College is a time for studying. Well, that’s mostly true but it’s also time to learn about yourself. To really develop the person you’re going to be in the future. Studying is part of that equation, but so is traveling, partying, making friends, and working. Most things in life don’t come for free, so as a college student, it’s important to learn how to make some money while also keeping those grades in good standing.
The best kinds of jobs are the ones that are a little fun, benefit you in more than one way, and pay for the things you need. Not all of students have tons of financial help or scholarships to survive on, so having a job is just a fact of life. The Brief has come up with six ways you can make money while you’re in college:
1. Sell Your Smarts
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We’re not suggesting that you do anything naughty like writing papers for other students. Instead, you can use sites like StudySoup to sell study guides and notes to other students. There’s nothing wrong with making a little extra cash helping out your fellow students while doing something you’d already have to do – like go to class and take notes. This way, you’re really providing a service to other students that need help with course materials.
2. Share Your Thoughts
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Do you like to write? Make videos? Record podcasts? If you have your own website where you store all that stuff, you could set up Google AdSense and make some money every time people visit your site. Setting up the ads is pretty simple and the best part is that it’s free, so if you’re already putting content out there – it’s an easy way to make some cash. The ads are reviewed to make sure that they make sense for your website, and that means you just have to set it up and let Google do the work for you.
3. Clean Out Your Closet
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Do consignment stores stress you out? You can sell your old clothes on sites like thredUP from the comfort of your apartment. Not only is this a good way to get rid of your old clothes, but then you can also buy hugely discounted styles from the site as well. There are other local options near lots of college campuses like Plato’s Closet, but either way, you should consider selling your clothes for a little extra money. Reselling items is a great way to contribute to sustainability as well because by recycling your clothing to others, you’re keeping them out of landfills. There are tons of wins!
4. Become A Small Time Book Dealer
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Required textbooks can be the bane of any college student’s existence. They’re often exorbitantly priced and a frustration that rears its ugly head every semester, so the best piece of advice out there is to sell those buggers. You can use a site like BookScouter to find the best place to sell each book. That being said, remember that selling your books back to the campus bookstore is usually not the most lucrative option. This site in particular searches 50 buyback vendors which gives you a huge advantage on how much you’ll get back.
5. Go Commando!
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Large brands want to have a presence on college campuses, so you can help them by completing tasks and documenting your successes. The Go Commando App is designed to streamline the previously lengthy and costly process of finding quality brand ambassadors. It’s super easy to become a Brand Commando and help out brands like Men’s Wearhouse, IKEA®, GNC, L’Oreal, FRYE, HP, and Ebay to name a few. This way, you get to have fun with the tasks the brands need and make some money while doing it.
6. Channel Your Internet Addiction Into Cash
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Do you like browsing websites? Do you think you have an eye for what’s good and bad about different sites? You can put that skill to use and make a little money while you’re at it. There are a few different sites that offer differing payscales and commitments for site testers, but most average around $10 to $20 for 5 to 30 minutes of work It’s quick and easy, and you could even doing it while catching up on your favorite Netflix shows.
How are you making money at college? What other awesome ideas do you have for making the most of college and keeping finances afloat? Tell us in the comments!
