Introduction
It can be tough to get by as a student, but it’s also possible to make money. Whether you’re just looking for some extra cash or want to fund an ambitious project, there are plenty of ways to earn money when you’re still in school. Here are seven ways I’ve made money while still in high school:
Find a part-time job.
If you’re a student at an undergraduate or graduate level, chances are that you have a lot of expenses. You may be paying rent, buying food and other essentials, paying off loans and using your hard-earned money to buy textbooks.
So what can you do to make more money? One option is to find part-time jobs that will make use of your skills and time while allowing you to attend classes. For example:
- Working as a barista at Starbucks
- Working as an office assistant for a small business
- Teaching English abroad through an organization like Teaching English Abroad (TEFL)
Become a freelancer.
You may already be familiar with the term “freelance.” But if you aren’t, it simply means that you’re an independent contractor who sells your services to clients. As a freelancer, you’re free from the confines of a 9-to-5 work environment and can set your own hours—but that doesn’t mean being self-employed is easy or guaranteed to bring in money. “Becoming a freelance writer is no small feat,” says Rachelle Gardner, founder of She Makes Cents Media Marketing. “You should have skills in writing, editing and proofreading before even considering this option.”
If you do decide to pursue freelance work instead of going back to school or getting hired by someone else, there are several benefits:
- You’ll gain valuable experience while working on projects related to your field (or multiple fields)
- You get to choose who you want to work for and what kind of project(s) they have available
- There’s usually little waiting time between when you submit an application and when they respond
Sell your stuff.
The first step to making money is to take stock of what you have. You may not be able to get rid of everything, but you’ll likely be able to sell a few things that are no longer useful or valuable.
- eBay. Millions of people sell items on eBay every day and make thousands in the process. At its simplest level, eBay is a marketplace for buying and selling goods between consumers. It’s easy enough for anyone who can use an internet browser and has something worth selling (or buying) to join the party—and it works especially well as a student because there are so many other students doing the same thing!
- Craigslist: If you live in a major city where Craigslist isn’t already flooded with competition from other sellers, this might be an option for you; however, if there are already many listings offering similar items nearby your home address then this probably won’t be profitable enough for your time investment.* ThredUp: If you have any clothes or accessories that are still wearable but don’t fit into your current style anymore—or just aren’t your style at all—ThredUp can help by turning those old clothes into new ones through their trade-in service.* Poshmark: Poshmark lets users buy and sell gently used clothing via mobile app stores like iTunes on Apple devices or Google Play Store on Android devices.* Tradesy: This site accepts almost anything except weapons and foodstuffs as long as they’re clean (and they even accept most types of animals).
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Sell art online.
Selling art online is a great way to make money as a student. If you have an artistic talent, there are plenty of websites where you can sell your work—and people will actually buy it! If you’re worried that your art isn’t good enough for the big leagues, don’t be. The internet has made it easy for anyone to get their work out into the world and find new fans.
To start selling your art online:
- Find a website that hosts artists and start uploading your photos or videos (like Etsy).
- Post about it on social media and tell everyone about what you’re doing (this will help other people find out about it too).
You might not think that having an online presence is all that important until someone asks how they can find out more about what you do! So make sure there’s at least one place where they can go online and see what kinds of things inspire you most often.”
Become an influencer.
If you are a student, chances are that you can find something that gets your creative juices flowing. Maybe it’s writing or dancing or painting. If so, there’s a lot of money to be made in turning your passion into an income stream. The first step is to build a following and become known as an influencer in your field. For example, if you love writing about food and restaurants, start a blog about it and begin to publish articles that people will want to read—and share with their friends!
Another option is social media: create accounts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and others where people who share similar interests might follow you; then use tools like Buffer (free) or Hootsuite Pro ($10/month) so that all of those posts are scheduled out ahead of time! This way they will show up consistently without having to remember when each one was posted last time around 🙂
You could also combine these two ideas: create content for other platforms such as Instagram Stories where viewers cannot comment but instead must “heart” their favourite clips before moving on with their day – which could mean plenty more views than usual!
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Start teaching.
Teaching is a great way to earn money as a student. Whether you’re teaching online or in person, there are many different ways to do it. You can teach pretty much anything, from yoga classes to pottery classes, depending on your interests and talents.
You can also choose whether or not you want your teaching gigs to be one-on-one or group classes. If you prefer one-on-one interaction with students, you could become an online tutor; if you’d rather have the energy of a class setting during the time that most people are working (i.e., evenings), then maybe becoming an evening school teacher is the route for you!
Market your skills.
Marketing yourself is a great way to make money as a student. By using your skills, you can create products and services that are unique and market them to clients who want what you have.
The first step in marketing yourself as a student is connecting with other students who have related interests or skills. That way, you’ll be able to network with people who may be able to help you get your name out there by writing about your work or spreading it on social media.
Next, decide what type of skill set will best suit the type of clientele that would be interested in hiring someone like yourself. For example: if you’re good at graphic designing or video editing but not so good at coding websites (or vice versa), then focus on trying out those types of projects instead!
Once it’s clear what kind of clients will benefit from hiring someone like yourself, start reaching out via email until someone responds positively enough for an interview/meeting/etc.. At this point it’s important for both parties involved – especially whoever hired said person – because the goal here isn’t just finding new customers; It’s also often times learning more about each other too so they can figure out whether they’re compatible enough.”
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If you have a passion you can turn it into income
To make money as a student, you need to identify opportunities and sell your skills. It can be challenging if you don’t know where to start, but creative thinking is the first step. Look for ways to turn what you love into something that others will pay for.
If it’s something that other people have done before (such as selling things at a craft fair), then why couldn’t you? Don’t be afraid to ask for help from family members or friends who are successful in this field—they may even have some advice on how to market yourself online or get started in a new area.
Finally, remember that it’s okay not everything will work out perfectly! The beauty of being young is having time on our side; we can try new things without worrying about failure holding us back from our goals.
Conclusion
Do you have a passion that you want to turn into profit? If so, don’t let anything hold you back. You can make money as a student if you set your mind to it! Just remember that it takes patience and persistence in order to succeed in any endeavor.