Let’s face it, trying to balance a full load of college courses while also trying to manage money can be difficult. Sure, you could find a part-time job near campus and work 15 hours or so every week, but that can also be hard to manage. You’ll then follow a weekly schedule that might help overlap with your study time, club activities, and other commitments. Lucky for you, this is where side hustles come in. With these, you can choose when to work, and you never have to if you don’t feel like it. Found some extra time after studying? Was your club meeting canceled, and now you’re free for the night? I’ve gathered the five best side hustles for college students to make money. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of each, so you can choose which one will work best for you.
Dog Walking
This one is probably my personal favorite. I’m a huge animal lover and when I’m here at college I miss my dogs at home. If you’re in a similar situation, this side hustle may be great for you. There are a few ways to go about this one. One option is putting flyers up around town, but there’s also Rover: an app where customers can book different services for their dogs. The services they offer include dog walking, dog sitting, boarding, and more. It’s pretty easy to apply to be a dog walker, and it doesn’t take long to get accepted either.
Another alternative would be Wag. It is pretty similar to Rover. If you’d like to compare the two for yourself and decide which one is best for you, you can do that here. A downside is the $39 application fee, but you’ll make this back pretty quickly after your first few walks though. Overall, this is a great side hustle if you love animals.
Food Delivery
If you have access to a car on campus, this is a side hustle for you. This might be the highest paying side hustle on this list. I’m sure you’re familiar with apps like Door Dash, GrubHub, and Uber Eats. Well, you can easily get employed by these companies and deliver food for them! All of these have a counterpart app for delivery drivers. Download one of them, complete the application and background check, and you can get hired. Getting accepted shouldn’t be a problem, as West Chester is a very active area for these services. Additionally, you’re not required to work any minimum hours a week. Just hop on the app whenever you have some free time and do a few deliveries. If you’d like to read further on food delivery, you can do so here.
Social Media Manager
Communications and Media and Culture students, this is a great side hustle for you! Almost every company, both big and small, is looking for someone to manage their social media accounts these days. These ones can be a bit tricky to find, but would definitely be worth it. For all the MDC and COM students reading this, this side hustle can give you some hands on experience in the field. Additionally, it’ll be a great addition to your resume and portfolio. To look for these, I recommend websites like Indeed. You can sort with filters like remote job, part-time, no previous experience, etc. While it can take longer to find jobs and apply, it’s worth it. Especially for those looking to work in this field one day.
Selling Old Items
This side hustle isn’t as straight forward as the others. It can be a hit or miss, as it depends on what you have laying around. Still, this one can pay off very well if you’re lucky. Next time you visit home for a weekend or break, go through your closet. Think about what you haven’t needed while being away at college, or maybe what clothes you don’t wear all that often. Gather a good amount of items, clothes, old toys or electronics, video games, or books you haven’t read in a while, whatever it is you find, and sell them for some extra cash.
There are a few different websites to choose from, and the item you are selling can be better on some apps over others. eBay is best for these items, and they’ll usually sell fast. Depop is going to be your best bet for selling clothes. If shipping items out is too much of a hassle for you, you can always try Facebook Marketplace. This side hustle might not work out for everyone, but it’s worth trying!
Freelance Work
The last side hustle on this list is a skill dependent one, so it can vary from person to person. Freelancing is a great way to make money if you have some skills or talents people need. For example, skills like graphic design, writing, audio transcribing for captions, web development, web design, data entry, proofreading, the list goes on. Basically, if you can do it, someone will be looking to pay you for it.
The best websites for these are Fiverr and Upwork. Creating an account is easy, and you can start working quickly. The pay can be pretty good too, but it might be slow at first. Once you completed your first couple of orders, received some reviews on your profile, work should come in at a faster rate. If you have the necessary skills, this could be a great side hustle for you. You can find out more about freelance work here.
Find the Best Job for You
With the variety from job to job, I’m sure you won’t have trouble finding the one that suits you best. Take some time, evaluate your skills and interests, and pick one to start making some money. The best part is no matter which one you decide on, time won’t have to be a commitment.
