How To Make Money During College (without donating blood)

November 13, 2019 | By | Reply More

 

Photo courtesy of Naassom Azevedo

“There’s an erroneous belief that the younger generation is lazy and entitled, but I don’t think that people understand the amount of pressure we’re under.” CNBC.com

 

 Following this article, be sure to Grab our free eGuide of companies that help you make money!

 

Are you a college student who worries about money? If so, you’re not alone.

 

According to one study of college students, 70% of students stress out over money. The biggest concerns for most students were paying tuition and living expenses. And sadly, a recent report featured on CNBC.com said that other financial concerns for students went beyond tuition:

 

“Other students faced unexpected developments on the family front — their parents were going through a divorce, losing their family home to foreclosure, losing their jobs or unexpectedly pulling their financial support for the student’s education.” (CNBC.com)

 

But whether you’re facing extreme family difficulties, need help to pay for expenses, or want money to buy Christmas gifts for your friends, there’s always the pressure of money. The trouble is, making money takes time. It takes commitment. And it takes a lot of energy that, quite frankly, many sleep-deprived students don’t have.

 

As the parent of two working young adults in college—one who pays her own rent and expenses, and both who make their own car and phone payments, I truly get it. That’s why it impresses me that like you and so many other students, they keep pushing through the financial stress to continue their education. (Read: “I’m proud of you!”)

 

 

But on to the how to make money part of this article, which is why you’re even reading this.

 

After seeing students balance five to six classes, research papers, internships, and maybe a little partying (you gotta relieve that stress somehow!), I’m amazed how students who also work manage it all.

 

students worry about money

 

I don’t encourage students to quit their jobs, particularly if they’re related to their career choices. But I want you to know there are other ways to earn a few bucks. That’s why I created this free download featuring several companies you might find helpful.

 

Welcome to the Gig Economy

The Gig Economy is a work style that is becoming more and more popular. So much so, it was given it’s own definition:

 

 

“The gig economy is made up of three main components: the independent workers paid by the gig (i.e., a task or a project); the consumers who need a specific service, for example, a ride to their next destination, or a particular item delivered; and the companies that connect the worker to the consumer in a direct manner, including app-based technology platforms.”

The Future of Work: The Rise of the Gig Economy, NACo, 2017

 

 

Therefore, the money-making opportunities, or “gigs”, that I’ll be sharing with you were chosen based on a few criteria:

  • Many can be done remotely from a dorm room or library
  • They require no long-term commitment
  • They are relatively easy
  • They are all technology-enabled

 

Remote. The majority of these jobs can be done on a laptop, iPad, or even a cell phone. No getting dressed for work and commuting.

 

Commitment. With many companies, you can just walk away when you tire of it or no longer need the work. In fact, you only take on assignments you feel like taking; no one assigns them to you directly.

 

Easy. I stress easy because attending lectures, writing papers, and taking exams are already enough to fry your brain. You’re smart enough that these jobs shouldn’t add to your brain strain.

 

Technology Enabled. No one operates technology better than young adults. This makes these gigs right up your comfort zone, as they all require the use of a computer or cell phone.

 

You probably won’t earn enough money to pay for your college expenses. But if you do your tasks well and build a reputation for finishing them on time, you can earn some decent money.

 

 

What kinds of jobs are easy, remote, and commitment-free?

The jobs I’m sharing fall into one of five categories:

  • Microwork or microtasks
  • Website evaluating & App testing
  • Shopping and/or Delivering
  • Online tutoring
  • Pet care

 

make money for college

 

What the heck is “microtasking”, and how can I make money with this?

“Microtasking is the process of splitting a large job into small tasks that can be distributed over the Internet, to many people. Machines and algorithms are very efficient at certain functions, such as identifying patterns in an image or performing advanced calculations, but other tasks, including identifying the contents of an image or recognizing obscure text, are still best performed by humans.” (Source: https://library.theengineroom.org/microtasking/#definition )

 

Microwork is a series of small tasks which together comprise a large unified project, and are completed by many people over the Internet.[1][2] Microwork is considered the smallest unit of work in a virtual assembly line.[3] It is most often used to describe tasks for which no efficient algorithm has been devised, and require human intelligence to complete reliably. The term was developed in 2008 by Leila Chirayath Janah of Samasource.[4][5]” (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwork )

 

Website Evaluating helps you make money by giving honest opinions

There’s not a single instance when you visit a website that you don’t evaluate them. You have an immediate first impression. You feel frustrated if a page takes too long to load. You get upset if a link doesn’t work. These are all evaluations you make about sites you visit.

 

There are companies willing to pay you for your honest opinions. They have clients who pay them big money to find people to view and evaluate their sites. You then get paid a little money to tell them what you honestly think of their website.

 

App Testing Can Make you Money

No generation knows more about apps than yours. I have an app called 360. I never heard of it until my kids told me about it. I don’t pay attention to apps. But you do, right?

 

These days, developers are fighting tooth and nail to create the best app that’s going to make you and your friends go crazy. But they need someone (let’s say, you), to test their apps to see if they function properly.  (BTW, there actually are testers who make this a career and earn 90 grand testing apps and software!)

 

 

Make Money with Shopping and/or Delivering

Got a car? Got a bike? Make deliveries and earn cash.

 

There are companies that hire drivers to deliver food, documents, a CEOs clean suit, or a kid’s forgotten homework if paid for it. They just need someone like you to ride those items out to the requested destination. These companies are online and operate nationwide.

 

Or take it a step further, and do the shopping and delivering. Living on your own you’ve probably become pretty good at finding your way around the grocery stores. Why not double the tips and bag the groceries you’re delivering? Nothing makes a tired mom or commuter more grateful than to not have to go out and shop.

 

Online Tutoring is a Great Way to Make Money

With parents’ busy schedules, and the new complexity of courses now being taught in schools, the number of parents using tutoring services is staggering. This is outside the use of in-school tutors who offer their services to families for free.

 

Furthermore, tutoring is no longer for the “academically challenged” student. These days, parents want to give their child an edge. Even if their child is gifted, they will use tutoring. Tutoring, particularly online tutoring, has become a multi-BILLION dollar industry.

 

 

While some parents want their children’s tutors to be actual teachers, a good many prefer college students to tutor their children. College students are seen as energetic, better able to build relationships with their children, and  have brains fresh and full of the latest information.

 

This creates a wonderful opportunity for you, the college student. It also gives you another advantage, especially if you’re heading into the education field: tutoring looks great on your resume.

 

make money during college

Make Money Doing Pet Care

We all know people who go ga-ga over their pets (including yours truly), treating them more like children at times than animals. The amount of money spent on pets each year is in the billions. That’s just for food, veterinarian visits, grooming, and toys. There’s now a fairly new type of pet service on the block: Pet sitting.

 

It used to be when people left town they would leave their pets with family, board them at a local vet, or bother a neighbor to check on their animal. Family and friends tire of this quickly, and soon it is no longer an option. Yet, boarding their pets with a veterinarian is an alternative many pet owners view as “depressing” for their animal. They envision their pet locked in a cage all day and night.

 

Because of these concerns, pet sitting has grown into a big business. How big? In a 2017 report by Pet Sitters International (PSI),  of the 72 billions dollars they estimated to be spent on pet care  in 2018, “an estimated $6.47 billion of those expenditures was expected to be for pet services, including pet sitting and dog walking (up from $6.16 billion in 2017)”.

 

That’s some big money. And that’s a great opportunity for college students!

 

So there you have it. Five excellent legitimate, relatively easy, commitment-free, areas where you can earn money. How much or little your work is up to you.

 

 

One more thing

You may have noticed that I’ve omitted “Paid to Take Surveys” opportunities. That’s because they’re a waste of your time and usually scams. Surveys sound nice and easy, but to qualify for a survey you have to take a survey (sometimes lengthy one!) which gives them a lot of free information at your time expense.

 

The same thing with most mystery shopping, couponing, and cashback programs aren’t worth your time, either, unless they offer opportunities to buy items you already need. In fact, they tend to just encourage extra spending on things you don’t even need.

 

Are you ready to earn some money?

 

make money during college

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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Category: College Life-New Grad, Freelancing, Gig Economy, Young Adults

About the Author ()

Pamela La Gioia is a resume writer and LinkedIn profile expert. She is also a pioneer in remote work, and has been researching and writing about remote work since the early 1990's. You can follow her on LinkedIn, for resume tips, LinkedIn insight, and general career help.

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