Hi! I'm a member of the class of '22 and have a question about cash/cards. How much (if any) cash would you recommend bringing to school or keeping around? Do most stores accept cards? Is it really necessary to have any cash at all, and if so are there ATM's around or stores that give cash back? Thanks!
Hi! Congratulations on your acceptance to Smith! We’re so excited you’re joining us! In my experience, there are very few instances that I find myself needing cash on campus. Most stores and restaurants downtown take credit and debit cards and at some stores, like CVS and Stop and Shop, you can get cash back as well! You can also put money on your OneCard using a credit/debit card to use like a debit card at the Campus Center Cafe and in the bookstore on campus. There are also ATMs downtown and one in the Campus Center as well! One instance I can think of in which you might need cash is that some clubs/teams/houses collect dues at the beginning of the year (usually like $5 or $10), so it can be useful to have cash for those! I’ve also used cash to pool money and order takeout with groups of friends, but both of these are pretty small scale things, so you definitely don’t need a lot! Hope this helps!
Katherine ‘21J
