Working in the tech industry is becoming a more common idea for many young people. The diversity of the field, the way technology has progressed, and what companies are capable of are just a few reasons to select this career path. However, it can become tricky to find access to the tools you need to develop your skill set, especially while you’re in college. Software can be expensive, especially immersive data visualization and analytics software. Luckily, there are a few ways to get free access to tools that can help you develop the skills and insights you need.

1. Sign up for a free student account.

Being in college can be a practice in living frugally. Most students don’t have the ability to work full-time jobs while trying to study. This often means that funds can be limited, especially for non-essentials that aren’t food or rent. But if you want to maintain your edge in the analytics and data visualization field, you might want to consider getting a student account. One of the best options on the market right now allows you to access this technology and gives you the ability to navigate artificial-intelligence search engines while still working on your degree. When leaders in the field of Data Science software products offer students a chance like this, it’s a wise idea to take it.

2. Try a free trial version.

If you aren’t ready to commit to a full year—even though it is free—you might want to look into a trial version. What you’ll want to do is consider that type of software and real-time data you want to explore. A number of companies – from banking industry to a Volkswagen repair Dubai entity would require a different skill set than those of other tech companies, so if you were interested in them post-graduation, you should seek out a trial version that incorporates banking software. The main issue with a free trial version is that it often ends just as soon as you start to completely understand the systems. A longer time frame is often best when trying to understand and master data visualization and code tools.

3. Get on someone else’s family or business plan.

Like any good college student, it’s important to ask for some help from time to time. When you are looking to up your tech skills with data visualization tools, getting on a family plan might be a good option to do it inexpensively. Some products offer a range of packages with their baseline package allowing up to a certain number of users. This would give you access to some tech that would help develop your skills while still learning the basics. This often requires someone who already has access to granting your permissions to use it. Relying on someone else for your access can be problematic, so just make sure you pick the right people to join.

4. Use the baseline version.

A final option is to look for software that offers a free baseline version. This can come with several annoying issues, especially for students who can become disinterested quickly. Free versions often don’t give access to the full range of abilities that the software is capable of. You’d be limiting your ability to explore the system in its entirety. Also, ads often accompany free versions. This means that pop-ups or ink-blots are going to follow you around the version you’re using. Though it might be a way to save some money as a college student, you might end up creating more headaches for yourself.

Though getting through college can be difficult, finding extra resources to boost your tech software skills doesn’t have to be. One of these options is sure to help you more fully develop your data visualization abilities.