College is expensive – and I don’t even mean tuition and books, I mean things you actually want to buy. Margaritas, dinner somewhere other than a dining hall, cover charges at a bar, a plane ticket for spring break, just to name a few. But when you’re juggling a full credit load, an internship, Greek life and extra studying, there are just not enough hours in your day to find a steady job. Luckily, there are some interesting ways to earn money in little to no time at all!
Get psyched: Ask your friends in the psych department about how you can sign up for experiments. Graduate students’ research is often funded by the school, which means they can pay students to participate! I made $33 at the last experiment I participated in and I had to do was answer some questions on a computer for an hour.
Craigslist without the risk: Jake Sigl, a sophomore at the New School, uses BarefootStudent.com to check out job listings. It’s like Craigslist without the sketchy “send me your underwear for $75” posts. You can look for babysitting gigs, paid internships, tutoring positions and other jobs that will only require a few hours of your week. You can also upload your own profile so employers can contact you.
Jobs in your own backyard: Remember, college career centers aren’t just for post-graduation. Counselors often have great job resources you can use while you’re still in school, like online job databases where employers are looking specifically for students from your school!
Professional timekeeper: Before Paul Blest, a junior, transferred from Immaculata College, he managed the clock and chased runaway balls at volleyball and basketball matches for $25 a game. “All I did was contact the athletic director and he set me up with it, I just signed up for games on the nights I didn’t have class,” he says.
Not for “free”-lance: Freelancing is a great way to make a few extra dollars for a blog post or a product review. Contact a few online blogs you usually read and ask them if they have any opportunities for freelancing.
Pick up a few of these odd jobs every week when you have the time and you’ll never have to worry about where your next beer is coming from!
