College students are often strapped for cash, and many have to work a part-time job to help pay for school. A side hustle is an excellent way to earn some extra money while still being able to focus on studies. We are going to look at the best side hustle ideas for college students.
25 Best Side Hustle Ideas For College Students
1. Become a Social Media Manager
The Internet has created many opportunities; many new well-paid jobs are appearing on the market: among these, there is the Social Media Manager, a role in great demand by companies. Companies need people who can manage their social profiles on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.
2. Earn money (online and offline) by teaching
Do you have a particular talent, such as knowledge of mathematics, languages, or how to play a musical instrument? The Internet allows you to teach from a distance, thanks to Skype or other chats that allow you to make video calls.
It is obvious that if you are not familiar with the Internet, you can always make ends meet by teaching people in your area, but remember that the web allows you to have a greater client base without leaving your home!
3. Sell your creations
You don’t know how to cook but are you great at DIY, sewing, and other creative activities? So why don’t you sell your creations?
For example, if you are skilled in sewing, crochet, and macrame, you could sell favors, bows for births, and other made-to-order creations.
4. Waiter and bartender in a high-end restaurant or club
The jar and the service can also be a good way to blend your social life with your off-school period. You can work as a bartender in the evenings and make lots of money via salary and tips.
5. Become a handyman
Do your friends always call you to ask for solutions to some hardware problems? You might be a handyman, so why not put your skills to good use?
Just imagine the possibilities. You may give yourself two career paths to choose from when you finish college. You can decide to either to continue your handyman business or pursue your major-related career. The choice will be yours! The more doors you have to move through your career, the better.
6. Help the university
Colleges love to hire students to do all kinds of homework around campus. For example, you could help with some cleaning duties or serve as a secretary or receptionist. You might enjoy guarding a dorm or providing college security. Be sure to ask your college about the opportunities that are available for you.
Sometimes professors need help with some technical aspects of their work. Ask them to see if there is anything they might need help with. You could help them prepare slide presentations or create homework papers.
The great thing about college work is that they understand that you take classes and can’t be simultaneously in two places. You may find work schedules available after class and on weekends – exactly what you are looking for!
7. Babysitting
Working with children can be exhausting, but you can easily make extra money as a babysitter if you have the skills. Depending on experience and age, babysitters can earn between $5 and $15 per hour. Babysitting not only earns you money, but you also gain hands-on experience and skills that you can use later in life.
8. Dog sitter
You can also easily turn your love for animals, especially dogs, into money. If you are passionate about pets, pet sitting is an ideal way to make some money. You could work at a dog daycare or boarding kennel or start your own business. One way to get started is to look to your family, friends, neighbors, and pet for recommendations.
Learn how to make money walking dogs with our article here.
9. Crowdsourced micro jobs
Micro jobs are small tasks that contribute to a larger project. The mediation takes place via appropriate platforms. They write, correct, or revise short texts, research information, or tag or categorize images. These are just a few examples. There is a fixed amount of money for each completed job. You can cash out the money if you have reached a minimum amount. The chances of earning are not particularly high. But the micro jobs can be done at any time.
10. Selling dissertations
A thesis is something truly unique and personal, the result of months of work. On the web, however, thesis research and graduation papers are snapped up: they can be an excellent starting point and authoritative and interesting material to read. So why not meet graduates and professors, gather and publish their thesis online and try to make money? There are platforms where you can upload these papers while you share earnings with the owners of the theses.
11. Selling information products
On your blog or social profile, another way to make money online is to sell information products: courses, books, webinars, and more. You can choose to roll up your sleeves and put together quality content to create your info-product or earn from someone else’s as an affiliate.
12. Earning Online with Surveys
Making money with online surveys is a way to use your free time as a college student. Some companies carry out their market surveys to understand the tastes and habits of potential customers and, in return, offer payment to those who are willing to answer questions. If you want to try to make money online with surveys, you must register on platforms that offer you a salary. When you have answered many surveys and accumulated the threshold for payment, you can proceed with the credit through PayPal.
13. Make Money Streaming Video Games
If you love to play video games and have a certain talent for doing so, you might try to make some money too. You can film yourself and upload your videos to a YouTube channel or upgrade to the next level: live streams.
Thousands of gamers worldwide host YouTube and Twitch streams and earn from donations. Also, Twitch offers you several ways to make money while streaming, such as subscriptions or selling games.
14. Offer to do cleaning work
Some platforms allow you to make money online by finding work as a house cleaner or office cleaner. On Helpling, for example, you can register as an independent maid, enter your details, and be contacted by individuals or companies.
17. Receive donations online
Asking for donations online is a way to earn a few bucks through your work on the web. Platforms like Twitch or YouTube allow subscribers to donate to their audience during live play sessions.
18. Making Money with Live Quizzes
Do you have a few free minutes and want to try your luck by earning something online? Some applications offer entertainment with cash prizes on the stores of our smartphones. One of these is Live Quiz, which twice a day organizes multiple choice quizzes with cash prizes to be shared among the few winners, as well as bonus prize pools for those at the top of the player rankings.
To be honest, you can make a few cents at a time, but downloading the app is free and can be an enjoyable pastime.
19. Bagging and packaging?
Many people are looking for a job from home as a bagging or packaging clerk. Sorry to see it, but this type of offer does not exist: it is just rumors fueled by false news or alleged scams. For now, no company chooses to outsource the packaging process: a simple and repetitive task for which many people would gladly offer to do it from home, but without a market.
20. Earn money by writing reviews
Some websites allow you to earn money by writing reviews on products or services. This is a form of monetization similar to surveys. The platforms to make some money with reliable reviews, such as Swagbucks or Inbox Dollars, are aimed at an Anglo-Saxon audience.
Earning from reviews, however, doesn’t necessarily mean getting paid on a platform. Have you ever thought about leaving a positive opinion on Google or Trustpilot to receive a benefit? Some companies offer coupons, Amazon vouchers, or PayPal if you leave 5-star reviews.
Furthermore, if you have a blog, you can also write a product review and insert your affiliate link to make a profit.
21. Earn with Online Investments
If you are interested in harnessing your college days by making money on the Internet, but without working, you can also let your money work for you. How? By choosing one of the many investment ideas. For some, you will have to learn to invest in the stock market and follow your money; for others, you just need to start the investment and wait for them to generate returns.
Remember that investing in the markets can make you a lot of money even after school, but it also comes with risks. Consider if you can afford to take losses before starting. It is always good to acquire a solid foundation before starting to operate on your own
22. Translations and use of language
Finally, here is another tip for working with your skills: translations. This is a good way to earn as a college student while exploiting and training the knowledge of a language you have learned at school or during some vacation. You can translate for some foreign students or lecturers and make lots of money while in college.
23. Write and publish e-books
If you love to write, you may have some novels in the drawer. Thanks to the Amazon Kindle Store, each of us has the effective possibility to publish his text and earn through an application available on every device. This allows it to be read and purchased by anyone.
24. Open a blog
In addition, after studying SEO, you can consider making money online and working while in college by opening a blog, thanks to which you can write about topics you love and earn money.
Want to learn about blogging? – Turn $5 Into $5,000 Monthly With Your Blog
25. Wash cars, do laundry and do household chores
You can make lots of money as a college student by helping your neighbors and senior friends wash their cars. You can take up these tasks during weekends. If you do a thorough job, you can expand to laundry and household cleaning.
Wrapping up
I hope you know that making money while in college is possible. The 25 side hustle ideas for college students in this article are quite easy to start. All you need is the focus, commitment, and time management. Once you can schedule your activities and avoid procrastination, you will be able to tackle these side hustles to make lots of cash during your spare time.