14 ways for college students to earn extra money
Earning money while in college: best ways for university students to earn extra cash
College students have perhaps some of the best opportunities for earning extra money while at school. Many of the jobs and gigs available to university students are incredibly flexible, in order to meet the rigorous demands of class, studying, exams, and of course college social life. Remember, college is an investment in yourself, and you should never prioritize earning money now over preparing yourself for your future by studying hard, getting good grades, and networking with your peers. However, college is expensive, it is nice to have a little extra income on hand to help with the necessities and niceties of university life.
Here we have compiled some of our favorite ways for college students to earn extra cash while in school.
Work study and on campus jobs First, the obvious... It is fairly typical for university jobs to pay significantly more than any outside position available for similar work, because the university knows you are likely to spend it right back on tuition, food and housing. It's possible cover a large portion of your entire tuition with work study or an on campus job at many universities. Work study and university jobs often also have the benefit of flexible scheduling, with the understanding that college students have many other demands and obligations to be prioritized, which is a perk that is not usually recognized at other jobs. They will most likely also be located near your classes, meaning no commute.
Many colleges have a job board that includes major-related work or internships, and paying jobs that can also earn credits.
Best on campus jobs ranked by students:
Criteria: improve a résumé, are flexible around class and study schedules, and offer a good rate. Excerpted and adapted from The 10 Best Jobs for College Students by US News
How to get extra money for college
RA Resident assistant positions sometimes offer free housing assistance. The job itself is not too demanding; you just have to keep order in the dormitory, host some occasional meetings, and have a few night shifts on call.
Drive for Uber. If you have a car [that is eligible], driving for Uber can particularly good work for students, due to flexible scheduling and the ability to pick your own hours. You can naturally work less during exam periods, and you can earn a LOT of money on party or bar nights.
Tutoring Give tutoring or exam prep help the side to underclassman or high school students in courses you have already taken or have a particular expertise in. Many colleges offer paid tutoring positions in their libraries or resource centers; if not, all it takes to start your own is a couple of flyers placed strategically around campus. Post them on approved message boards both online and near relevant classrooms.
Baby sitting If you have experience with children, you can earn hundreds of dollars in under the table cash by looking after kids, whether on your own or using a middleman service like care.com.
Sell your stuff online If you're like most college students, you probably have a lot of miscellaneous stuff cluttering up your dorm room (or your parents place). Chances are that there are a lot of things you could do without that would be valuable to another person. Here's a few tips: Turn all the clothes in your closet one way. Once you've worn them, rotate them so that they're facing the other direction. If you haven't worn them by the end of the year, you won't miss them. Our favorite place to sell online is Amazon, due to ease of use, reputability, and fast payments.
Surveys Realistically, you may be able to make 1-1.5x minimum wage for an hour or two a day if you subscribe to a variety of sites. This won't replace, but can subsidize, your earnings from other jobs, if you are just doing it in your downtime anyways.
By picking reputable sites that pay well for your time, (and as you faster with practice), you can greatly improve the rate of return. You will get paid the most with these 11 best paid survey sites.
Research studies During my time in college, I was paid $600 to participate in a research study about the effects of heat on exercise resilience. I had to walk (not run) on a treadmill for an hour a day in 96 degrees while attached to monitors. It was extremely easy, I didn't have to take any weird new drugs or experimental medication at all, and the cash was very useful. The kinesiology or psychology department are treasure troves for this sort of paid student research studies, or pay attention to the student list-serv if you have one.
Beta test Enroll in website usertesting.com to get paid up to $10 for providing valuable feedback on newly designed websites and apps.
Be an extra in TV or film Depending on where your school is located, there may be a film production studio that needs extras (people to fill backgrounds in crowd scenes to make the environment look more convincing). You won't be the center of attention, but most of the time you're getting paid to sit around, and maybe you'll even kick-start your acting career. Check Sylvia Fay or Grant casting.
If you're not near a city where a lot of filming happens, you can still check Craigslist for student film productions that need paid extra work.
Mystery Shopping These are legit - companies will hire shoppers to patronize a location incognito to make sure employees are following all the rules when managers are not around. Usually, you'll get paid cash for your time, plus compensation for purchases or parking - so money + free stuff! Some are mundane, like free lunch, but you occasionally find some cool surprises, like [free baseball tickets] or [free admission to the Empire State Building and Freedom Tower].
Agent Anything A student focused outsourcing site where projects are posted and bid upon. If you're able to help on one of the (usually relatively easy) gigs, you can make anywhere from $20-100.
Donate blood Local blood banks will often pay a fee for blood plasma. There's a limit on how many times you can do this in a month, but the cash is good.
Student newspaper If there is a student run publication on your campus, you could get paid for submitting articles on current events or happenings around school, comic strips, photos, etc. Contact the editor (it's usually easy to fund their contact information in the paper or website) and see if they have any paid opportunities.
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