Side hustles for college students are a great way to make a little extra spending money without having to work too hard.
There are tons of side hustles that take up very little time and can be pulled off from the comfort of your dorm room- all you need is a computer, internet connection and some know-how! From high paying mystery shopping to filling out surveys, here are some ways to make a few bucks while still in school.
Here’s the best of them.
1. Pet Walking/Sitting
Pet walking and sitting are both great side hustles for college students. They’re easy to do, don’t require a lot of time or effort, and can be done from the comfort of your own home. Plus, they pay relatively well- you can make anywhere from $10-$30 per hour doing this kind of work.
If you’re interested in becoming a dog walker or sitter, here are a few tips to help you get started:
- Make sure your house is pet-friendly and has a good amount of space for dogs to play. This isn’t required if you’ll dog sit at your clients house.
- Have some experience with dogs (either through volunteering at a shelter or by owning your own pet).
- Be able to provide references from past clients
There are a number of websites that allow you to get paid to walk dogs. Some of the most popular ones include Rover, Wag, and DogVacay.
Rover is probably the best-known site of the three, and it’s a great option if you’re looking for steady work. They have a large network of dog owners looking for walkers, and they offer a variety of services beyond just dog walking (like dog boarding, pet sitting, etc.).
Wag is another great option, especially if you’re looking for short-term dog walking gigs. They have a large pool of walkers and dog owners, so you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for.
2. Survey Taking
Survey taking is a great side hustle for college students because it’s an easy way to make money and can be done from the comfort of your own home.
Plus, there are a lot of survey sites out there that pay well- you can make anywhere from $5-$50 per hour doing this kind of work.
If you’re interested in becoming a survey taker, here are a few tips to help you get started:
- Make sure the survey site is legitimate and has a good reputation.
- Sign up for as many sites as possible to increase your chances of getting paid surveys.
- Read the surveys carefully before answering them to make sure you understand what’s being asked.
There are a number of websites that allow you to take surveys for money. Some of the most popular ones include Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, and Inbox Dollars.
Survey Junkie is one of the most popular survey sites out there, and they have a large pool of surveys to choose from. They also offer a variety of other ways to make money (like taking paid surveys, watching videos, shopping online, etc.).
Swagbucks is another great option because they offer a lot of different ways to make money (surveys, watching videos, playing games, shopping online, etc.).
Inbox Dollars is another site that pays well for completing surveys. They also offer a variety of other ways to get paid from home.
3. Mystery Shopping
Mystery shopping is a side hustle that many people don’t know about, but it’s a great way to make money.
Mystery shoppers are hired by companies to go into stores and complete a task (like buy something or ask a question), and then they report back on their experience.
The great thing about mystery shopping is that you can do it from the comfort of your own home- all you need is a computer and internet connection. Plus, you can usually choose the shops that you want to work with, so you’re not stuck doing tasks that you don’t want to do.
There are a number of websites that allow you to become a mystery shopper, and some of the best ones include Secret Shopper, Bestmark, and MarketForce.
Secret Shopper is one of the most popular mystery shopping companies out there. They have a large pool of shops to choose from, and they offer a variety of other ways to make money (like taking paid surveys, watching videos, etc.).
Bestmark is another great option because they have a lot of different types of shops to choose from (including restaurants, retail stores, and hotels).
MarketForce is another company that hires mystery shoppers. They offer a variety of different shops to choose from, and you can complete them from the comfort of your home.
4. Tutoring
Tutoring is a great side hustle for college students because it’s a way to make money while helping others learn.
Plus, there are a lot of students out there who are looking for help, so you’re likely to find a lot of clients if you become a tutor.
If you’re interested in becoming a tutor, here are a few tips to help you get started:
- Make sure you have the subject matter expertise.
- Be clear about your rates and what services you offer.
- Create a profile on tutoring websites or online marketplaces.
There are a number of websites that allow you to become a tutor.
There are a number of websites that allow you to become a tutor, and some of the best ones include Tutor.com, Verbalplanet.com, and Chegg.
Tutor.com is one of the most popular tutor websites out there. They have a large pool of tutors to choose from, and they offer a variety of different subjects to teach (including languages).
Verbalplanet.com is another great option because they have a lot of different types of tutors to choose from (including language tutors).
Chegg is another site that allows you to become a tutor. They offer a variety of different subjects to teach (including languages), and you can usually find teaching positions that are open 24/7.
Preply is a website that allows you to find and connect with private tutors.
Italki is another website that allows you to find and connect with private tutors, and they also offer language lessons.
Both websites are great options for finding private tutors, and they both have a lot of different tutors to choose from.
5. Freelancing
Freelancing is a great way for college students to make money online. It’s a side hustle that can be done from the comfort of your own home, and it doesn’t require any special skills or training.
There are a number of different platforms that allow you to become a freelancer, and some of the best ones include Fiverr and Upwork.
Fiverr is a website that allows you to find freelance work. All you need to do is create a profile with some information about yourself and your skills, and then you can start browsing through jobs.
Upwork is another website that allows you to find freelance work. It’s a bit more complex than Fiverr, but it offers far more opportunity and higher rates paid to freelancers.
Skye (this sites founder) has personally generated over $100k from Upwork.
If you’re interested in becoming a freelancer, here are a few tips to help you get started:
- Create a profile with some information about yourself and your skills.
- Make sure you have the subject matter expertise.
- Be clear about your rates and what services you offer.
- Start browsing through jobs and find one that matches your skillset.
- Submit a proposal and wait for a response from the client.
- If the client accepts your proposal, start working on the project!
6. Selling your stuff online
If you’re looking for a side hustle that doesn’t require a lot of time or effort, selling your stuff online is a great option. eBay and Etsy are two of the most popular platforms for selling your stuff, and they both have a lot of different options to choose from.
Facebook Marketplace is another option that you may want to consider. It’s a bit less popular than eBay and Etsy, but it offers a lot of different options for selling your stuff.
All three platforms allow you to sell your stuff quickly and easily, and they all have a ton of different options to choose from.
7. Blogging
If you have something interesting to say about your side hustle, blogging is the perfect side hustle because it’s so flexible! It’s a side hustle that can be done from the comfort of your own home, and it doesn’t require any special skills or training.
You can start a blog and try and monetize it (which takes a long time), or you could blog for others and get paid to be their ghostwriter.
All you need to do is find someone who is looking for a ghostwriter (try Upwork or Freelancer.com), and then start writing content for them.
Try to focus on topics you are already knowledgable about.
8. Data Entry Jobs
There are lots of companies looking for data entry workers to enter information from paper documents or other sources into their computer systems.
Data entry work is a side hustle that can be done from the comfort of your own home, and it doesn’t require any special skills or training.
There are a number of different platforms that allow you to find data entry work, and some of the best ones include Upwork and Freelancer.com.
Upwork is a website that allows you to find freelance work, and it’s a bit more complex than Freelancer.com. It offers far more opportunity and higher rates paid to freelancers.
9. Garage Sales
Garage sales are a great way to get rid of unwanted items, and they’re also a great way to make a little bit of money.
All you need to do is gather up all of your unwanted items, price them accordingly, and put up some signs in your neighborhood.
Be sure to price everything fairly- you don’t want to sell anything for cheap, but you also don’t want to sell anything for too much.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you should always be prepared for people to haggle.
Be sure to have plenty of change on hand, and be prepared to lower your prices if you need to get rid of something (but always try to make a profit).
Better than just selling your stuff, is buying from garage sales and reselling for a profit is a great option. You can resell on eBay or Facebook Marketplace or even at your own garage sale.
Gary Vee has talked about garage sales as a side hustle many times. In this video, he discusses how to make the most of your garage sale by pricing everything fairly and being prepared for haggles. He also shares some tips on how to spot valuable items at garage sales and resell them for a profit:
10. Crypto Gaming
There are a number of different ways to make money from crypto gaming, though its still quite a new side-hustle.
The play-to-earn (P2E) model in blockchain and crypto is a great way for gamers to earn money while they play.
With the P2E model, gamers can earn tokens by playing games, and they can then use those tokens to purchase in-game items or to unlock new levels.
Gamers can also use the tokens they earn to purchase other gaming-related items, such as skins or weapons.
There are a number of different platforms that offer P2E services, and some of the best ones include Enjin and Gameflip.
Coin Hunt World and Wolf Hunt are new crypto gaming platforms that allows gamers to earn tokens while they play. With Coin Hunt World, gamers can unlock new levels and purchase in-game items by using the tokens they earn.
Coin Hunt World, Wolf Game, Plant VS Undead, Gods Unchained and Axie Infinity are just a few of the many games available for you to play right now.
11. YouTube
YouTube is a great way to make money, and there are a number of different ways to do it.
You can create videos about a topic you’re knowledgable about, or you could review products and services and get affiliate commissions.
Another option is to create content that is geared towards children.
You could also create videos that are funny or entertaining.
No matter what type of videos you create, be sure to keep in mind the following:
- Create high-quality videos (use a good camera and mic)
- Be sure to use appropriate keywords in your titles and descriptions (TubeBuddy or VidIQ help with that)
- Use thumbnails that are attractive and capture the viewer’s attention (Canva is best for those)
- Add annotations and cards to your videos
It’s important to keep in mind that you won’t earn anything from your videos if they don’t have any views.
So, before you start making videos with the intent of making money, be sure to invest some time and effort into building up an audience.
In order to monetize your videos, you need to have at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time in the past 12 months.
Once you meet those requirements, you can enable monetization in your YouTube account settings.
There are a number of ways to monetize your videos, and the most common ones are through ads and affiliate marketing.
Ads
Using YouTube’s TrueView In-Stream ads, you get paid every time someone watches 30 seconds or more of your ad.
YouTube will place ads in your videos, and you will earn a portion of the revenue generated from those ads.
How much you can make per thousand views on YouTube varies, but it’s generally a small amount.
According to SocialBlade, the average YouTuber earns $2.18 per 1,000 views.
However, this amount can vary greatly depending on the type of content you create, and how popular it is.
Some YouTubers make a lot more than that, while others make considerably less.
Summary
We hope this has helped you realize that College students can make some side money while staying in school.
If you’re looking for a way to get side hustles that take up very little time and don’t require too much effort, these 11 ways help you earn an extra buck or two without stepping away from their dorm room desk.
Got any others we should add?
Let us know in the comments!