Ways to Make Money on Campus

When in college, most students are at least partially preoccupied with thoughts of their budget. Usually, with classes in full swing, students find that earning money is a challenge when balanced with keeping their grades up.

There are lots of opportunities to make money in college (some of which take little to no effort on your part). Here are three ways you can earn extra income in college without needing to call home asking mom and dad for financial assistance.

1. Become a Campus Representative for a Company

One of the ways social college students look to earn money is by representing a company or brand on campus. Income from a typical job like this usually comes in the form of a commission every time a fellow student signs up for a service or downloads an app related to the hiring company.

If you can find work through a cool company (Spotify, Snapchat, etc.) then you can make your already social college experience into a profitable one. If you’re a shut-in, however, you won’t do well in this position, as it requires talking with strangers.

If you like meeting new people and don’t mind asking them to sign up for something they’ll potentially enjoy, becoming a campus representative can be a great way to monetize your partying and socializing.

2. Get a College Job That Takes No Effort

There are lots of jobs on campus that require little more than sitting behind a desk. They usually pay minimum wage, but their major benefit is that you can do homework you would normally complete in the library while earning money at the same time.

Being a proctor for your dorms in one typical job like this. Other than occasionally needing to sign in guests, you’re usually able to read a book or study your class notes while making sure no potentially dangerous individuals enter the building.

Your college mailroom offers you another opportunity to earn money while studying. Usually, they will just need a few people on staff in case something comes up or a shipment comes in. They are literally paying you to wait for something unexpected to happen that may require help, which is very rare. In the down time (nearly all the time) you’re free to choose You Tube or studying as your main focus.

3. Make Money Online

As a college student, you may have particular skills that are in demand even though you haven’t graduated yet. Are you an English major or do you like writing? If so, your skills are in demand by companies running blogs or producing other forms of online content.

Are you learning specialized skills related to music production or computer programming? Even though you don’t have a degree in these areas, companies in need of your skills will pay you well for your time (much more than you’ll get at a brain-dead college job.)

A good platform to visit to find work is Odesk.com. Here, you can register as a freelancer and begin applying for work immediately. Within as little as three days you can earn large sums of money in exchange for helping businesses outsource their workload. Specialized work like this can also help you build your resume, preparing you for a career after college.