When you’re in college, it’s much harder to make money than it is to spend it. You’re likely dealing with expensive tuition, overpriced textbooks, and more.
You also may want to get a head start on paying back student loans or other kinds of personal loans.
In any other circumstance, it might be advisable to get a traditional part-time job working in a restaurant or in a store but when you’re in college, you may simply not have the time or flexibility to commit to that kind of job.
If that describes you, all hope is not lost. You might not have time for a traditional type of part-time gig but with the internet and a bit of time, you’ll be able to make some income on your schedule.
Here are some of the best ways college students can make money without affecting their study schedule too much:
1. Become a Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants are becoming more and more common these days as busy business owners and managers want to outsource some of their tasks like replying to emails, creating a newsletter monthly, or handling invoices.
The exact work can vary but usually, virtual assistants are freelancers in charge of their own hours and experience to a degree.
You can find gigs where you work ten hours per week and as long as all your tasks get done, you can stick to your own desired schedule.
2. Start a Blog
While this might take a bit of time to become profitable, if you’re able to swing it, you could make a solid income and get some exciting perks.
Blog writing is incredibly lucrative and you can create a blog based on anything you like. If you love reviewing music, you can start reviewing local concerts on your blog.
Even if it doesn’t bring you cash, creating a blog or website can serve as an incredible profile builder and can help you get other jobs.
3. Become a Freelance Writer
If you love writing but aren’t sure you have the motivation to curate and write for a blog of your own creation, you can always try writing blogs or website copy for others.
You can set up a profile on a site like Fiverr or Upwork, or you can start gathering clients through your social media platforms.
Freelance work allows you to be selective and you can choose to work with the clients that you enjoy working with when you want to work with them.
4. Sell Digital Templates on Etsy
If you have a Canva account, you can easily create templates for Instagram posts or other content that you can sell on Etsy or on your own website.
Just make sure you are using your own original elements and creating the templates from scratch.
You can also create digital planner templates or printable wall art – it’s a chance to be creative and hone your design skills as well as a chance to make some cash!
5. Manage a Social Media Account
Many college students these days are at the age where they grew up with social media and if that describes you, you can use that skill to make some money!
You can make a profile on a freelancing site but you can often find these jobs on LinkedIn, Indeed, or any kind of traditional job search venue.
The exact tasks vary but you’ll typically post content, write captions, research hashtags, create content strategies, and reply to comments and messages.
6. Try Online Tutoring
Online tutors are in high demand, especially when it comes to learning a second language.
Online English tutors, for example, can teach English to individuals and groups all around the world even if they don’t know the native language of their students right off the bat.
The fact that you can teach students from all around the world adds even more flexibility to this gig – if you’re the kind of person who is motivated to work late at night, you might be able to find a student in a time zone that really works for you.
7. Transcribe Videos
There are a lot of videos uploaded to the internet daily. For example, there are about 30,000 hours of video content uploaded to Youtube every hour.
These days it’s important to have captions on videos for accessibility reasons – not only does it help those who are hearing impaired, but it also allows those who may not speak the language spoken in the video to consume the content.
8. Offer Translation Services
Transcribing videos is important, but translating them can be equally vital. In addition to translating video content, you could also be hired to translate written content like blog posts, website copy, ebooks, and more!
If you are proficient in a second language, especially one that is not as commonly spoken where you are, you will likely be able to find a good amount of work in this category.
9. Work at a Convention
While there are many conventions that ask for volunteers, there are many that offer paid positions.
AwesomeCon, hosted annually in Washington D.C., pays their workers and while you’ll have to work a lot during the convention, it’s a busy three or four-day commitment – and then it’s over until the next year or next convention you choose to work at.
Working at a convention allows you to work periodically but not at a super regular rate that might end up being overwhelming.
Make Money as a College Student!
Although making money as a college student is essential in most cases, remember to allow yourself the time to enjoy your experiences and focus on your studies!
These ways of making money are flexible and allow you to do just that.
