How to Make Extra Money While at University Full-Time

By Sam Casteris on October 3, 2018

Creating an income while at university full-time can be challenging, especially if you try to live sustainably. Finding restaurants that are both affordable and earth-friendly is difficult! Add to that a full course load that might as well count as a full-time position, a social life on campus, and getting enough sleep and there might as well be three of you to make all of that happen. Rest assured, there are tons of ways to bring in cash as a student that won’t require you to get suited up for a 9-5 job. Fit in quick gigs around your class schedule and social life and you’ll be rolling in the dough in no time.

Via Unsplash.com

Babysitting or Nannying

Yes, you babysat your neighbor’s kids growing up when you wanted your own money, but it is still a great way to keep the cash flowing while in college. Taking up occasional babysitting gigs, or longer running nannying gigs, is one of the easiest ways to make money.

To find families who need assistance in your area, create a profile on Sittercity or Care.com. You can offer up your babysitting services, and search for people within your zip code who need a sitter. Once you get to know a family, odds are they will refer you to their friends and your babysitting business will be booming.

Be a Driver

Want a fun way to make money while meeting new people? If you have a car with you at school, especially one that is great on gas mileage, sign up to be a driver with Uber and Lyft. You log in to either app to start a shift and can drive for as long or as little as you like. Although the ride services are competitors, many people drive for both since you can easily switch between apps. You can also write off your car depreciation on your taxes or itemize your repairs to save money on maintenance. Where else are you going to make that much money working on your own time?

Work On Campus

Working on campus can be a great way to build tangible, real-world working experience, without having to sacrifice your college experience. The biggest benefit of on-campus jobs is the flexibility. Since the offices and organizations are affiliated with the college, they typically follow the same schedule when it comes to summer break and exam times, meaning that your education still comes first. They will typically work around your class schedule so you don’t risk missing anything. Hopefully, you’ll also be near campus friendly restaurants that serve affordable food to students. Ask them whether they recycle their used cooking oil and refuse the single-use plastics.

Depending on the type of position, you can also get some studying done when you aren’t super busy. Think of it as a set time to get work knocked out while also making money. That makes studying so much more appealing!

Sell Old Textbooks

Unless you will use your textbooks in a future class or want them to adorn your personal bookshelf, selling your old textbooks is an efficient way to make money and de-clutter. Some retailers will let you sell your books back to them after you’re finished, allowing you to make a percentage of the cost back. You can also sell books to your college bookstore, and even sell them in online groups within your university.

Freelance Gigs

The benefit of freelance opportunities is that you can really do it on your own time. Plus, as a college student, odds are that you are glued to your laptop anyways. If you have a passion for writing or it’s beneficial to your degree, it’s also a great way to expand on your experience and skills while creating an income for yourself. You can also freelance as a virtual assistant and help a busy organization tackle small-scale tasks, or share your creative expertise in design or marketing. Start with Upwork and find the freelance job that best suits you.

Fiverr

Similar to freelance writing, you can offer various services on Fiverr. From writing to website building and more, Fiverr connects you with people looking for your specific services. Weave your skills and passions together and use them to create your own business. You set the price. You deliver the product.

Online Surveys

Did you know you could make money from completing certain online surveys? Who knew! Companies like Swagbucks will pay you in gift cards for participating in online surveys. Choose categories based on your knowledge and experience, and earn gift cards to places like Target and Amazon. If it can supplement your income for the necessities like dorm room snacks and organizational storage, it’s worth a few minutes of your time.

Become a Tutor

University departments will often pair students with a tutor and you could get paid to work with them. You can also expand your tutoring past your university and find other potential students through Wyzant. Tutors with Wyzant start at $25 an hour so you can pick up a nice chunk of change in a short amount of time.

Finding time to make money as a full-time student can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. Take advantage of options that let you choose your hours so you don’t have to miss a thing. Be your own boss, and bring in money to help supplement your budget.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format