Side Hustles for College Students

This article originally appeared on The Financially Independent Millennial and was republished with permission.

In this article, I cover various side hustles and part-time jobs for college students. Indeed, college is an exciting period in someone’s life. And for millions of Americans, it represents some of the best times in life. From higher learning, life long connections, it’s no doubt, going to college is a popular option. Not to forget, it’s also helpful when looking for a job.

I never went to college. My parents never really had a lot of money. Sure, they did a great job to provide for the family, and we always had a roof over our heads. But, I often had to save up to buy the things that I wanted to have, like a new bicycle or a new computer. For as long as I can remember, I had a side-hustle. It was something to supplement my income while I was busy with other things.

Unfortunately, college is expensive and often results in expensive student loans. For example, some of the degrees that cost the most include medicine, engineering, and finance. Unless you’re blessed with a wealthy family, it’s a monumental challenge trying to balance a budget, especially when paying rent, tuition, food, and other living expenses. As a result, millions of college students turn to a side-hustle, a second job, as an extra income source. In fact, for many college students, a side hustle replaces a job.

Here are my top ways college students can make money without interfering (much) with their daily lives.

How College Students Can Get Started with an Online Side Hustle

The best way college students can start a part-time job or side hustle is to explain how they can help the client. In other words, the value proposition. Customers who don’t understand one’s value don’t buy.

The easiest way for college students to demonstrate their value proposition is to get the word out about it! And, the best way to do this is to create a website. Many services offer college students a way to create a free website. For example, free website builders include wix.com or wordpress.com. Even Google Sites is a super-easy way to start a free website. Add your photo, skillset, and of course, your value: How can you help the student?

The website should include at the very least:

A photo of the person offering the services
An “About” page. ~600 words telling the client something professional and something personal about you.
Highlighted skillset (I.e., Calculus ninja, etc.)
Services offered and how they get delivered (I.e., in person, online, etc.)
Rates

And always, always offer a free video chat (or phone call if they prefer) to discuss how you can help the prospective client. Remember, clients buy from those they trust and believe are experienced and an authority on the subject.

Tutoring

From the moment you started college, there is a likely possibility that you’ve achieved some above-average skills in a specific class. For example, you may have done exceptionally well in math, science, or even coding. As a result, college students who have such skills should highly consider tutoring as a job or side hustle.

The first step to start tutoring while in college is to consider where to sell your skills. For example, will you be offering your services online or in-person? And, will you create a supplementary course for students to follow along, perhaps as homework?

Join your college social groups, online and in-person, and let the other students know about your new side hustle. You might pass out a simple flyer directing students to your website or create a post in a Facebook group.

One way college students can supercharge their side-hustle is by starting with a free 1-hour introductory call. Use the time to help the prospective client/student with a challenge they are already having. Offering this for free creates a rapport, demonstrates experience, authoritativeness on the topic, and begins the trust process.

Web Developer and Graphic Designer

If you’re studying comp sci in college or an all-around web-whiz, you know a little more than most about web development. With this side hustle, college students can leverage this experience to earn money, improve their skills, and garner experience.

College students looking for web development jobs can reach out to local small businesses, university organizations, or social clubs. And, the moment you feel you are ready to take on additional work, consider offering your services places like Fiverr & Upwork.

For sure, your website should be polished. And, be sure to include samples of your work, perhaps even before and after shots, if possible!

Also, college students can amplify their sales through graphic design. Novice graphic designers can create stunning brochures and graphics using Canva. More advanced designers can use Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop to make even more fantastic looking deliverables.

Honorable Mention: Video Blogging and Gaming

We live in an era where YouTube is replacing TV. These platforms have enabled many college students to make money via things they love to do. Many famous YouTube stars are college students.

College students wanting to start their YouTube hustle need only a cellphone and a camera. A laptop and editing software is nice to have, but not necessary. And, people earn an ad-revenue share from YouTube. The more views you get, the more you get paid. Moreover, you can get paid by large companies for endorsement videos.

Offline Side Hustle Jobs for College Students

Dog Walking

If you love dogs, this is another job college students can do to make a little extra money. It’s a certainty that in your neighborhood or town, there will be dogs and busy owners. And naturally, dogs need to get walked regularly.

Fortunately for college students, most dog owners are busy working and lack time to walk their furry friends. And, when not working, these owners also go on vacations, nights out, etc. Here’s where you come in!

If you’re not a go-getter and prefer clients to come to know, worry not! Various websites will introduce you to new clients. Sites like Rover, care.com, and Wag Walking all vet the dog walkers, and then help connect you to owners who want pet sitting, or dog walking, or both!

Task Assistant

For this side hustle, college students can make a little extra money by becoming a task assistant. There’s a demand for workers who can do local jobs that clients won’t do or can’t do all across the country.

Websites such as TaskRabbit connect college students like you to clients who have any one of numerous odd jobs. Typical jobs that college students can do include furniture assembly, cleaning, and personal shopping. Delivering packages or goods to people is another task that can add extra money to your pocket.

TaskRabbit is excellent because you don’t have to commit much time. It’s one task at a time. Of course, you can also find the work through the old fashioned way.

Babysitting

Babysitting is another part-time job a college student can make extra make money. However, to be an excellent babysitter, you need to love babies and tolerate their behaviors. It could be a gratifying job, especially for a student who wants to make money.

Babysitting is a type of job you find and do locally. If you want to find potential customers, you can place an ad at the library, job boards, the pediatrician’s office, local paper, or anywhere the parents will see.

Additionally, there are websites that parents use to get babysitters, such as urbansitter.com, care.com, and sittercity.com. Unfortunately, if you don’t live in a city, you could have to go the old-fashioned way to find clients.

Cleaning

While college students aren’t necessarily known for their cleaning skills, some will find it an easy side hustle to earn money. Cleaning tasks are always easy to find. If you’re happy to clean and are willing to work, cleaning is an easy task to make money while in college.

Don’t be afraid to expand beyond your friends, family, and residential clients. Many small businesses would be happy to get a college student. Think gas stations, retail, offices, and restaurants. These janitorial jobs are suitable for college students because they offer flexibility.

Most cleaning jobs can get done in the evening hours; thus, it’s a great time when not in class.

Buy and Resell Textbooks

When studying in high school, you may not have understood the true cost of textbooks. As a college student, you’ve no doubt realized how expensive textbooks can be. A side hustle college students can do is buy and sell used textbooks. It can even go beyond and turn it into a business after college.

College students can buy textbooks from online sites such as eBay or craigslist and resell them on other websites such as Bookscouter. With BookScouter, you enter the book’s ISBN and the selling price. And the difference between what you paid to what you sold the books for is your profit margin.