You might be having the time of your life in college since you finally have a chance to meet new people and learn about things you were always passionate about. Still, every now and then you have to remind yourself not to spend too much money. College tuition is expensive as it is, and when you add the cost of living, textbooks, and an occasional party to the mix, you end up with an empty wallet and a huge headache. This is why we have taken it upon ourselves to find 5 ways in which college students can earn some money.
Sell textbooks online
You already know how expensive textbooks can be, but people can’t study without them. You can sell your textbooks at the end of the semester and earn a little cash back, and what is more, the next person to buy them might even be grateful if you managed to write down important pieces of information while you were studying too. For people who want to make more profit, eBay and Amazon are your friends – start buying used textbooks on eBay and resell them on Amazon. What is more, you can use Amazon Trade-In to trade some of your old textbooks, electronics, and clothes for an Amazon gift card.
Answer some questions
You probably spend a lot of time on the computer already, so why not use that time to safely earn money online? There are many different websites which allow you to earn money while filling out surveys that take about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. There are agencies that work with big brands and need feedback, and by taking online surveys you will be helping them to make better products and ads while earning some extra money. The best thing is that these surveys don’t take too long and you can complete them when you’re on a break.
Become a tutor
You know what they say: “If you’re good at something, never do it for free”. And they’re right – you can earn money by helping others excel at subjects you’re good at. You’ll be doing a good deed by helping them get better grades and master a subject they find hard, and you’ll earn some pocket money along the way. Find your academic strength and use it to tutor others. You can tutor anyone, from your fellow students to grade school students in your city.
Babysit
Having younger siblings and always taking care of them can finally come in handy when you’re looking to earn some extra money. A lot of people need to hire babysitters on a regular basis because of their hectic schedules, and they appreciate sitters with experience. The best thing about babysitting is that you usually get to work at night and on weekends, so the job won’t interfere with your studying schedule. You can also bring your textbooks along and study after you put the kids to bed. The hourly wage may vary depending on where you live and whether or not you know the people you’ll be babysitting for, but you can always talk to other sitters and come up with a wage that’ll work for both parties.
Become a virtual assistant
College students are in the perfect position to be virtual assistants because it allows you to work around your course schedule. Freelancing is an excellent way to earn money because you can work whenever you have free time. Being able to combine classes with work takes some skill, and it might be a good idea to start off slowly until you’re able to find a balance. The responsibilities of a virtual assistant are many and may include administrative work such as booking tickets, transcribing notes and formatting blog posts. Basic office work skills are a must and you can position yourself for this line of work by making a profile on one of the freelance job sites, such as Upwork and Freelancer.com.
College is all fun and games until the stress catches up, and when you combine difficult subjects, deadlines for papers and the lack of money, you get the feeling that it’s all a bit too much for you. Having some money on the side is always a good idea since it allows you to relax a bit knowing that you won’t have to borrow it from anyone in case of emergency. No matter what you choose to do with the extra money – save it for rainy days or buy something nice, it’s nice to know you’ve earned it on your own.