Are you looking for ways to earn money while busy with your studies? This article will teach you 25 things you can do to start earning money so that you can comfortably educate yourself without worrying about finances.
Table of contents
- Ridesharing
- Cash apps
- Bartending
- Food delivery
- Online freelance gigs
- Taking care of pets
- Donate plasma
- Ad quality rater
- Instawork
- Focus groups
- Teach English online
- Promotional marketing
| Job | Schedule | Payment | Earning potential |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ridesharing | Flexible | Various options from immediate to weekly | $5-20 per hour |
| Cash apps | Flexible | Immediately | $0.5-8 per hour |
| Bartending | Fixed times | Usually paid weekly or monthly | $7-15 per hour |
| Food delivery | Flexible | From immediately to weekly | $5-15 per hour |
| Online freelance gigs | Flexible | From immediately to weekly | Depends on offering |
| Taking care of pets | Flexible | From immediately to weekly | $15-20 per shift |
| Donating plasma | Flexible | Usually immediately | $30-100 per donation |
| Ad quality rater | Fixed times | Usually weekly | Job-dependent |
| Instawork | Flexible | Immediately | $20-30 per hour |
| Focus groups | Flexible | Usually immediately | $50-100 per hour |
| Teach English online | Flexible | Immediately or weekly | $20-30 per hour |
| Promotional marketing | Flexible | Immediately or weekly | $20-40 per hour |
Ridesharing
If you have access to a vehicle - such as a sedan - platforms like Uber and Lyft allow you to drive people looking for taxis to various destinations across the city you are based in and earn decent money doing so. It is ideal for college students because you can earn money on your schedule. It is perfect for times of the year when you may be busy with coursework because you will not have strict hours that you will need to dedicate to working outside of campus.
How does earning work for ridesharing?
The amount you can earn depends on the number of trips you take. You do not get a guaranteed minimum wage, but you have complete flexibility over your working schedule.
If you seriously consider driving for Uber, take a look at our guide that gives an overview of the requirements to become an Uber driver, the documents you will need to register, and how payment on Uber works.
Cash apps
Cash apps allow you to earn money by providing various opportunities like filling out surveys, trying out new apps, and playing mobile games. It is an easy way to earn extra income and also is flexible. You can do this whenever you have free time, in any location.
How does earning work for cash apps?
You receive payment by completing the offer that you choose. There are hundreds of offers that you can choose from. Each offer specifies how much it is worth, and the instructions you need to complete. When you complete all instructions, earnings are automatically added to your account. You receive your money using the cashout methods that are available to you - such as PayPal, cryptocurrency, bank transfers, or gift cards. You can use a free cash app like Mocash to start making money online.
Bartending
Bartending is a straightforward way to earn consistent income. You get paid to serve customers at bars, nightclubs, and restaurants during shifts.
How does earning work for bartending?
Bartenders earn a small base wage and receive tips from patrons during shifts. Tips from people make up the majority of the earnings. Bartenders may also receive additional performance-based bonuses, depending on the venue.
Food delivery
Food delivery is similar to ridesharing. It allows you to earn by delivering food made by restaurants to a customer's door. It is a simple and flexible type of work. You can work on your schedule. It is more flexible than ridesharing since you can use a scooter, or bicycle, or even go on foot to your destination. You have to be at least 18 years old to do this gig.
How does earning work for food delivery?
You receive money for the number of food deliveries you do. The amount you earn per delivery depends on the distance that you have to travel and some other factors like the time it will take and the current demand. Food delivery platforms usually give you the option to receive your earnings immediately or weekly.
Online freelance gigs
Millions of people and businesses require expertise and jobs to be done for tasks outside of their skillset. This presents a wide range of opportunities across several industries for college students to take advantage of. This type of work is done virtually, meaning that you can build a global client base from the comfort of your house or dorm room. Some things that you can do are:
- Creating custom drawings and animations
- Posting regularly on social media for a company
- Translating documents into another language
- Creating beats for a song
- Creating websites
- Being a voiceover for a video
How does earning work for online freelance gigs?
Freelance gigs are offered through platforms like Fiverr that connect people and businesses to freelance workers. You specify the services and packages that you sell, how long you expect the work to take, the prices you charge, and any experience or qualifications you may have that help to improve your offering. You can choose to accept or reject any offer that you receive. The time it takes to receive payment depends on the platform that you use. This is usually quickly after payment is received from a client.
Taking care of pets
This may seem like a dream gig for pet lovers. Pet owners may be busy, out of the city, or need a break from their duties and be willing to pay other people to help them take care of their pets. This includes pet-sitting, dog-walking, visiting a pet to give them food or even letting a pet stay with you for some time. It is a fun side hustle that almost anyone can do and it offers good pay. The most common times that pets need care - after hours and on weekends - are compatible with most college students' schedules. Rover.com is an example of an online platform that connects pet owners to people looking for pet-sitting or pet-walking gigs.
How does earning work for caring for pets?
The amount that you earn depends on the type of care and activities you provide. Dog walking usually pays between $15 and $20 per hour. Dog sitting pays between $15-20 per hour. If you develop a good relationship with a pet owner, you can often negotiate a better rate and terms.
Donate plasma
If you are healthy, donating plasma is a lucrative way to earn consistent side income. Plasma has several uses in industry - such as treating diseases and producing medication. It is a good social cause to contribute to since it helps save lives. You can do this twice weekly, with at least one day between visits. It takes around one hour each time you donate. There are general requirements to donate that most plasma centers agree upon:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Weigh at least 110 pounds
- No piercings or tattoos in the last four months
You will also need to complete paperwork and do a health screening before your first donation. It may take two to four hours on your first visit because of the administration that is required.
How does earning work for donating plasma?
The amount you earn depends on the plasma center you donate to and the state you live in. Your earnings are usually deposited to you via debit card immediately after donation. People have reported earning $50-100 per donation and around $300-$1000 monthly. You usually receive more money initially, which decreases as you donate regularly.
Ad quality rater
Ad quality raters get paid to choose whether the advertisements they are shown appeal to them. They are instructions to evaluate, with examples, and have to use their judgment to provide feedback on advertisements. A unit of work is known as a task, and an ad quality rater will be given several tasks to complete in a day.
How does earning work for an ad quality rater?
It is a simple job that pays per task. You receive payment per task that you do. Each task pays a different amount. There is a limit to the hours you can work, and the tasks that you can do daily and weekly. Payment can be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. The payment schedule is determined by the company you work for.
Instawork
Instawork is an online platform that connects shift workers to local businesses looking to hire people temporarily. It is a safe and convenient way to find nearby earning opportunities. Workers can choose to schedule a shift in advance or on demand. Examples of jobs include bartenders, merchandisers, pickers, packers, and dishwashers. Millions of workers across 40 cities use Instawork in the United States and Canada.
How does earning on Instawork work?
You receive payment for the jobs you accept and work. Payment is immediate after you complete the work. You can earn up to $20-$30 per hour. You can learn more about opportunities on Instawork by clicking here.
Focus groups
Focus groups are used in market research, usually before a product launches. Companies pay people to partake in discussions and give their opinions about things they create so that they can improve their products before they go to market. Focus groups usually contain 8-12 people. It is not a stable earning opportunity. You will need to meet some criteria set by the host to qualify before you can join each one.
How does earning work for focus groups?
This amount you can earn depends on the host of the focus group. Online sources report you can earn $50 or more for an hour. You can access focus groups through listing on platforms like FindFocusGroups.com and UserInterviews.com.
Teach English online
English is a popular language globally. It is commonly used to converse in multilingual environments. Many online platforms connect English learners to tutors that help learners understand the language and context. It can provide consistent side income on a flexible basis.
How does earning work for teaching English online?
You generally receive payment in exchange for the hours that you tutor. The payment terms - how often you receive payment - depend on the platform you use.
Promotional marketing
People can earn money by promoting and raising awareness about new products to people at events and public areas. Simple activities like handing out flyers and informing people about new products. Promotional marketing companies employ people flexibly to do this. College students will find this appealing since it can be done outside of college hours.
How does earning work for promotional marketing?
You receive an offer of the work, such as the product, amount of hours, incentives, and additional things you may need to do. You can choose to accept or decline the job before taking it. You may need to go for training to learn more about the product you are promoting. The company that you work for determines the payment schedule. You could receive payment immediately, or monthly for the work you do.