How to Make Money in College

As a follow up to my post recently titled: Reader Question: College Budget, I’m going to talk today about making money while in college.

Money in college can of course pay for a lot of things. Your tuition, commute (cars, gas, maintenance, etc.), food, drinks, clothes and everything else. Maybe you also want to go on a fun vacation with your friends? Books also cost a lot as well, but luckily you can always try selling your old books online.

I really recommend not getting a credit card if you can’t control your spending, and especially don’t get one if you have no income coming in.

I’ve worked full-time ever since I was 16, but I also was a full-time nanny starting at 14. The extra money was always nice, and it GREATLY helped me with finding a great job right after I graduated from college in 2010.

I started as a sales associate at a retail store when I was 16. I also was a nanny for a baby in the summer of that year and I watched the child 40 hours a week (at $10 an hour so I definitely felt the money rolling in at 16!).

A little later, I was promoted to manager. And I did this and received increasing responsibility at the store. All of this looked great on my resume and I definitely stood out compared to everyone else who applied at the same positions as me.

Having a position at a successful retail store definitely helped, and it showed that I could work well with a team, in a supervisory position, all while making a hefty profit at the store on everything.

Related: How To Save Money In College

1. Retail.

As I said earlier, I worked in retail. It’s not the best job in the world, but it is good for learning and discounts. Although, my clothing spending problem definitely escalated since I worked there.

2. Tutor.

You can find people to tutor on Craigslist, through your university or through your friends. Also, if you know a language, you can most likely find someone to tutor very easily. My friend ALWAYS gets offers to help people learn another language, and the pay is good.

3. Babysit.

Watching children is usually an easy job (hopefully the kids are nice). Hopefully you can do homework. When I babysat, I watched the child overnight and was able to do my homework and relax while I was there. He was also a perfect kid!

4. Retirement Home.

I have a lot of friends who work at retirement homes. The pay isn’t the greatest, but it is great experience for them. And you can usually get as many hours as you can due to high demand for workers. Also, at some places, you can choose your own hours and days that you want to work.

5. Find something seasonal.

Of course there is always the chance that you don’t have a ton of time due to a large course load or school sports. Seasonal work might be better. You could work a lot of hours during Christmas time, work at a haunted house, etc.

6. Gym/Fitness Center.

This could be a great job, especially if you’re looking to get in shape and want to work out for free also.

7. Work study.

Look into work study programs at your college. You can work in the cafeteria, clean around campus, help professors with their work, etc.

8. Dog sit or walk dogs.

Maybe post fliers around town advertising your services.

9. Sell stuff online.

You can find stuff at thrift stores or Craigslist and try reselling them online (make sure you are sure that it is worth something higher than what you paid). I know of some people who would buy textbooks cheap and then resell them for much higher.

10. Sign up for research studies at your school.

I still get e-mails from my university asking me if I’d like to work out and get a free membership PLUS $300! Who can turn that down?

11. Sell college textbooks.

Whenever a semester is over, you should always sell your old college textbooks. It’s easy money in your pocket!

Related article: How To Save Money On Textbooks + Campus Book Rentals Review

What job did you have in college, or what job do you have now? Tips on how to find a great one, opinions, etc?