College doesn’t come without massive spending. Dorm rooms, meal plans, and new textbooks can amount to over $15,000 extra expenses. As a result, students tend to take up on-campus jobs and freelance gigs to support themselves in college.
Doing on-campus jobs can save up a bunch of money typically spent on college facilities. In turn, freelancing is an excellent way to sharpen one’s professional skills and build a strong portfolio. As we all learn from mistakes, here are some legit ways you can earn (or save) a buck that I wish I knew in college.
Tutoring
Having confident knowledge on a subject is a strength that can be monetized. Students have varieties of classes, some of which they take reluctantly to fill the major requirements. They’ll often ask help from professors or other experts who have a stronger base of knowledge.
That’s why tutoring is sure to get you some extra money in college. Not everyone has a firm grasp on all the subjects on their schedule. Most often, you’ll find clients in group study sessions or lunchroom conversation tables.
Other times, they will directly post on the uni’s Facebook group, or tutoring websites asking for help.
Tutoring can earn you from $10 to $20 bucks per hour, depending on the situation.
Write Essays for Students
A bit against your college, but an excellent way to make money nevertheless. There’s always this guy offering “Psst. Hey kid, need an essay for that humanities class?:
We all know that guy who sells overpriced papers to people in need.
But little known is the fact that anybody can be that guy online – completely anonymous. Sure it might go against the college’s core values and can cause problems if caught doing so, but sometimes there’s no other solution.
Learners, overloaded with midterms, finals, or just studying look for places where to buy an essay paper and clear their schedule a bit.
College can be unforgiving with the mountains of work piling every single week. Therefore essay writing is often in high demand amongst students.
Keep in mind that such activity requires good knowledge of essay format, applying research, and writing in another person’s voice.
College authorities may see you as a villain, yet they will never know your name. And students will be thankful for saving their grades and helping to avoid re-taking the class.
Become a Student Assistant
When arriving at college, you’ll be met by a student assistant guiding freshmen to their dorms. Next comes a week of orientation, where the same people help newcomers familiarize themselves with the campus and its facilities.
Many juniors or seniors take up assistive positions because it looks good on their portfolio, and cause it’s good business.
For example, resident assistants or RAs, reside in almost every dorm room. Benefits received include free housing and free meal plans, which can save up to $8,000 in the long run.
RAs also attend student council meetings, remaining connected to people who make important decisions in college. It’s a great way to build a reputation and make money helping other learners.
Work on Campus
If tutoring, essay writing, or meeting newcomers isn’t your cup of tea, working on campus can be an excellent solution.
Campus jobs are pretty chill; some of them require little effort for their gains. Working at a library is a great example: the whole job is checking out books.
Libraries provide a relaxed environment, allow for making cash without stress, and studying while working. That’s two birds with one stone.
The college staff mostly employs students to work at campus facilities. You’ll find that the IT guy, the barman, and the teacher’s assistant are all students who work on campus.
Students can usually work up to 20 hours per week on campus. Some of the most common jobs include:
- Managing student activities;
- Assistant jobs (RA, TA, etc.);
- Library;
- Gym;
- Computer Lab;
- Food services.
Be sure to visit your academic department for more info on available on-campus jobs.
Re-sell Textbooks
Wise men say that making money is mostly about how you choose to spend it. And what better way to save money than to avoid buying $120 textbooks each.
Yes, books are costly for college. Whilst some of them are accessible online, others need to stay in your backpack for convenient access continually.
The golden rule is: never buy new textbooks. Students re-sell their used ones for nearly half the price on college Facebook groups. With a little calculation, you can play this business like an auction house, saving money and perhaps gaining some profit.
Spending money on new textbooks is highly unrecommended, as it can quickly go over $500 per semester. Going second-hand will cut that sum down threefold.
Sell Study Guides
One can also begin selling study material. A week before finals or midterms, everyone will be scrambling around campus, asking their peers for study guides. Some may be reluctant to give them, as writing a study guide takes time and effort. Why hand it to people who refuse to put the effort in?
But for one who seeks to make money, this is an opportunity for profit. Prepared study guides can be sold for cheap and in bulk. It’s all about the right place and right time — chilling just outside the class before a midterm with a stack of guides is guaranteed to make a profit.
On the Last Note: Freelancing and Content Creation
And finally, there’s freelancing. It comes in all shapes and forms, from writing blogs to creating and monetizing YouTube content. Many students use things learned in college as an opportunity to create videos for other students, which can be quite educational.
Content creation is definitely the best go-to. However, freelancing in your field of study is also a viable option.
Fans of literature should try copywriting; students of business can launch an online store rather easily. Film students can practice shooting ads or music videos for clients, sharpening their professional skills, and enhancing the portfolio.
