Smart Earning Strategies: How to Make Money as a Student

When it comes to money, college students usually don’t have that much. It makes sense, though – student loans are rather large. Also, most of the time is spent studying. The other time is used for partying in the dorm room. No judging, though; these are the best times, after all!

Having some extra money in college as a student wouldn’t hurt. Some balance a part-time job with learning, but it may be hard for others. Luckily, there are many ways to make money while you study!

Most college students find jobs at some point in their college life. And because studying takes most of their day, those college students can't afford to make a significant time commitment to work.

So, part-time jobs, like being a teaching assistant, taking online surveys, doing voice-over work, or many others, part-time jobs enhance both your personal and student life like this:

Sometimes, the first step in making money isn’t finding a job. Instead, you can make money online by selling stuff you own. From selling your class notes to creating and selling an online course, here are some ideas to make money as a student by selling some of your possessions.

Listening and taking notes are the key elements of learning. While in college, you attend lectures that usually pack a lot of information in them. The trusty old notebook and a pen are your greatest friends that help you not to forget what was being told. Or, it could be your laptop – whatever works best for you!

After certain courses are finished, you’re left with stacks of papers (or documents on your PC) and old textbooks that may seem pretty useless. However, what’s no longer needed can help you make money as a student. Instead of throwing it all out, you can earn extra cash by selling your notes.

In a sense, this works both ways. As the seller, you earn money for your hard work at lectures. The buyer better understands the course itself and can spend more time actively listening instead of taking notes. Also, knowing that new college students will keep coming, making multiple copies of your notes would be a genius idea. This way, you can sell the same material to more people. And more people means more ways to make money.

So, keep holding those notes – they could be your ticket to that extra grocery shopping session!

Not all college students on college campuses spend their free time partying and playing video games. Others prefer quiet time and enjoying their hobbies, such as crafting beautiful things. If you’re one of those creative people, you should know you can turn your creativity into extra cash.

Sites like Etsy or the Facebook marketplace make this task very easy. With a wide range of categories, you’ll surely find your favorite craft there. All you have to do is relax and enjoy your hobby. After crafting, simply list your items on the marketplace of your choice. A few hours spent making those bracelets or boiling that soap could allow you to earn money quickly.

However, since there are so many creative people, making the sale itself may take work. Having a social media presence or spreading the word throughout campus should guarantee an advantage over others. With enough success, you may get noticed by business owners, landing you a great job that'll make you even more money.

With enough luck and dedication, something you do for fun can start making money for you!

Did you know that the success of every TV show and movie depends on the opinions of viewers and marketing professionals? To earn money by watching movies and TV shows, consider joining market research at places like Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel.

You get paid for watching TV, using search engines, and scrolling social media on your mobile devices. Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel have collected data for decades, helping industry leaders make decisions and shape the online world.

If you want to earn money without looking at online job boards, consider joining this panel and getting paid for your valuable data insights. It's a small step that can make a big difference in your pocket and the TV guide!

Are you skilled at graphic design or have a green thumb? Are you good at knitting, math, or anything else? Make money online as you sell online courses. Look into websites such as Skillshare, Coursera, and Alison, sell courses, and make money in college!

Before you start to earn money, you'll need to categorize your knowledge and create the actual online course. Then, upload it to one of the online platforms we've mentioned. You can sit back and enjoy the extra cash when you're done.

The online course marketplace is available for most of the world. It also allows you to make your own schedule, dedicating as much of your free time as you see fit!

Everyone’s guilty of buying clothes when they shop online and then forgetting about them. A while ago, you threw one or two T-shirts to the back of your closet after spending money on it. Now, it just sits there, gathering dust.

During the spring cleaning, you rediscover the T-shirts, outgrown jeans, and a very out-of-fashion dress. You may want to throw it all out, but that would be a big mistake!

As with the before-mentioned notes, clothing items you no longer use can be a treasure for other people. Instead of throwing them out, you can make extra money by selling them online for a reasonable price. With calls for sustainability and shifting fashion trends, finding potential buyers of your forgotten clothes is very easy. Who knows, your old band T-shirts may be just what a new music fan is looking for!

There’s a variety of websites that work as marketplaces for such things. Also, there are online forums and exchanges where you could turn your clothes into money, making it an excellent side hustle. Since these items are useless to you, it won't be hard to say goodbye to them!

As a student, you have the freedom to gain valuable experience by trying your hand at various professions. Would you like to participate in psychology experiments that require human subjects? Or open a sewing business?

While you don't have many financial commitments, right now is the best time to try different jobs during your own hours and decide what's best for you! Here are some fun ways to make money for college students:

Freelancing is another great way to make money in college. Here, you would employ your talents without long-term commitments. It could be considered a lighter version of having a full-time job. Also, business owners tend to hire college students for these gigs.

You can choose from many freelance jobs, and freelance writing is just one of them. If you're skilled at a particular subject, you could focus your efforts on that subject. Let's say you're good at crafting a job-landing CV. Did you realize you could make money as a student by writing CVs for others?

Having fun while working? Check. Picking freely on what to do for a job? Check. Improving your writing skills or other neat things? Check. Getting extra money out of it? Check. All that’s left is opening your laptop and looking for those sweet ways to make money!

One of the ways you can make extra money is by using survey sites. As the name suggests, you take surveys and make money in return. Since everything occurs online, you wouldn’t need to leave your dorm room to earn.

Online survey sites usually provide easy surveys to fill. This means that this job is relatively easy and not too time-consuming. It’s similar to data entry jobs but way more fun. The price ranges for surveys vary from service to service, and longer surveys pay more. Some sites like that are willing to pay 0.50-$1 per survey. They are usually used for market research and audience checking.

This is an online gig, so you can make extra money anywhere. In case you’re having a boring lecture, just take a survey! Turn your boredom into extra income – making money was never this easy.

House-sitting is a more comfortable way to make extra cash off-campus. In this job, you would look after a house while its owners are away. While you keep their home safe, you'll be completing tasks like watering plants and keeping the place clean.

Clients for this job tend to hire college students since professional housekeepers are way too expensive. The payment you receive also varies – some clients pay on an hourly rate (per hour) or go for bulk payment. Needless to say, the longer your stay – the more money you get paid. This is a pretty fantastic job as it’s highly likely that you would be house-sitting some rather majestic homes!

If you’re an animal lover – that’s even better. Your house-sitting job could be paired with pet-sitting. But more on that later! Overall, it’s a well-paid and easy job to do. It should give you extra income that would be bigger than minimum wage based on an hourly rate, making it a great option to provide a little boost to your personal finance!

Another excellent job idea is dog walking, dog boarding, or pet sitting! If you live in a house with a fenced backyard, offering pet-sitting services is a great option for you!

Put up flyers at nearby businesses, talk with your neighbors, and offer to walk dogs or look after their furry friends while the owners are away from home! The going hourly rate for pet-sitting services is $16.05 an hour. That's quite the extra income stream for playing with dogs in your spare time!

If you enjoy caring for other people’s pets, we suggest you look into platforms like Rover, where you can offer pet walking services like dog walking. Showcase yourself as a trusted pet sitter and set your own calendar and how much you want to get paid for an hour.

Another way to make extra money in college would be to become a resident assistant. This is a campus job perfect for those who are very social. In this position, you would be a shoulder to lean on for your fellow prospective students from local schools.

To earn some extra money here, you need to ensure good conditions for the students at your college. This means a few things. For example, you need to be there to hear about the issues that fellow students face.

Sometimes, just being a good listener is all that’s needed. On the other hand, you would also be responsible for maintaining the dorm. It may sound tricky, but it’s one of the easiest campus jobs you can take.

Being a college resident assistant is also a great way to find new friends. Since you would be informing fellow students about what’s happening in your campus community and acting as a campus tour guide, you’re bound to find some like-minded people. Socializing, having fun, and earning extra money – it seems like some dreams do become a reality!

If you own a car, a fun way to earn extra money could be delivering food. Most college students don't like cooking or don't have the time for it. This means that many college campuses are a treasure trove of hungry students waiting for food delivery. This is excellent news for you as you can get paid to be in this side gig.

Food deliveries are easy to do and often pay good money. Numerous apps are available for this purpose, offering different pay rates, with only a small fee on your earnings. If the payouts are low on one service, you can opt-in to use a different one, maximizing your profits overall. And don’t forget the tips – many services let you keep all of them to yourself!

Besides that, you set your own schedule for this gig. If your lectures happen during the evening, you can deliver food during the daytime (and vice versa). However, if you’re incredibly busy, using even the little spare time you find could be profitable. A few bucks for a drive-around time can be relaxing and financially rewarding.

If you have already thrown out your old notebooks, you can start offering tutoring services to your fellow students. This way, you help those seeking great academic results and earn money.

Sites like Tutorhunt are great places to start since they list people looking for tutors. They’re all organized by categories, so you can easily find your field of expertise. Tutors usually get paid by the hour. This makes complex subjects more profitable since they typically take more time to explain fully and could lead to some good money!

Tutoring is a great way to earn, and it helps both you and the student you’ll be tutoring. You could renew your knowledge on a specific subject and earn cash! Besides, you would have a flexible schedule that would depend on your (and your students’) needs, meaning you can work when it’s most convenient.

Learning at a university is a long-lasting affair. Most learning comes from books, and although many students opt to use an eBook, there’s still a significant demand for paper books. Some prefer to learn this way, while, for others, there simply isn’t an electronic version available.

That’s where the campus bookstore comes to the rescue, and you can get a part-time job there. Provided you have accommodation on campus, it would be a short commute to your temporary workplace, and you can ask for flexible hours.

This is a great opportunity for part-time jobs since you would be meeting other students, having fun chit-chats, and, most importantly, making some money! At times when there are few clients around, you can spend your spare time reading all the books around the store. Where else could you get paid for doing all that?

Yet another great way to earn is working part-time at local restaurants. They're bound to be many restaurants nearby to your campus (or to your living place) where you can get started. Just walk around for a bit, and surely you’ll find a job opening and begin to earn cash.

This is a popular solution for students worldwide, as servers usually get flexible work hours and good conditions. Besides that, you’ll get paid for your usual work, and understanding customers may help you make some money via generous tips.

If one restaurant doesn’t work out for one reason or another, there’s no need to stop looking. As noted, there are usually numerous restaurants and coffee shops all around the place, and it’s improbable that the single restaurant you worked in is the last place you can get paid to work at.

Working for your campus custodial services includes weekly cleaning of common areas and academic spaces, weekly disinfection of high-traffic areas, weekly trash and recycling pick-up in offices, snow and ice removal, and deep cleaning of residential living space during breaks.

It's not a fancy job, but the tools are cheap, and the work is straightforward. If you're a college student who enjoys cleaning your home or dorm, this may be the right job. Check-in with your college or university's administration for open positions, and roll up your sleeves!

If you want to make money as a student, securing a job is the first step you should take. We can't promise it’ll be easy, but we're here to help you. If you want to find employment, whether on-campus or off-campus jobs, here's how you should do it:

As we said before, there are various ways to make money in college. Dorm life can cost a pretty penny, and trying to save money is a challenge for many people. That's why we compiled our list of ways to make money in college.

Suppose you’re still deciding whether our ideas interest you. In that case, we encourage you to look into other ways to earn money, like becoming a teaching assistant, a voice-over artist, a research assistant, a personal trainer, looking after local senior citizens, or even starting your own business.

You can also look around your college campus for job boards that list opportunities to earn money! And if all else fails – Honeygain's got your back.

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