech picks for university life — laptops, tablets, monitors, and headphones — covering both academic work and entertainment, all available with student discounts.
Laptops: The Ultimate Buying Guide — Everything you need to know before buying a laptop: specs explained in plain English, what to prioritise depending on your course, and where to get the best student deals.
10 Best Laptops for Studying — Tried-and-tested options across a range of budgets, chosen for battery life, reliability, and the kind of performance that matters more for essays and research than raw processing power.
Best Laptops Under £300 — You don't need to spend a fortune. These are the best laptops under £300 that'll handle lectures, note-taking, and everything else without making you wince every time you open them.
7 Best Gaming Laptops Under £700 — High-performance gaming laptops that won't destroy your bank account, with specs broken down and student discount options included.
6 Best 144Hz Gaming Laptops — For students who take their gaming seriously: the smoothest, fastest display laptops that still fall within a realistic student budget.
8 Best Laptops for Sims 4 — Specifically chosen and tested for Sims 4 performance — these machines handle the game without lag or overheating, at prices that won't hurt as much.
10 Best Mini Laptops — Compact, light, and surprisingly capable. The best mini laptops for students who need something they can genuinely carry everywhere without it weighing them down.
10 Best Touchscreen Laptops — The best 2-in-1 and touchscreen laptops for students who want the flexibility of a tablet with the full power of a laptop — handy for annotation, sketching, and note-taking.
10 Best Ergonomic Laptop Stands — Save your neck, improve your posture, and make your desk setup feel significantly more grown-up. The best laptop stands for student rooms, tested and ranked.
MacBook Air Student Discount — How to get a MacBook Air with a student discount, how much you'll actually save, and whether it's the right buy for your course and budget.
iPad vs MacBook: What Should Students Actually Buy? — A straight-talking comparison based on course type and budget — with current pricing, model differences, and an actual recommendation rather than a hedge.
Phones & Tablets
Mobile Phones: The Ultimate Buying Guide — How to choose a phone without getting lost in specs: operating systems, what the numbers actually mean, contracts vs SIMs, and when to buy.
Best iPhone Deals for Students — The best iPhone deals available with a student discount right now — latest models, realistic monthly costs, and where to find them.
Best iPad for Students — Which iPad is actually worth buying for university? A full comparison of the range, from the basic iPad to the Pro, with student pricing and course-specific recommendations.
The Best and Worst Times to Buy an iPhone — Timing your iPhone purchase smartly: when to buy, when to hold off, and how to work Apple's annual release cycle in your favour.
Google Pixel 11 Launch: Everything You Need to Know — Google's Pixel 11 is here — and students can get up to £850 back on the Pro and Pro XL through trade-in deals. Here's everything worth knowing before you decide.
7 Best Basic (Dumb) Phones — Trying to cut screen time? The best simple phones for students who just want calls and texts without the TikTok algorithm pulling them in at 2am.
Best Waterproof Phones — The most water-resistant phones worth buying, with IP ratings explained in plain terms and the best student deals flagged.
How to Shoot Pictures Remotely Using Your Phone — A practical guide to using your phone as a remote camera — useful for content creators, group photos, and anyone who's tired of asking strangers to take pictures of them.
Top Selling OnePlus Products for Freshers — The OnePlus devices students are actually buying during freshers season: tablets, earbuds, and accessories that are genuinely useful from day one at uni.
Gaming
The Best GTA 6 Deals — GTA VI launches November 2026: here's where to pre-order the game, get discounted PS5 and Xbox consoles, and find the best student deals on everything you need to play it.
Best PS4 and PS5 Co-Op and Multiplayer Games — The best games to play with flatmates on PlayStation — from couch co-op classics to online multiplayer titles worth staying up until 3am for.
7 Things to Spice Up Your Gaming Setup — Seven accessories to genuinely upgrade your gaming experience: mechanical keyboard, gaming headset, wireless mouse, high-refresh monitors, and more — with prices from £60 to £840.
8 Best TKL Gaming Keyboards — Tenkeyless keyboards give you more desk space without sacrificing much — the best options for gaming and typing, across a range of budgets.
10 Best Gaming Headsets — The best gaming headsets for clear audio, a mic that actually works, and long session comfort — from affordable entry-level picks to premium options worth saving up for.
Best 4K 120Hz TVs for Gaming — If you're playing PS5 or Xbox Series X on a 1080p TV with no VRR, you're not getting the full picture. These are the best 4K 120Hz TVs for gaming, with student pricing.
5 Best TVs for PS5 — Specifically chosen for PS5 gaming: TVs that support 4K, VRR, and HDMI 2.1 so you're actually squeezing everything out of your console.
Audio
8 Best Bluetooth Wireless Headphones — The best wireless headphones for students, tested for sound quality, battery life, and honest value for money — including options at every price point.
11 Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones — If you need to focus in a noisy flat, library, or lecture hall, these are the noise-cancelling headphones actually worth buying.
11 Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones Under £100 — Great noise-cancelling doesn't have to cost Sony XM5 money. The best options under £100 that'll still make a noisy room feel a lot quieter.
8 Best Noise-Cancelling Earbuds — For students who prefer earbuds: the best noise-cancelling in-ear options from Sony, Apple, Samsung, and more, with student pricing flagged throughout.
Top Selling Bose Products — The Bose products students are actually buying — based on real Student Beans sales data between January and May 2025, with the QuietComfort SC coming out on top. Turns out students really do prioritise noise-cancelling above everything else.
Gadgets & Gear
Best VPN Student Discounts — A guide to the best VPNs for students — NordVPN, Surfshark, SpiderVPN, and ExpressVPN — with discounted pricing and a clear breakdown of what each one's actually good for.
Best Air Fryer Deals for Students — Live pricing on the best air fryers for your uni kitchen — Ninja, Instant Pot, Salter, and Tower — with student discounts available through Currys and Argos.
Best Energy-Efficient Heated Clothes Airers and Drying Racks — If your halls don't have a tumble dryer (most don't), a heated airer is the practical answer. These are the best ones compared by wattage, running cost, and how quickly they actually work.
Currys' Best Hair Styling Tools — From affordable Remington straighteners under £100 to the Dyson Airwrap, a guide to the best hair tools at Currys for every hair type, budget, and styling goal.
Top Selling Products at John Lewis — What students are actually buying at John Lewis with their discount — 40% of spend goes on tech (Apple dominates), but skincare is rising fast too.
Unlock even more with Student Beans
All your favourite brands at your fingertips, from fashion and beauty to food and drink, available to college and uni students aged 16 and over. Dive into our blog to find tips and advice to help you navigate student life, from applying to uni to life after graduation.
- Sign up for a Student Beans account or log in to start saving on the biggest and best brands.
- Download the Student Beans app to unlock exclusive app-only discounts.
