Every college student has been there at some point. That point when you’re so broke, you can barely afford a snack out of the campus vending machines. Despite our careful planning and budgeting, we often find ourselves in that position. So if you're stuck with an empty bank account, here are ten ways for you to start making money.
- Sell your textbooks.
In most cases, you’ve most likely rented your textbooks. In other cases, you may have been forced to buy them, whether they were from the bookstore or online. They’re probably taking up space and generally not useful to you anymore. Instead of holding onto them, why not sell them? The bookstore may sometimes buy them back, but if they don’t, you can offer them to other Wright State students. You may not be able to sell the book for the price you bought it at, but selling them for any amount will give you access to more money than you had before.- Sell your plasma.
A lot of people, especially students, have considered this option. Selling your plasma is a quick way to earn cash, plus hospitals and clinics everywhere need blood and plasma for their patients. GRIFOLS is a plasma clinic with a location here in Dayton. Signing up to sell your plasma is a long process, but in the end, you can get paid up to $70 for your time and plasma.- Babysit or pet-sit.
Some people are already familiar with this job. If watching kids and/or pets is something that you’re okay with doing, don’t be afraid to get the word out there. Let family and friends know you are available for the service. This is always a good way to earn some cash as there should be quite a few people willing to take you up on the offer in order to get some time to themselves.- Offer to do housework, gardening, or cleaning.
Not everyone can babysit or pet-sit, so if that isn’t your thing, try offering other services like housework. Watching the house, cleaning and gardening are some tasks you can offer to family and friends. It may be hard work, but don’t be afraid to get your hands a little dirty. People are always looking for help to get things done around the house.- Participate in research studies on campus.
This option may be new to many students. The Psychology department at Wright State offers credit hours and cash to attract participants to their studies. Since they’re offering cash, why not help them out? Visit SONA to look into the studies offered by department, or visit the Psychology office on Fawcett’s third floor.- Become a tutor or teaching assistant.
Are you gifted in a certain subject? Did you really enjoy that literature class you took last semester? Think about offering your knowledge on the subject for tutoring. Some students struggle with certain subjects and a tutor can be the difference between a failing grade and passing one. - Make your skills and hobbies work for you.
Are you good at photography? Can you write well? Offer up the skills and hobbies you have to make money. Sell stock photography or work freelance for various papers, blogs or offices. If you are more crafty and into do-it-yourself (DIY) projects, why not sell your finished products to others through websites like Etsy or even Ebay?- Sell unwanted or unused items on Ebay, Facebook or Craigslist.
Our closets, rooms and homes are filled with many unused items. That shirt that doesn’t fit any more? Sell it. That game console collecting dust in the corner? Put it up on Dayton's Craigslist page. If you don’t use certain things anymore, put them up on various websites and try to sell them. There’s no need to keep them around if they’re not being used and only taking up space.- Talk to Career Services.
Whether you have a job or not, it’s not a bad idea to speak with Career Services about job opportunities on campus. Maybe you have work-study or you have the time to take on a part-time job. Having a regular job is one of the easiest ways to make and keep money. Don’t be afraid to ask Career Services about jobs that are available around campus.- Apply for scholarships.
Many scholarships have deadlines, but you can apply to scholarships all year long. If school things are coming up too expensive, getting scholarships are a good way cover any extra costs for school. This allows you to save your earned money for other things that aren’t school related - such as gas money or paying bills. Enter scholarship competitions and use that money for a bit of extra income in order to help with school costs.
