We’ve all heard about the broke college student who lives on Ramen noodles throughout their college career. Is that the way it has to be? I’m all for being thrifty, but things have changed where students don’t act quite as frugally. Why is that? Are they able to make an income or are they incapable of living frugally? Good questions.
Just because you’re a college student, doesn’t mean that you have to be broke. There is currently so many ways for those 20 somethings to be able to earn money. Far more options than there has ever been. It goes way beyond just delivering pizzas and working at McDonald’s.
On Campus
Students can find many jobs right on campus and may even be able to be applied directly to your tuition, if preferred. Let’s take a look at some opportunities on the campus.
Become a TA (Teaching Assistant)
The TA’s job is to help the professor during class, help students with assignments, or some may even teach the class outright. If you’re considering a career in academics, being a TA is a great way to give you hands up experience in the trenches to determine whether you want to do it long term. You will need an existing relationship with a professor. It’s usually required for you to take the class (and do well) first before you can be a TA of that specific class.
Be a Research Assistant
Maybe working with students is not your cup of tea. A research assistant is a way to work with a professor, but not with students. Research duties will depend on what department you work with as well as the individual professor. Your duties might include monitoring experiments, cleaning equipment, or collecting samples. Or, it could be scanning book pages or even transcribing recorded interviews. Campus job boards may have opportunities like this.
Become an RA (Resident Assistant)
Everyone who has lived in the dorm is familiar with RA’s. You have an opportunity to build your social and leadership skills and make valuable connections with others who could later write a letter of recommendation for you. Before you think that this is easy money, it’s not. You will probably have to deal with drunk students calling you at 3am, roommate disputes, and many homesick freshmen. Becoming an RA is generally a lengthy process that may involve several rounds of interviews. I would recommend speaking to a current RA to give you a true idea of what to expect with the job.
Campus Tour Guide
Being a tour guide gives you a change to become an expert on your University and discover many tidbits of knowledge that most students probably don’t know. The process to become a tour guide may not be difficult. It’s likely that you’ll work nights and weekends.
Campus IT Work
Maybe a tour guide seems too light and cheery for what you’re interested in doing. If you have some computer skills and are a quick learner, working with the help desk could be right up your alley. You’ll not only learn about how computers and technologies work, but also will have plenty of opportunity to practice your patience and empathy. Most IT groups require you to have certain prerequisites, such as certain programming languages or to become A+ certified.
Some Other on Campus Items
· Work in campus dining
· Drive for campus transportation
· Work in the campus post office
· Be a campus tutor
· Work in the writing center
· Work at the dorm front desk
· Work for maintenance
· Work for custodial services
· Become an artist model
Off Campus
On campus is not the only place where college students can find jobs. The amount of money that can be made off campus eclipses what is possible on campus, which typically pay minimum wage or not much more. A downside is that employers may not be flexible to work around your school schedule.
Driver for Uber or Lyft
If you have a car, you can put it to use in your spare time, whenever works best for you. You earn a percentage of the fare as well as any tips. They say that you can make up to $25/hour, but that’s pretty rare. If you’re in a busy area with high demand, you will probably make more than minimum wage though. You do have to be at least 21 and pass a background check, have current insurance, registration, and driver’s license. You may have to put up with unruly and/or drunk passengers, especially in a college area.
Deliver Things
You can use your car (or even bike) to deliver things. Apps such as Door Dash, Postmates, Amazon Flex, Instacart, Shipt, and Uber Eats are some examples. These companies tend to have similar requirements such as age (generally minimum of 18 through 21) and licenses and insurances (if using a vehicle). How much you can make varies. With Amazon Flex, you make a minimum of $18/hour, but it’s very competitive, having a big demand during the holiday rush. Other services don’t pay an hourly rate, but give you a percentage of the fee that the customer pays plus tips. You have to consider the wear and tear on your car as well as gas used.
Be a Freelance Tutor
We already covered tutoring directly through the university, but if you have the right knowledge, you can make more by taking your skills elsewhere. The real money comes from tutoring younger students. Parents are typically willing to pay much more than broke college students. Tutoring for standardized tests can be especially lucrative. Some other online teaching options include VIPKid, GoGo Kids, Tutor.com, iTalki and Tutorme.com. Some may have different requirements so check them out online.
Be a Bartender or Waitress
If you’re in a college town, you will have almost unlimited opportunities for this. Instead of constantly spending money going out, why not try to make some? You’ll increase your social skills, learn conflict resolution, customer service, and how to make drinks (bartender) which can definitely be a great skill to have. Depending on the state, your age to serve alcohol may vary.
Direct Sales
I know that direct sales get a bad rap, but for college students who are looking for flexible work with a lot of social media involved, direct sales is the way to go. There are many reputable companies that have proven track records. Stick to products that are consumable (food, supplements, vitamins, makeup, skincare, nail polish) where you can have long term business from the same people. I’ve seen college students do so well in direct sales that not only did they build a business for some part time spending money, but used it to pay off student loans. Find a business that’s been around for at least 5 years and has a large number of customers. Stay away from those opportunities that make their money on recruitment. The main source of revenue should be from product sales and customers, not recruitment or rep purchases. Go to the direct selling association www.dsa.org to make sure the company is valid before signing on. The great thing about direct sales is that you essentially buy your own franchise for a fraction of the cost and can begin making money right away after recouping your investment.
Wrap Your Car
If you are out and about, you can wrap your car through wrapify.com and earn up to $450 per month and advertise as you drive. You may have requirements on the amount that you drive.
Some Other off Campus Options
· Bookkeeping
· Summer Internship
· Lifeguard
· Painting Houses
· Work as a Temp
· Arrange Trips for Travel Companies
· Clean Offices
· Fix Items
· Stock delivery trucks at night (Fedex/UPS, etc)
Since there are so many opportunities for college students to make money, we will revisit more in another blog post. Please share with a family member or friend that could use some ideas to take the pain away from the cost of the education itself.
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