by Turo
posted on August 15, 2019
How to make money while in college
Like most college students, you probably could use a little more heft in your wallet. Now that textbooks, tuition, and room and board cost more than ever, not to mention skyrocketing student debt, working a part-time job in college is practically a rite of passage. In fact, recent studies show that students who work up to fifteen hours a week actually graduate with higher GPAs!
Thanks to today’s gig economy, you’re not forced into shelving books at the school library anymore — there’s more options than ever if you’re looking for a job to fit around your busy schedule.
Here are 10 ways to make extra cash while in college.
1. List your car on Turo
While you spend time in class, doing homework, or cramming for midterms, your car is sitting there with nothing to do. With Turo, the world’s largest car sharing marketplace, you can turn all those idle hours into cash — share your car whenever you’re not using it and earn without ever getting behind the wheel.
Turo hosts earn up to $1,000 per month! Turo’s an excellent option for any student with a car: you get to set your own schedule, and it only takes about 10 minutes to get started. For more details, visit the Turo website.
2. Drive for Lyft
Take advantage of the gaps in your schedule and sign up for Lyft, one of the biggest ride-sharing companies. You get to set your own hours, so you can decide if you’d rather spend your Sunday studying or driving to make some extra cash.
3. Walk dogs for Wag!
Need a study break? Take some time to destress and find a very good dog to pet. With Wag, you get paid to hang out with other people’s dogs — what more could you ask for?
4. Become a YouTube vlogger
Are you an aspiring beauty guru? Amateur photographer? Technology whiz? If you have any sort of in-demand special knowledge, you could earn money by sharing your expertise on YouTube.
Read up on how to monetize your YouTube account, and start building up an audience!
5. Put your Instagram popularity to work
If you have tons of Instagram followers, you may be able to leverage your popularity and become an influencer or brand ambassador. Makeup, fashion, and other lifestyle brands are always on the lookout for people to help them connect with their audiences, so if your followers fit the right demographic, companies may reach out to partner with you.
6. Run errands on TaskRabbit
Take advantage of your free time by picking up errands on TaskRabbit. Tasks include standing in line at a restaurant, picking up groceries in the middle of the day, or helping somebody clean their house.
7. Deliver food with UberEats and DoorDash
Did you know that college students make up the majority of food delivery orders from 2 am to 4 am, and they tip more than the average person?
Earn some extra cash on UberEats or Doordash by helping your fellow college students deal with the late night munchies.
8. Babysit through Care.com
On average, babysitters through Care.Com earn almost $14 an hour. Here’s a pro tip: once you put the kids to bed, you can whip out your laptop and study until their parents come back.
9. Tutor kids online
If you’ve made it to sophomore year of college and you’re good at math or physics, sign up for Tutor.com and help high schoolers study for their SATs. You need to be available for at least five hours a week, but the scheduling is generally flexible.
10. Build websites for small businesses
If you have experience in web development or graphic design, put your skills to work by building websites for small businesses. Restaurants, coffee shops, and other local businesses need websites to compete in today’s market, but most small business owners don’t have the time or technical know-how to do it themselves. Reach out to your favorite businesses to see if they’d be interested!
No time for a part-time job? No problem!
If you’re already balancing 18+ units and an internship, finding a traditional part-time job might be difficult to squeeze into your schedule.
However, if you have a car, you might be able to let it earn for you without ever getting behind the wheel. List your vehicle on Turo, the world’s largest car sharing marketplace, and transform it into an earnings engine. Signup is free and takes only around 10 minutes.
Becoming a Turo host is one of the easiest ways a college student can make money. For example, read up on Thomas C, who manages multiple Turo listings in San Francisco and Portland while completing his degree at the University of North Dakota.
