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It’s no secret that college and Ramen Noodles go hand in hand. It’s a stereotype that’s been around forever but there's some truth to the pairing. It’s not that college students lack the palate of a post-grad. They do, however, lack the cash needed to indulge said palate.

Quite frankly, college-aged kids are running on empty.

Low on funds.

Dirt poor.

In the red.

Strapped for cash.

Broke.

Call it what you will but it all means the same thing. And we can't fault them for it. They're in college to get an education that, by itself, is a full-time job.

What makes it harder is that at least half of college kids don’t have a car. So even if they had the time for a job, many just don’t have the means to get to a job.

Well, I’m here to share with you 5 of the best ways for college students to earn a little extra income ---many of which you may have never heard!  

#1. Donate Plasma

If you’re generally healthy, you could be a perfect candidate to donate plasma. Donating plasma is like donating blood, except you can get paid for it. Plasma is used around the world to help people with rare chronic diseases so you can get paid and know that you are doing something amazing for someone too. Plasma cannot be made synthetically so there will always be a need for donors.

Plasma donation centers tend to be popular in college towns. On average, a student can earn about $120 by donating twice per week (usually more in the first month) and can receive referral bonuses when friends donate too. Each donation takes about an hour and students can use that time to study for class while they are donating.

To see if there is a donation center in your college town visit https://www.donatingplasma.org/donation/find-a-donor-center and enter your zip code. There are many different plasma centers around the country so be sure to read up on the one near you to find out more about their process and compensation.

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#2. Tutor

As a mom, I would have gladly hired a college kid to tutor my grade school kiddos, had I lived in a college town! Teachers and professionals are often too expensive to hire as tutors, but college students can get reasonable money for a few hours of their time.

Think about what it was that you shined at in high school-- Algebra? Bio? American History? SATs? Whatever it was at which you excelled, there is likely to be a student who needs some extra help, and a parent willing to compensate you for your time and expertise.

To get involved in tutoring, contact a local school, and let the principal know that you are available for tutoring. She can pass along your information to teachers or parents who can contact you. Put together a list of references who can vouch for you If they ask.

Join the local town page on Facebook and create a post about tutoring. Introduce yourself and add a picture so people feel more familiar with you. You’d be surprised how many parents will see it and reach out or save your information for when they need it. Word of mouth is also the best way to get your name out there so once you start tutoring one student, it’s very likely you’ll get calls from other parents too.

Don’t have a car? Try virtual tutoring! Thanks to Covid, this is quite common and a great alternative.  

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#3. Work for your Local College Storage and Moving Company

If you live on campus, you understand the work it takes to move in and out of a dorm or off-campus apartment. After packing way too many boxes, chances are your parents had to take the day off, drive you down, and you spent the day waiting for parking and hauling boxes and odd pieces of furniture and storage into an elevator (if you’re lucky) or up multiple flights of stairs. If you live further than a drive away, then add a flight and shipping boxes into the mix as well, and you know what a logistical nightmare it can be.

Did you know that you can hire a company to do ALL of that?

Better yet, did you know those college moving companies love to hire students?

Working for a company that moves students’ belongings in and out of the dorms can be a great source of income. And you would be surprised to know that a job like this involves much more than just the standard college move-in and move-out. Companies like Storage Scholars stay busy year-round by picking up the belongings of students who decide to study abroad, transfer schools, take a semester off, come back for summer school, etc., store their items for several months, and then drop off those items again when the student requests them.

And if you're looking for something more than just a little extra cash, consider a paid internship with Storage Scholars! The compensation is just a bonus, but the marketing, logistics, business, and entrepreneurial skills you will learn are priceless.

Not having a vehicle is usually not a problem since movers are utilizing vans and trucks provided by the company to transport belongings. Do a quick google search of college moving and storage companies in your area and make some phone calls to see for yourself who is hiring.  

#4. Create Low or Non-Content Books on Amazon

If you’re somewhat tech savvy and have even the tiniest creative bone in your body, this could be a fun way to make a bit of income and not even leave your dorm room. Amazon KDP will allow you to self-publish books for free on their platform and using their print-on-demand service means you have no upfront costs and no inventory to carry. You’ll make a royalty on each book that you sell.

I’m not saying you need to publish a novel-- low or non-content books can be big sellers. What’s a low or non-content book?

·        Journals

·        Lined or blank notebooks

·        Daily/monthly planners

·        Log books

·        Food trackers

·        Agendas

·        Recipe notebooks

·        Password notebooks

These are just a few ideas; the list keeps going. What can differentiate yours from others is a stand-out cover design which can easily be created, for free, using Canva.

You don’t even need to be super creative, maybe a catchy quote with a colorful background or something trending can be created (read the news headlines or see what’s trending on google to get some inspiration). Once you’ve created a few, the process becomes quicker, and you can create multiple versions of the same books over and over.  

There are a lot of great YouTube tutorials that can teach you all about creating these kinds of books, but I would recommend watching this video on creating Journals to get started.

While you probably won’t be making a career out of publishing low or non-content books anytime soon, it can provide some extra income to upgrade that cup of ramen every night and have some left over for a coffee the next day.

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#5. Social Media Marketing Assistant

This may sound a bit intimidating at first thought but hear me out. College-aged students grew up on social media. They know the ins and outs of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and whatever the latest platform is. It’s a lot more than most of us can keep up with.  

Businesses know that if they want a chance in today’s market, they need to have a social media presence. I’m not talking about branding or anything too deep. An assistant would spend time doing the following:

·        Creating graphics and light content

·        Posting a few times per week (or scheduling posts to go out throughout the week)

·        Fielding comments and messages

·        Engaging with other accounts to build a following.

·        Eventually dabbling in ads

Ask any business owner and they will probably tell you this is the least favorite part of their business, yet it's often one of the most important. For many older entrepreneurs, social media can be confusing, and they tend to avoid it altogether. These services can get costly and for new business owners, it can save them a lot of time and money by taking a chance and hiring a college student.  

The best way to find employment is to ask around. See if any of your family or friends are entrepreneurs looking to grow their businesses on social media. Visit local fairs and festivals and talk to business owners. Food trucks, authors, knitters, bakers, makeup artists…there is no lack of entrepreneurial talent out there and many can't seem to juggle a new business and the demands of learning social media at the same time. Hiring out seems to be a win-win for everyone! Plus, if you prove to be good, they'll likely recommend you to their business owner friends for more work.  

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Final Thoughts

College life doesn’t always allow for a full-time job, but still, college students need money too. Finding a job that you can do around your school schedule is key. Having a little bit of financial freedom to ditch those Ramen Noodles for a real dinner is priceless. Do some research to find the right side hustle for you (and don’t be afraid to do more than one!). Then give it a try. You may find the college experience to be a bit more enjoyable with a little extra cash in your pocket.    

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