If you're worried about plants surviving bi-weekly substrate changes (which is probably a good idea in the space you have), get a real, live pothos. You can hack pieces off and place the stem in water. It will root and you can have a free supply of replacement plants as needed (though it is pretty tough and will likely survive the cleaning process).

Earthworms are a terrific food source, make sure you can get a 'clean' supply of them that haven't had anything funny added to them or the substrate they come in. Mealworms are fine as an occasional treat and are really, really easy to keep. I've had the same colony in a small shoebox sized tupperware going for a few years now. No major smell, no escapes, minimal maintenance (small piece of veggie every couple of days for a source of moisture). They're worth it imo, even if it's just to have an emergency source of food should your other supply run out in the middle of exams. Waxworms are also in the 'treat' category, but I haven't had much success getting a colony going.