With the nearing of the holiday season and the end of semester coming up, it’s time to start saving up on those gifts and presents for either yourself or your family. For me, this time of year is just as exciting as it is scary when thinking about my account balance post-shopping. If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to make sure you save enough and budget well in the event that you go overboard on the spending. As college students, many of us do not have jobs and even then, it can be hard to balance them with our studies. Here, I present a few ways students can make some money.
Get a job at your school
The nice thing about a lot of schools is that they offer many positions for students to work either directly on or off-campus. Depending on the school, there are multiple opportunities to apply your various skill sets as well as opportunities for people looking for more chill jobs. For example, becoming a desk attendant for your school’s campus housing may require much less physical labor or time than teaching one of the fitness classes at the gym. Campus jobs are nice also because of their convenience, flexibility and freedom. Visit this site or UMKC’s website for more information on different job options.
Become a tutor
This is great if there’s a specific topic that you are passionate about or really good at. You can probably find tutor jobs on your school campus or even consider your own remote tutoring. This is nice because you can set your own hours, make your own pay and choose how to go about it. Consider posting an ad on your social media page or reaching out to your elementary or middle school teachers and family members. Chances are that someone might need help and is too afraid to ask. This is also great because you’re helping someone out and that always feels good. So next time you hear about a family friend or relative struggling with a class, test taking or essay writing, take up the chance to offer your services. Here is a place I have heard offers opportunities for flexible student tutoring.
Pet/house/baby-sitting
While these are all very different jobs, they are similar in that they are popular because of flexibility. A big plus is being able to study, get other work done, or even relax while doing them. When I am back home for breaks, there’s always an opportunity to watch someone’s children because people always have to work. It may be a bit hard to find opportunities to do these things if you don’t know many people either with kids or pets, so don’t be afraid to ask around. Who knows? Maybe your professor needs a house sitter. Here is a site made specific for college students looking to tutor or watch kids. Check it out if you’re interested in working with a group.
Don’t forget to prioritize your health and studies before starting a new job. Working a job with set hours requires commitment and energy, so if you’re not able to give these things, maybe consider something lighter like occasionally pet sitting. Of course, do this if you are not allergic to dogs like me.