Learning ways for college students to make money online is a real lifesaver when you're in school! Between class and homework, it's difficult for college students to find the time to work a regular job. This is why the Internet is a great tool to not only make some money on the side, but also to help progress your career! So whether you're a college student yourself, or someone who knows one, here are 7 ways for college students to make money online to help get you started!
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1. Start a YouTube Channel
Especially if you are a communications or film student, making a YouTube channel is one of the best ways for college students to make money online while also helping to build a portfolio! Believe it or not, there are hundreds of people on YouTube who actually make enough money to live off of! Plan out a channel idea, start making videos, and then partner with YouTube. Once you do this, advertisements will begin running on your videos and the more views you get, the more money you will make!
2. Sell Stock Photography
Selling stock photography is the perfect way for a photography student (or anyone else who loves taking pictures) to make some extra cash! Once again, you can use your work to help build your portfolio as well as make money, so it's a win-win! Several websites (such as istockphoto.com) pay you money every time someone downloads your photograph to use in an ad, article or brochure. Just keep in mind that if you offer pictures of people, you have to get signed release forms.
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To get started, you'll need a good quality camera and an eye for capturing images that stand out. Think about specializing in niches like lifestyle, nature, or urban landscapes to distinguish your work from others. Don't forget to edit your photos to enhance their appeal. Always be on the lookout for unique moments and scenes that can translate into widely applicable images. Remember, the more versatile and unique your photos are, the more likely they will be downloaded. Plus, it can be incredibly fulfilling to see your creative work used around the world!
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3. Write an EBook
Writing an eBook in your free time is a great way to earn money on the side or even help you start up a freelance writing career! The best selling eBooks are "How to" guides, so if you know how to do something that others may be interested in learning, write about it! But if you're more of the creative type, then write a fiction novel. Who knows, maybe you'll get discovered! When you're ready to publish, go to Amazon, LuLu, or Clickbank to sell your eBook to others.
4. Sell Your Crafts on Etsy
Are you going to school for art? Why not sell some of your pieces that you're okay parting with? Etsy.com is a great website for selling things you've made yourself! Even if you're not an art major, why not take up a hobby making jewelry or decorative items to sell? There are tons of ideas in our DIY section for things that you can start making and selling to others!
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Additionally, Etsy is the perfect platform to showcase your unique creations to a broader audience. With the convenience of managing your store online, you can balance studies and business effortlessly. Don't forget to utilize social media to promote your Etsy shop. A little Instagram buzz or Pinterest share can significantly increase your visibility. Remember, presentation is key—take beautiful photographs of your items to catch buyers' attention. Set aside time weekly to craft, manage your shop, and connect with customers. It's not just about making money—it's about expressing your creativity and building a brand that can flourish even after college.
5. Blogging
If you have great ideas but no one to listen, start a blog! Many other college students can relate to your life and your experiences so why not join the blogosphere and meet them all? If you gain a large enough following, you can start to advertise on your blog and make money! You can also ask companies if you can get paid for having a positive product review in your posts about them. Blogger and Wordpress are two of the best websites to get your started with blogging!
6. Design T-Shirts
Are you a graphic design student or just someone who knows their way around a sketchbook? Why not design some T-Shirts to sell online? Websites like Zazzle and CafePress let you upload your own images to be branded on a variety of T-shirts and other accessories. Search around for what's selling right now, and create your own design of something similar.
7. Sell Research Papers
College students put a ton of work into researching and writing college papers, but most of them don't know that you can get paid for it! Websites such as Associated Content allows you to make at least $1.50 for every 1,000 page views your paper receives. However, make sure that you choose legitimate companies and avoid those that resell your papers to students looking for an easy A! You want to help others learn, not cheat!
8. Freelance Writing
Websites such as freelancewritinggigs.com will post various openings to be a freelance writer. This means that you will get paid to write about things you either like or are knowledgeable about. You can even go to your favorite blog or website, and ask if you can be a freelance writer for them. Usually a company will ask that you send a sample to them first so make sure to keep one handy!
9. Sell Your Video Game Accounts
If you love playing online games and you can level your characters quickly, then you can make a decent amount of money doing it as a side business! I actually had no idea there was any money in doing this until my boyfriend told me his friends used to do it. Good listing websites include mmobay.net and accountmarket.com, or if you prefer to sell to a dealer, Play4uber.com offers a trustworthy and reliable service to both buyers and sellers for many different games.
10. Amazon's Mechanical Turk
I'm always surprised that Amazon's Mechanical Turk isn't known by more people. What it does is give you a list of HITs (Human Intelligence Tasks) which are individual tasks that you can work on. Simply browse the selection and select one that interests you. When you're done, submit your work, and after the requester approves your work, money is deposited into your Amazon Payments account. Most are only a few cents each, but doing a few every day can really add up!
11. Sell on Amazon or EBay
We all have things that we don't need. Instead of throwing them out, why not sell them? This is not only a great way to make money, but also a great way to clear out some clutter. This is also quick and easy for you because there's no need to sit at your computer, you just have to list the item and go. While a lot of these others require you to pay attention or sit at your computer, here you don't really have much to worry about.
12. Customer Service
I never knew about this one! A lot of companies are starting to handle their customer service online. These can be done through e-mails and live online chats with customers. Just think of all the times that you have used a websites customer service link. Now, just think that you could be the person answering all of those questions. Maybe it doesn't sound like a fun time, but it's also not full time. Why not make some money?
13. Tutoring
These days there is online tutoring being offered on certain websites. Many of these websites ask you to take a test in your supposed field so that they know that you're capable of tutoring the children you'll be paired up with. The only downside to this online job is that you may have to be online at certain times. This may be able to be worked around your schedule, but that is not a guarantee.
14. Transcribing
This kind of job is best for fast typers because listening to audio and/or watching a video and transcribing it is not an easy feat. These jobs aren't too hard to find online, a quick internet search can lead you to tons of websites with people who need things transcribed. Many of these jobs are on time limits such as they need a 2 hour audio file transcribed in a day. Not too bad!
15. Microworkers
Check out mcroworkers.com!! This website lets you do quick and simple online jobs for people and they pay you. Realistically, the pay is really not great, but at the same time they're such quick and easy jobs that they'll add up quickly. These tasks are as simple as signing up for a website or downloading software for someone. While they're quick, easy, and simple it's reflected in the small pay that you receive.
There are tons of different ways to make money online by using the skills you're learning in school. Just be sure to do your research as to not get scammed whenever you're trying to sell things online. Also, don't let these little side jobs take away from your studying or homework! What do you do to make a little extra cash? Have you tried any of my suggestions before and, if so, how did it work out?
Comments
Nancy: I love this article
TinkerbellMoi: For the # 12 customer service does anyone know what websites I can find jobs like that?
Ruby: Great tips. Thanks!
Anam: This article is not useless for me..
cortney: The freelance writing site has jobs that require a resume. Maybe you could give the freelance writers and bloggers some resume tips??
Paolo: Affiliate marketing is another way to make money online. I recently published an article that contains details on what it's about and how college students can get started. Visit Top Online Jobs for College Students Revealed in the blog section
Katherine: So helpful! Thank you :)
Lekewa: Sell research papers? ? So multiple people across the country will be using the same paper and if you have a savvy professor like mine, they can easily look it up online and then you get written up for it... hmmm
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