Is it possible to make money at school? What are your best money-making opportunities as a student? Let’s explore together and see what your options are.
The stereotype of a ‘broke college student’ is ingrained in our society. Some students wear it as a badge of honor, thumping their chest on how they survived on instant noodles. While being frugal and resourceful is encouraged, the “broke student” notion is limiting.
But why not earn extra dollars? Considering the many expenses, it’s a good idea to make the extra cash in school and turn your life around. You don’t have to be broke because you’re a college student.
But where do you start? Do you have an idea of how you can make money at school? Well, no need to worry! The truth is there are numerous ways to make money while you study. And most of them are considerably easy and exciting.
In this article, I have compiled a list of some great side hassles that can always help you lead a better life at school.
Completing surveys is most likely one of the simplest ways of making money at school. You only need to register on a survey site, and you’re good to go.
The best thing is that registration is often free, and you don’t need any training. Moreover, you take the survey at your convenience, hence not interfering with your schoolwork.
Imagine earning $2 – $75 when you complete the survey. However, your earning potential depends on the type of survey and the survey site. But it’s a quick way to make cash in a short time.
The most remarkable thing about these survey sites is that they are low-risk and have zero investment. So give it a shot and enjoy a new source of cash!
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Survey Junkie is arguably the best-paid survey site out of the hundreds available. And is a legit site that pays you once you complete a survey.
You only need to sign up, finish a survey, receive rewards, and get paid. Sounds easy, right? But that’s not all, the surveys are usually simple, short and you can take the survey between your breaks throughout the day. There’s also no need to change your schedule.
To top it up, you choose what you like, making it an easy way to make money in school. If you love influencing specific brands, then Survey Junkie is the way to go. You answer the questions, and you get to make money online.
The site has more than 10 million active users, thus making it a fantastic platform to express your opinion about your favorite brands. Generally, you make an average of $1-$3 per survey, and the minimum withdrawal limit is $10 or 1000 points. However, Survey Junkie is only available in the US, Canada, and Australia.
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InboxDollars is a great survey site, especially due to its good payment system for quick award processing. Even though you can’t rely on survey sites as your main source of income, InboxDollar will add a decent amount to your account.
The site is easy, quick, and completely free. What’s more, InboxDollars offers you a variety of surveys to pick from, each paying a few cents. This means you’ve to complete several surveys to gain significant rewards.
Typically, you can earn $0.5-$5 for every survey, lasting from three to 25 minutes. Undoubtedly, you earn more by taking longer surveys. Also, some special surveys will earn you even up to $20.
But there’s one small catch. These unique surveys are only accessible to users who perfectly fit the company’s preferred demographics. Therefore, complete your profile exhaustively to ensure you receive the surveys that you deserve.
You can make money at school by doing these activities in InboxDollars:
Picture this, since InboxDollar’s launch in 2000, the site has awarded a whopping $59 million to its active users. Now, that is quite some money! Join the platform today and start earning some extra dollars during your free time.
Lifepoint is another amazing survey site with over 5 million active users. The site is similar to other microtasks websites, where you get rewards for finishing simple daily tasks.
And it gets better. You receive ten free bonus points for just signing up. How awesome is that? Without a doubt, LifePoints is worthwhile to join, and the process of earning points is effortless. Just join, complete those easy surveys and receive the points. It’s that easy.
Similarly, you’re paid $0.60 to $1 for every survey, and the minimum amount you can withdraw is $20. Lifepoints also offers you many surveys to complete during your free time. These surveys usually last 10 minutes or less, and the points are redeemable once you achieve $20.
Not to mention LifePoints’ efficient payment process. Once you reach the $20 limit, you’ll quickly withdraw the money to your PayPal or choose gift cards from your preferred brands.
Swagbucks is another popular online survey site that offers you an incredible opportunity to make money at school without doing tasks out of the ordinary.
Swagbucks pays you to do what you usually do – being normal. It pays you to do exciting tasks such as:
What’s amazing about Swagbucks is that you don’t have to change your school routine. You use your free time to take easy surveys as you continue with your normal routine.
Swagbucks has paid an impressive $449.5 million to users since its inception. The site gives out more than 7,000 gift cards for free every day.
But is Swagbucks legit? Well, no need to worry. Swagbucks is truly a legit site that will help you make money online. Just look at its colossal monthly and daily payouts to assure you that the site is certainly not a scam.
All you have to do is sign up, shop online, take surveys, watch videos, surf the web, and start making money at school. You can also redeem your rewards through PayPal or gift cards. You’re paid $1 to $3 for each survey you complete.
Toluna gives you a great chance to impact the actions of different famous brands, e.g., Amazon and Coca-Cola. You make money with Toluna by:
Contrary to other survey sites, Toluna allows you to create content. You can make polls and earn from it. Better still, quality content earns you 1000 points.
The payment for each survey varies a lot depending on how long it is. However, most surveys pay from 1000 to 50,000 points. In contrast, you can earn a million points once you win the daily sweepstakes.
In Toluna, 95,000 is equivalent to $30. Meaning if you complete a few surveys worth 50,000 points, you can add a decent amount to your account.
See related: How to Take Surveys For Money
There are jobs that won’t require you to leave campus. The good thing about jobs is that they are normally hourly, and the university organizes that you work for specific hours in a week.
If you want to learn how to make money while at school, here are some excellent opportunities:
If you’ve ever taken an introductory or general education class on campus, you’ve almost certainly met a TA. The teacher assistant’s role could have included assisting the professor in class, assisting students with homework outside of class, or even teaching the class.
As a teaching assistant, you get to see a lot of what goes on behind the lecture hall scenes. So, if you consider a career in academia, this is a great way to feel how the teaching and research process works.
Generally, the best way to get a teacher assistant position is to have a good relationship with the professor. It’s best to take the class you’ll be assisting or know the content very well. While you can find job postings on on-campus job sites, the best way to find a TA position is to approach the professor.
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If working with students isn’t your thing, but you still want to work with a professor, then becoming a research assistant might be the job for you. The duties of a research assistant may differ depending on the department and professor.
You might perform or monitor experiments, prepare and clean equipment, or collect samples if you work in the science department. In humanities, you might do anything from scanning pages from books to transcribing interviews.
Even though the work isn’t always glamorous or exciting, these jobs build your communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills. They’re also the best way to get an inside look at how the university research process works. This teaches you far more than you can imagine.
Occasionally, professors will post openings for research assistants on on-campus job boards. But you can also approach a professor directly and ask for assistance. You should state what skills you have, what you hope to learn from the position, and how you wish to contribute. It’s an easy way to make money in school.
Being a Resident Assistant is a great way to grow your social skills and develop leadership abilities. It also helps you to make valuable connections with people who could write you letters of recommendation.
One of your main responsibilities as a Resident Assistant is to build a sense of community among fellow students. Also, you get to offer advice on college life.
But, being a resident assistant is not an easy job. You’ll deal with drunk students who call you at 3 am because they can’t get in, roommates who have disagreements, and homesick first-year students. You also have to live in a dorm, which can be a drawback.
It is a rewarding job, as you get to observe students find their place on campus as they thrive and grow. However, it’s a lengthy process to become a resident assistant. Besides taking several interviews, you’ll undergo extensive training in safety, conflict resolution, and university policies.
It’s your job to answer any questions residents may have, including those related to academics, housing, parking, and other issues. As a result, you’ll never stop learning.
You probably visited the college before choosing it. If you did, you probably took a tour. Since newcomers won’t give themselves tours, why not make money at school by becoming a tour guide?
You will learn more about the school and also make many new friends. Additionally, you’ll be able to improve your public speaking and interpersonal skills (as well as thinking on your feet). Plus, you’re going to have pretty big calf muscles from all the walking.
It’s not difficult to become a campus tour guide. You have to submit your resume and cover letter and then pass a few rounds of interviews. Some training will also involve shadowing an existing tour guide and giving a mock presentation.
Many universities offer the option of doing overnight visits for prospective students to get a feel of college life. Prospective students shadow current students, attend their classes, sleep in their dorms, and experience college for themselves.
It can be a good way to improve your social skills while making money at the same time. This is because college admission departments can never have enough people to host
Most of the time, these positions do not pay. However, they often come with perks when you agree to participate regularly. You get a discount on your housing when you agree to host students.
Generally, you only need to inquire at the campus admissions office to be a prospective student host. The only thing you’ll need is lots of enthusiasm and a friendly attitude. No resume or formal application is required.
Many introductory classes have TAs to help students outside of class. However, the TA’s time and energy are limited, especially if the class has hundreds of students. In many departments, dedicated tutors are available for students to aid them with their homework and studies.
However, you must demonstrate immense knowledge of the subject if you want to become a campus tutor and help other students. While it doesn’t have to be your major, it should be an area where you do well academically. For example, most engineering students at the upper levels should tutor introductory math and physics classes.
Furthermore, you will need patience and the ability to break down difficult concepts in a clear manner. The best thing is you’ll set your rates and have control over your schedule.
Things start getting interesting when stepping into the world. The amount of money you can make at school dramatically increases when you work off-campus.
Nonetheless, working off-campus doesn’t mean that you’re less flexible when it comes to your academic schedule. You should only pick work that you can handle with your classwork.
Some good examples of off-campus jobs include:
Are you having a car and want to earn some extra bucks? Driving for Lyft or Uber is a great option for you. The amazing thing about this gig is it’s so flexible that it allows you to work at your convenience.
Normally, you get money from a percentage of the trip fare and any tips from your clients. Here, you can earn a minimum of $25 an hour, but you can increase your income, especially if you work in busy areas. Also, you can drive both Uber and Lyft to increase your income.
Unfortunately, you’ll have to be friendly and ready to stomach drunk and unruly passengers at times.
With so many delivery apps available nowadays, how about using your car, bike, or even your feet to earn some extra money? Delivering things is an excellent option to consider, especially with the increased growth for on-demand delivery service. You can try various options including Amazon Flex, DoorDah, or Instacart.
How much can you make delivering things? It depends!
Amazon Flex pays at least $18 per hour, but openings tend to happen during the holiday rush. Other delivery services don’t have set hourly rates. Instead, you get a percentage of whatever the customer pays.
Even so, delivering items has more flexibility than most other student jobs. So, it might be a good place to work if you’re looking for some extra cash. The only cost you incur here is the cost of maintaining your vehicle and buying gas.
You can become a freelance tutor and set your rates if you have the right knowledge and skills. You could offer private tutoring sessions and make more money this way.
College students may need tutoring, but the best opportunity is to tutor young students. With young students, parents are always willing to pay quite well.
You can also contact former teachers from high school or elementary school to see if they know anyone who needs tutoring. Referrals are the best way to reach new tutoring clients. Therefore, start asking around.
Do you have some marketable skills? TaskRabbit is the place to use them. It is a service that matches Taskers (skilled people) with customers who need them.
Initially, TaskRabbit was geared towards physical tasks, like yard work, cleaning, and moving. However, the platform now lets you complete virtual tasks, like data entry or graphic design.
TaskRabbit is currently available in large cities in the United States and the United Kingdom. You’ll require one of these skills to start making money here:
Besides being 21 (18 in the UK), passing a background check, and paying a registration fee of $20, you can set your rates and set your schedule. These features make TaskRabbit a good option for college students.
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These are just a few of the thousands of opportunities to help you make money fast. They range from slick online businesses to unappealing cleaning work. However, they all have one thing in common: they’re cheap to start, you don’t require any special licenses, and you set your rates and hours.
You can use Facebook or Craigslist to sell things. These can be things you’ve built from scratch or even flip items like furniture that you have restored. Just make sure that whatever you are selling isn’t illegal.
You can also make money at school by selling things that you don’t need anymore. For instance, those toys, clothes, books, or any other object you don’t need anymore, can fetch you some bucks.
The sky is the limit for you with this job. If you enjoy making things already, this is a great way to profit.
You can sell your items on Etsy if you have something people will buy. This could be physical products, templates, or other digital products.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to advertise your products to your fellow students. But, you’ll need to do some market research to find out if there is a market for your products and how much to charge.
You can use your social media accounts and WhatsApp group to showcase your products and sell them directly to students to make money at school. And, you can learn different papercrafts on YouTube.
Are you good with kids? Busy parents require someone to care for their children. You can babysit for a few summers and make a decent income from it.
On average, you can earn $ 27.59 per hour as a babysitter. This is good money to supplement your pocket money when you go back to school.
There are different ways to find babysitting jobs. Simply ask around to see whether there’s anyone who requires your services. You can also register with an agency to help you get a nanny job.
Would you like to earn money by generating content that people would read, watch, or share? That’s the main role of creating content, and getting started is now easier than ever.
Firstly, you must find content for people to watch, whether for education or entertainment. Secondly, you find a way of making money out of it. You can earn from showing ads, sponsorships, or paid products or training.
YouTube, Instagram, podcasting, and blogging are great options with high money-making potential. Building a website to host your content is one of the greatest methods to get started.
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Many people have fantastic ideas that they wish to share in a blog or a book but lack the writing abilities and time to do so. These opportunities help you come in as a ghostwriter.
Do you have excellent writing skills? Can you echo the voice of a brand or an individual? Then, you can make serious money as a ghostwriter.
You can present and offer your services on online work platforms such as Fivver or Upwork. Or, you can pitch directly to individuals and companies that seem like potential clients.
Rather than focusing on direct ways to make money at school, you can save money on the ordinary things you buy or use. Below are some of the options that you may explore
Do you really have to pay to listen to music? Could you get the same music on YouTube for free? Is it possible to cost-share your Netflix bills with family or friends?
These are the different ways to save more money on paid services. Even though individual subscription plans are cheap, they can easily accumulate if not careful.
You don’t have to pay $50 monthly for internet that you don’t use or for texts and calls that you rarely make. Consider a cheaper phone plan as an excellent option, specifically if your campus provides free WiFi everywhere.
Like survey platforms, cashback apps pay you to complete some of the simplest tasks, for instance, shopping online and getting paid for it.
You can install cashback apps like Ibotta to get discounts on your purchases. Once the app is on your phone, all you need is to search for offers and shop as always. Each purchase helps you earn some discounts.
Redeeming the offers is easier than you may think, even when not shopping online. Simply take a photo of the receipt, and you’ll receive your cashback in your app account in less than 48 hours.
Different apps such as Seated offer you gift cards for eating at specific restaurants. If you’re planning to dine out anyway, why not receive a reward as a result?
Imagine earning from $10 to $50 in gift cards from Starbucks, Amazon, or making a reservation with Lyft. But, it’s important to note that apps like Seated are only available in specific cities in the U.S.
Last updated: October 15, 2024
