Student life can be tough financially. When you’re trying to balance classes, study, work and life, knowing a few easy ways to make money can be a real lifesaver!
The reality of this period in your life is that you’ve got to work hard to manage your time. You also need to accept that it might be a couple of years until your career really kicks off, before you can start earning the big bucks. However, there are some creative and easy ways to make money that are going to take up less of your study time and energy than others, or that might give you a step up in your career post-graduation.
Here are our top 6 ideas on easy ways to make money as a student:
1. Paid internships
Ok, so getting a paid internship isn’t always the easiest way to make cash as a student. But, the reason we’re starting with this point is that in the long term, it’s better for your career to get work that’s relevant to your studies and will lead to a paid job on graduation.
The best place to start, when it comes to trying to score a paid internship, is your college or university. Student services or career services should be your first point of call to offer assistance with this, and your university may even have a placement program.
Otherwise, you can do your own research. You can try by finding organisations you’d like to work for and asking them about internship opportunities or you can look up internship positions advertised online.
2. Apps
These days, it’s possible to earn some extra cash by completing one-off tasks for clients using nothing more than an app on your phone. With apps like Airtasker or TidyMe, you can sign up and get work instantly in your neighbourhood.
Whether it’s dog-sitting, cleaning, or helping someone move furniture, these jobs are paid fairly and don’t take up much of your time. Get a few side hustles going, and you’ll coast along through your studies.
3. Market research and online reviews
They say data is the biggest traded commodity in the digital economy, so why not go out and get some money for yours. Get paid to fill out surveys or review products or services online, by joining up with online companies like Chat 4 Cash or Farron Research. You can do it on your own schedule and it doesn’t have to interfere with your studies.
4. Digital freelancing
If you’ve got skills that can be marketed digitally or remotely, such as writing, graphic design, translating, voice-over, video editing, or social media marketing, then this might be perfect for you. Best of all, it’s going to be great for your CV and might help you in your career down the track. Plus, nothing teaches time management like freelance work!
Your first stop for digital freelancing might be one of the many different websites providing services to connect clients with freelancers. Fiverr and Upwork are two of the most popular, but there are a whole lot more. Each of them charge different fees, and have different success rates, so make sure you choose the one that’s right for your type of work.
5. Online teaching and actual IRL tutoring
Tutoring has always been a popular way to get some fast cash for university students. It’s a great way to earn, while also brushing up on your own study.
For tutoring In Real Life (IRL), you can advertise on a local website like Gumtree, put up ads at the local shops, or take a look on the noticeboards at your college or university.
Then, there’s the online version of tutoring work. The digital economy is again delivering a whole range of jobs to students all over the world. There are different online tutoring services, such as Teachaway, offering work teaching virtually every subject.
6. Be entrepreneurial
Do you have some other hidden talent or skill that you can use to get a hustle going? Most of us have interests that we forget can be turned into creative ways to make some cash.
Are you good at restoring furniture or fixing broken coffee machines and selling them for a profit? Are you a thrift shopper, who can find a bargain and sell it on Etsy for way more? Are you a whiz at baking cakes or portrait photography? Ever considered making wedding cakes or doing event photography for cash?
Don’t be afraid to be an entrepreneur. Maybe there’s a gap in a market somewhere you can take advantage of. Perhaps other students on campus would buy cold coconut water in summer, if only someone was selling it!
From connecting you with work opportunities to one-on-one support in learning to balance work and study, the Student Services team at the University of Adelaide College are here to help.
See here for more information on how to start your journey at the University of Adelaide College, your pathway to the University of Adelaide.