Getting Creative with Side Hustles: How College Students Can Earn Extra Cash

Exams, friendships, events, and relationships are just a few issues circling a college student’s mind daily. Of all these problems, financial stress can be the most difficult one to face and overcome.

While students can work part-time while enrolled in school, it can be difficult to find a job flexible enough for a busy school schedule. Here is a list of accessible and flexible side hustles college students can earn extra cash doing.

Babysitting

Students who have class in the morning or mid-day and have no plans during the evening, this is the side hustle for you. Parents in need of a babysitter may post a job listing on bulletin boards within the university, post online, or in Facebook groups. This side hustle requires a few hours after school until parents get home from work and also offers an opportunity to earn money while students are out of school on summer or winter break. Wages vary, but most sitters set their rates based on experience.

Pet sitter/dog walker

Unlike babysitting, pet sitting requires simpler tasks like taking the dog out or making sure the cats don’t destroy their owner’s house. Sites like Care.com or Sittercity.com offer a simple way to apply and connect with a pet owner in need of some assistance. Like babysitters, pet sitters and dog walkers can also choose their rate based on experience and the number of pets.

Uber/ Doordash

Food delivery service driving is a great side hustle for people not looking for a set schedule, who don’t want to waste time, and who need quick cash. Students can start earning cash by downloading the Uber Driver app and the Doordash Driver app and signing up. Both apps require a car and valid insurance. Uber Eats and DoorDash offer a weekly payout, however, if you are tight on cash, an option to pay out early is available with a small fee.

Pro tip: Being polite and pleasant to customers goes a long way as customers can tip before and after their order is dropped off.

Instacart/Shipt

Staying in the realm of delivery service, Instacart and Shipt are among the popular grocery shopping apps. Compared to food delivery apps such as Uber and DoorDash, Instacart and Shipt may take longer due to longer grocery lists. Although these take longer, you will typically earn more per order than doing food delivery from restaurants. Tips are also given out through the app, or some customers tip their driver at the door. Signing up for these apps might take some time, as some areas have a wait list for new shoppers. Shoppers are contacted as spots become available.

Campus Jobs

Campus jobs are ideal for staying close to campus. These jobs offer flexibility, short shifts, and supervisors who prioritize students’ academic schedules. Campus jobs offered to students consist of working in the library, checking students in at the gym, admissions assistant, and more. For students with work-study, some jobs on campus may be reserved strictly for those students in extra financial need. For Elmhurst University students, campus job applications are available on your myElmhurst portal. Most campus jobs pay minimum wage and student workers are paid hourly.

Tutor

Although schoolwork takes over college students’ lives non-stop, tutoring has many benefits other than quick cash. For education majors, this is a way to get some hands-on experience. Care.com offers access to applying for tutoring jobs, or students can create a profile to post online or post on bulletin boards. Tutoring offers flexible income, as most tutors pick their area of study, preferred schedule, and preferred rates. EU also offers a few tutoring positions in the Learning Center.

Online/In-person Selling

Most people have games they don’t play anymore or clothes they haven’t worn in years. Instead of throwing them out and adding to the forever building waste on earth, selling them online for a low price will make both the earth and your pockets happy. A variety of items can be sold on Facebook Marketplace, Offer Up, or eBay for the price of your choosing with local pick up, meet up, or shipping available. For in-person selling, Plato’s Closet offers cash for gently used clothes. For gamers, GameStop offers cash or store credit for used games and gaming systems.

Don’t let financial struggles hold you back, creative side hustles can help lessen the load. By finding ways to earn extra cash, your way and on your time, while still prioritizing your school work, is possible.