How to earn extra income in college? 5 tips for making money

Having an extra income at college is the desire of many university students who not only want to have more peace of mind to dedicate themselves to their studies, but, above all, more autonomy and financial organization throughout their degree.

However, few people know what to do to achieve this goal without compromising their own education, since it is not always easy to balance work and study .

For this reason, we have brought some alternatives that you can put into practice to solve any impasse and, most importantly, to obtain a good source of income. Check it out!

How important is extra income during college?

Having extra income during college is necessary for many reasons. A good example is to be able to relax your household budget and be able to pay the tuition (or at least part of it) on your own.

It is also useful because you can cover your expenses during your studies, such as purchasing books, equipment, stationery, etc. Not to mention the costs of coursework and even travel to academic conferences.

Apart from what was said, this extra income also brings greater financial independence, which allows you to go out and have your leisure and fun moments without having to rely on your parents.

What are the main tips for earning extra income?

Below, we have listed five suggestions for activities that can generate a good amount of extra income in college. They involve hobbies, personal skills, interests in college, and even work in your field of study. So, read each one carefully and think about which ones fit your reality.

1. Do an internship

Let's start with a great alternative: doing an internship . That's because, depending on your course, it's common for internship opportunities to arise in private and private companies from the second semester onwards. And we're talking about those that are paid, right?

In other words, while you gain experience in your field and learn more about the dynamics of the job market, you will also be paid for it. Medium and large companies also tend to offer some benefits to interns, such as health insurance, life insurance, free access to company products/services, etc.

Therefore, it is important to pay attention to your resume from the beginning of college, investing in activities that make you more attractive for future selection processes. For example, taking several free courses , volunteering, extension programs and scientific initiation projects.

2. Sell snacks

Do you enjoy cooking and are confident when it comes to preparing a new dish? Then making and selling snacks as a way to earn extra income while in college is a good idea. Your customers could be your colleagues and employees at the school, neighbors and acquaintances from the area where you live, or even users of delivery apps.

The best part is that you can prepare a wide variety of things, such as sandwiches, cakes, cereal bars, juices, smoothies, hot meals and whatever else you can imagine. You can even focus on a specific segment, such as pasta, vegetarian and/or vegan food, light and/or diet snacks, sugar and gluten-free sweets, etc.

3. Offer tutoring

For those who are slightly ahead in their studies and did well in previous semesters, an interesting possibility is to offer tutoring to students who are in the semesters below you. For example, if you are in your third year, you could teach some classes to students in the first and second years.

This is because it is common for some students to have difficulty with subject A or B. Therefore, someone who has mastered the content and has recently been where they are now can help them in a more relaxed way and adapted to the difficulties they present. In fact, these tutoring sessions can be either individual or in groups.

4. Make handmade objects

If you practice any artistic activity (such as embroidery, sculpture, drawing or painting), you can take advantage of this to combine business with pleasure. That is, use what you know and enjoy doing to create handmade objects to sell. For example, notebooks, paintings, vases, jewelry, shoes, bags and so on.

On the internet, there is a great demand for handmade materials precisely because they are more exclusive and personalized. Therefore, you can create an online store, or use social media to promote and sell your original work. How about this idea?

5. Work as a freelancer

One last suggestion is to work as a freelancer. This is because there are many activities that can be done by those who do not have a higher education degree and that still earn a good amount of money over the course of the month, since they are paid for each day or activity performed. For example, you can:

• manage the social networks of the stores in your neighborhood;
• work as a photographer at events and/or paid photo shoots (for graduations, weddings, baptisms, gender reveal parties, etc.);
• produce graphic materials for events;
• play in a band or DJ at parties.