Making Money | Entrepreneurship | College
Innovative Ideas to Make Money as A College Student
Find out innovative ways that you can make money as a college student, putting yourself ahead of the pack.
As a college student, you may have to pinch every penny to make ends meet. Going to classes, doing homework, preparing for exams, writing papers; being a student is a full time job! But somehow, you also need to pay tuition fees, rent, study materials, and groceries, all the while attending parties and thinking of working out — while streaming another series on Netflix instead. So how does this all work? Keep reading to find out innovative ways that you can make money as a college student, putting yourself ahead of the pack.
How to earn money as a college student without much free time?
Good question! Making money as a college student is tricky, but not impossible! All you need to get started is a profitable business idea that works with the resources you’ve got, or can afford. Now, this is easier said than done, so don’t rush into something right away.
It is important to not only think of what makes money, but also about your personal skills and interests. You may earn an income as a graphic designer, but that won’t last long if you’re no good at it, or if you don’t know how it works. If you end up spending a lot of time (and/or money!) researching how to perform a certain task, it may not be a profitable way for you to run your business. Thus, make sure you do some self-research first.
- Write down a list of bullet points with your strengths
- Make a similar list for your interests
- Analyze both lists, looking for similarities to find your small business opportunity
- See if there is a market for the topics that stand out!
Learn about your target market
Perform research to find out what people want and need in relation to that something we established in the previous section.
Offline Market Research:
An easy place to start your search is by looking at your local supermarket’s pinboard. There are always people looking for someone to fix things, mow the lawn, or feed their chickens while they’re out of town. Maybe someone needs a babysitter, this could be an easy way to earn money while allowing you to study at the same time!
Online Market Research:
If your skills don’t lay within the ‘handy-work realm’ you may be better off doing your research online. You can post an ad on Facebook Jobs, offering tutoring in a subject you’re good at. Or set up an account and immediately start teaching online courses through Symposium! Maybe you prefer writing, designing, website development or content creation, in which case Fiverr or Upwork can be a great fit. Wherever your talents lie, it’s important to choose something you enjoy doing, as well as something that you have time for in your already busy student life.
Start Making Money!
There are a lot of ways to make money and start earning fast that don’t require a lot of resources. Think of content writing: all you need is access to a laptop (or fax machine and pen and paper if you want to go down that road) to get started!
Why Starting a Career in College is Important
This blog is just a summary of the small business opportunities that are out there for students, but you may not be convinced yet. Student life is supposed to be the best time of your life, so why would you ‘waste’ those years working?
- Working as a student helps you pay your bills
- It is an easy and effective way to meet people
- You’ll learn about managing your money, as well as your time (because you should still have time to study)
- You’re building your resume
- Working can help you expand your knowledge in different fields
- And if you do it right: it’s fun!
Still unsure of which career will work for you during your student years? Check out these 2 lists: the best money making ideas for college students & 53 small business ideas for college students.
Download Symposium to get your career started!
For busy college students, Symposium is a terrific way to earn passive income while still having enough time to study and party. You can sell your knowledge by teaching online about a subject that you enjoy. Symposium is also a great way to connect with people who want to learn from you, by purchasing your services using the app. It can also be a great resource when you are looking for advice or wanting to learn something new yourself.
