By Irene Starygina
Your schedule is too packed for an internship this semester and your parents still think that $20 a month is ample spending money. Before you open a credit card and rack up debt, consider these part-time jobs for students that allow you to set your own schedule:
Tutoring = easy $: First part-time jobs for students is tutoring. Are you a math whiz or an essay-writing guru? Use your skills to your advantage. Many departments have a tutoring center that will pay you hourly to aid your peers. The best part is, you can often tailor your hours to allow you to work during long breaks between classes or when you have full days off from school. Of course, you have to demonstrate an impressive GPA in the subject, so sometimes tutoring gigs are not available to freshmen. Want to tutor independently? Market yourself by posting fliers on walls around campus and advertise your services on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Craigslist. Tutors can make anywhere from $10-$30 an hour.
Get paid for sharing notes: Second part-time jobs for students that you can do is to get paid for sharing notes. Grade Guru is a website that lets you upload your class notes, earn points and exchange them for cash. How much can you earn? According to the site’s statement,
“As a rough guide, a typical set of course notes receives around $50.”
Pretty easy if you’re already in the habit of typing out your notes in class.
Ask a relative for a prepaid card: Your parent won’t budge on the No Credit Cards Your Freshman Year rule, but who says your nice uncle won’t? Your family members are probably debating what to get you for college anyway. Hint that a prepaid card like the Facecard Prepaid MasterCard is a safe and very useful present. You can use it as a regular credit card in college without the risk of incurring those pesky overdraft fees.
Babysit a professor’s kid: Another part-time jobs for students is babysitting. Is your professor always making jokes about his rowdy little tykes? If you have a good relationship with your professor, offer to take care of the kids when you have free time after school and on weekends. At smaller liberal arts colleges, professors often live on or very close to campus, making the gig even more convenient for you. And you kill two birds with one stone: make $ and increase the chances of getting a more favorable grade!
Sell Your old Stuff: And lastly on sidelines for students is selling your old stuff. Put your old computer, video games you’re bored of, and, dare I say it, prom finery up on eBay. Your parents will probably haul this stuff off to the attic as soon as you go back to school anyway. Don’t get too ambitious in this economy and keep the prices low. Don’t be disappointed if people don’t bite right away. If you don’t want to pay the eBay fees, try Craigslist and hold a cheesy garage sale.
Photo courtesy of zzzack