Some students believe it’s impossible to be debt-free while attending college. They associate being in debt with the status of being an adult — like paying bills, buying fancy clothes, and saving money for a rainy day. I’m here to tell you that’s not true!
Many students can earn money in college and manage their finances, but because of the stereotype, they think they can’t. Our goal was to provide a resource for students oriented towards earning money on campus. There are many ways for students to make a decent amount of money while studying without resorting to working fast-food jobs.
From entrepreneurship to freelancing, paying off high-interest credit card debt, or starting businesses that help others, we’ve highlighted many ways students can make money from the comfort of their college dorms. There are many ways to make money in college, but the key is to know where to look.
My ideal students are the ones who have no idea how much money they’re leaving on the table. Consider this your first lesson! I used to think the only way to get good content to rank on Google was to pay for an expensive SEO agency or create it ideally.
1. Campus Jobs
My favorite thing about campus jobs is that they are paid. Although the pay won’t be as great as some of the other options on this list, it can provide a significant income to make up the difference.
It’s also great for building your resume and getting your first gig out of college! Although there are plenty of reasons to live at home while going to school, maybe you’re looking for some extra income so you can save for a car or your next semester.
Or maybe your parents were sick of buying toilet paper. Whatever the case, getting a job from home could be great for you. You’ll be able to supplement your other income sources with the cash you bring in from working at home. Here are a few ways you can do this:
2. Become A Teaching Assistant (TA)
One of the best ways to get into graduate school is by gaining experience as an undergraduate teaching assistant (TA). TAs often leg up on other applicants because they’ve “been there” regarding the graduate school experience.
Okay, so you want to be an English teacher. Of course, there are a variety of different types of English teachers. Some teachers work at the primary/elementary level, and others work with students at the secondary level (middle school and high school).
And some teachers may find that they enjoy working in online education, teaching other people from all over the world.
3. Be A Research Assistant
Research Assistants are an essential part of any college or university. They help professors perform research by conducting experiments, sorting through data, and much more. Research Assistants also present the results of their findings to the professor.
Research Assistants don’t just work for chemistry or biology majors, and they work in almost every academic department. Before you can get started, you’ll need to determine what kind of research assistant job you’re seeking.
The areas of specialization are wide-ranging, but they are usually associated with the professor’s field. Being a Research Assistant means using various methods for gathering and processing information.
4. Become A Resident Assistant (RA)
Working as an RA can be a great way to develop your leadership skills and be a strong resume builder. You might learn how to organize events, recruit students, manage a budget, and work in a high-stress environment.
Being a Resident Assistant (RA) is an excellent job. You get paid to help students living in the dorms and ensure they care for themselves and their friends. And while resident assistants get competitive internships and job offers, they have only good things to say about the experience.
You get free room and board, utilities, and a stipend if you live in a non-traditional dorm. And you gain valuable leadership skills that will impress future employers. An RA is an excellent way to develop citizenship skills. You will be working with college students, and it’s vital that you fully understand the college environment.
Most universities offer courses that provide a basic overview of what it means to be an RA, but your college might have additional offerings on this subject. As an RA, you’ll be a student leader, helping your floor to create community and solve problems.
A Resident Assistant (RA) is a peer mentor and program coordinator who works one-on-one with students to help them develop the skills they need to succeed in community living, foster inclusion, improve communication, encourage participation, and provide support as they transition to college.
5. Give Campus Tours
Typical students make it into college by getting a high school degree and studying for the SAT or ACT. However, some students get into college with significant accomplishments, awards, or other distinctions.
An interesting note about this type of program is that it may seem like there was someone who accepted everyone in the program, but at specific colleges, there is a deficient number of students in this program. While there are many benefits to tutoring, practice is the only way to get good at it.
Many tutoring jobs that aren’t associated with your major are great opportunities to gain this experience. When applying for a tutoring position, the first thing you should do is to see if your college encourages them. Just about every college has a department that offers this sort of service. If they don’t, ask them how you could set one up! The more practice you get, the better tutor you will be.
Many colleges hire people from the forefront of their programs to act as teacher assistants or student adjuncts to classes without any prior teaching experience.
6. Off-Campus Jobs
Moving on from campus jobs, we step out into the world. The challenge here is you have to go above and beyond to land a good job. Landing a good job here will pay much better than your campus job, but this can cost time and energy because going above and beyond in the off-campus world means thinking outside the box.
It also means that you will often be working with people much older than yourself. So if you’re looking for off-campus jobs, the first thing you should know is that there are some jobs you aren’t allowed to do while you’re studying.
7. Deliver Things
Agencies have various delivery needs, and their employees must take advantage of the diversity in delivery platforms to deliver a great customer experience. Savvy companies test the waters with one or two different services, but if they’re smart, they’ll get many more.
The requirements for these services are similar and may include a minimum age (aged 18-21), licenses and insurance required (if driving a vehicle), and the method of transportation required. To use one of these services as an independent contractor, applicants can sign up on their websites and start delivering.
8. Be A Freelance Tutor
There are many great ways to find freelance writing jobs online, and I will tell you about those that work for me. This article is aimed at helping new freelancers learn how to find their first freelance writing job! In my opinion, there is nothing better than teaching someone something new.
Also Read: How to create a personal website
Not only are you giving them the tools to succeed in their current endeavors, but you’re molding them to be successful in a field they may have never known existed.
9. Paint Houses
Working as a house painter can be an excellent side income or even your full-time job. It all depends on your ambition level and the hours you’re willing to put into it. But that should put a smile on your face because the upside of being a house painter is that you can work as much or as little as your schedule allows.
And according to a recent report from ZipRecruiter, 62 percent of people looking for a job right now say they’d take one that would enable them to work remotely. That means you could very well take this small business opportunity and run with it while owning the remote freedom you crave.
Don’t forget to read: Most Useful Skills to Have in Besides Your Studies
Painting houses is a demanding job. Nowadays, homeowners have many calls to fix their homes due to foreclosure, divorce, or just general wear and tear. People will paint the outside of their house, the inside, replace carpets, upgrade appliances in the kitchen or bathroom; just about anything that will improve the look and feel of their home.
10. Door-To-Door Sales
Being a freelance writer is a popular choice for those looking to earn money from writing alone. For the most part, you won’t be depending on anybody else to provide work or assignments.
Having said that, when you’re starting as a freelance writer, it can be somewhat challenging to get paid writing jobs or create enough material to make decent money as a writer.
11. Arrange Trips For Travel Companies
Outsourcing has become extremely popular. It’s much cheaper to hire people overseas than have employees here in the United States, and the internet is an excellent way of connecting clients and freelancers.
Tasks have gotten simpler because websites will do any job you want for a fraction of the cost. For example, if you love to travel and have good planning skills, you might work as a trip planner for a travel company. The people who work for travel companies must find hotels, make reservations, research, and stay organized.
Travel companies seem outdated in the internet age, but many people will still pay for these services.