If you’re a college student, you’ve got a lot on your plate. Between classes, homework, studying, a social life, and basic adulting tasks like cleaning, cooking, and laundry, you might wonder how you’ll find a job that fits your busy schedule.
The good news is that today, you have more options than ever! There are hundreds of side hustles for college students in your town or city, and others that can be done entirely from home.
Numerous options are available to fit your schedule, experience, and talents, and they can be done part-time.
Here are 13 flexible side hustles for college students.
1. Graphic Design
For any art student, graphic design could be a natural fit for a side hustle.
A good place to start is reading up on work from home graphic design jobs. This will give you some examples and show you what websites you can use to get started.
Another option is to try designing t-shirts or offer your services on a freelancer website like Fiverr.
2. Photography
Have you loved taking photos for as long as you can remember?
Maybe you’ve even taken a photography class in high school or college and dream of being a photographer full-time.
You can offer in-person services like graduation, family, or baby photos. Or, if you want something you can do from your dorm room, try selling stock photos.
Find out how this woman started a photography side hustle with no professional experience.
You’ll also love these ideas for unconventional photography services.
3. Babysitting
This is a great side hustle for an education major or someone who enjoys being around kids.
Consider taking a babysitting or infant and child CPR class to make yourself even more marketable.
You can find jobs the old-fashioned way, through word of mouth, or by posting a flyer around your university or town. Or, use a website like SitterCity or Care.com to find nanny or babysitting jobs.
4. Dog Walking/Dog Sitting
If you’re an animal lover, leaving your pets behind can be one of the most difficult parts of leaving for college.
Pet sitting can allow you to spend time with pets without all of the other responsibilities of pet ownership.
If you don’t have any word-of-mouth connections, Rover is a great website to start. As long as you have a flexible schedule and love animals, you will make a good dog walker or pet sitter.
For more info on Rover, you can check out this Rover review.
5. Virtual Assistant
What is a virtual assistant? Well, it’s someone who provides a wide range of remote services. These services could include:
- Writing (blog posts, social media accounts)
- Admin tasks (emails, scheduling, phone calls)
- Bookkeeping or accounting
- Customer support
- Website management
To get started, this article has 22 VA jobs you can do from home, and this one will show you everything you need to know to start working as a VA.
For some first-hand accounts, you can check out how this woman became a VA.
6. Tutoring
You might be shocked at how many ways there are to make money tutoring.
Don’t believe me? Here are 36 work from home tutoring jobs.
If you prefer to tutor in person, consider your major or subjects you have done well in college or high school. Is it something you could tutor your classmates in?
Or, could you offer homework help for elementary, middle, or high school students?
If you plan to be an independent or online tutor, you can check out how to start a tutoring business from home. Another option is to work with an established tutoring company, such as Studypool.
7. Reselling Products
If you enjoy going to garage sales or thrift stores, reselling can be a good side gig with lots of flexibility.
Or, perhaps you have too many clothes and need a little extra cash.
Either way, you can learn more information about how to make money reselling.
You can also try selling on Facebook Marketplace or Poshmark.
8. Social Media Services
Even if you don’t consider yourself an expert social media manager, that’s okay. You only need to be a few steps ahead of the people you are helping.
If you’ve grown up with Instagram or TikTok, you are probably comfortable taking photos or videos. Many local business owners either don’t have these skills or don’t have the time to do it themselves.
You can browse these popular work from home social media jobs and see which might interest you.
Alternatively, learn how to build a social media business from the comfort of your own home.
9. Delivery Driver
If you live in a college town or a medium to large city, consider adding delivery driving to your list of side hustles.
You’ve probably heard of Uber Eats, Grubhub, and DoorDash, and have maybe even used these to have takeout or groceries delivered to your home.
For this side hustle, you’ll need to have a reliable vehicle. Or, you could even use a bike or scooter if you’re delivering around campus or short distances.
Read this post with an honest review from a DoorDash driver to see if this sounds like the right side hustle for you.
If you enjoy being a delivery driver, you could also become a rideshare driver and drive for Lyft or Uber.
10. Content Creation
Content creation is one of the best side hustles if you enjoy being creative.
As a busy student, I’m sure you already have social media profiles established, so choose a niche and start creating content around it.
With content creation, there are many ways to make money, such as affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, advertisements, or selling products or services.
While it can take time and dedication to grow an audience, it is also incredibly rewarding to build something of your own.
If you need some quick money but want to do content creation, you can do both! Choose some of these other side hustles to start earning money now, and run your business on the side.
11. Surveys
I love taking surveys, and it amazes me that I can get paid to do this for a little extra spending money.
Here are some survey companies worth checking out.
If you need a side hustle that can be done in small pockets of time throughout the day, surveys are a good option.
Most survey sites will tell you how long the survey is expected to take, so you know before you start whether you’ll have enough time to complete it.
12. Freelance Writing
Freelance writing is a good alternative to blogging if you need some quick money.
If you’re an English major or have taken writing classes, you’ll be especially well-suited to this side hustle.
A good place to begin is to learn how to break into freelance writing and how to land writing jobs as a beginner.
It’s easier than you might think!
Another idea is to choose a specific writing specialty. One of my first freelance writing jobs was as a ghostwriter for an e-commerce business. At the time, I wasn’t even looking for a freelance writing job; I just happened to see the posting and thought it looked interesting.
13. Micro Tasks
When you’re short on time, completing micro tasks can be an ideal side hustle.
Check out companies like Amazon MTurk, TELUS Digital, and Gigwalk to get started.
Typically, you can do these straight from your smartphone, which is perfect for days when you’re on the go.
If you have any experience working an admin job or using social media, you likely already have the skills for these tasks.
You might be transcribing, filling out surveys, or completing small social media tasks.
A Few Tips for Landing Your First Side Hustle
- Don’t be shy. Once you pick a side hustle, tell your friends, family, and peers to see if they know anyone looking for your products or services. Sometimes, all it takes is one good referral to get the ball rolling.
- Show up on time and meet your deadlines. If you have an in-person side hustle, always be on time or a few minutes early. If you’re working online and have deadlines, always turn in your work on time. Or, if you have an emergency, let the boss or client know and see if you can have an extension.
- Be flexible. When I started teaching online a decade ago, I taught 10 hours on the weekend to build my student base. Once I had a strong base of students, I could transition to my preferred hours during the week. At first, you might need to work early in the morning or late at night to get your first job. The more flexible you are, the easier it will be to get that first job.
Use Your Network for Extra Cash
Many of the side hustles we’ve talked about have affiliate programs.
This means that if you refer someone to the company and they sign up, you’ll either get paid or receive some credit.
You can also create an affiliate system if you are working independently.
For instance, if you offer graphic design or photography services, you could give customers a $20 credit for your services or cash for each person they refer to you.
Don’t be shy or afraid to use your network!
Social media is another way to find potential customers or clients. As long as you aren’t spamming people, it’s ok to post about your side hustle.
You never know when a current or former friend, family member, or acquaintance might be looking for exactly the service you’re providing.
Side Hustles for College Students Wrapup
If you haven’t had any success landing a part-time job, don’t worry; there are hundreds, if not thousands, of side hustles for college students.
With many of these options, you can create your own schedule, make some extra money, and even do something you enjoy.
Maybe you don’t have any work experience and feel intimidated. That’s ok. Most of these side hustles don’t require previous experience.
The options are truly endless; jump in and start.
If it doesn’t go well or you aren’t making enough money, no worries; add a second side hustle or pivot to something new.
