Do you want a university education without having to graduate with a huge debt? Why not work part time during your degree?
While you might not be able to fund all of your studying expenses, working part time makes a huge dent in the amount of debt that you graduate with. Also, working during university can give you lots of real world experience, teach you skills that you can’t learn in class and will look great on your CV when you graduate and join the workforce.
However, working as a university student has its challenges. It can be very tricky to find the right balance between making enough money and getting enough studying done. Also, sometimes work can interfere with your classes, especially when you have a late shift before an early morning lecture, or you are called into work on the day of an exam. Time management is extremely important when you are juggling a part time job and your studies at the same time.
In order to get you started on your student career search, here are some ideas of ways that you can make extra money during your university degree.
Online Gaming
There are plenty of fun websites online where you can sign up and play online games which will give you chances to earn prizes, freebies and of course, money! This is a fun way to make money because you can do it from your dorm room late at night when you are bored, between classes or pretty much anywhere you can bring your laptop! There are no set hours, so it is easy to fit your online gaming money making around your class schedule.
Tutoring
You are highly knowledgeable about the subject that you are studying, so why not get paid to pass along your expertise? Put up an advertisement for your tutoring services online and on the bulletin boards of your school and your community centre. Teaching younger students can be extremely rewarding, can pay very well and can look great on your CV.
Universities often hire students to help out with open days, work in admin, answer phones, and staff the library and the gift shop and other tasks. These jobs are usually part time and they tend to fit will with class schedules. At the very least, your boss will understand that you are a student and be sympathetic if you need time off for an exam.Working for Your University
Take a Summer Job
When school ends and you get a few weeks off for the summer, this is your opportunity to earn like crazy to save up for next semester’s expenses. If you are smart, work hard and keep your costs down, you can probably earn enough to pay for your tuition as well as take the pressure off for the rest of the year. Also, if you can snag a job working somewhere that is relevant to your degree, it will add to your CV.
There are plenty of great summer gigs out there for students, including summer camp counsellor, ESL teacher, summer internships at businesses, seasonal labour jobs on farms and much more. Also, keep in mind that in the summer the hospitality and tourism industry starts booming and you can make a lot of money working in hotels, bars, restaurants, amusement parks, museums, tourist sites and other attractions, not to mention the tips!
Babysitting
You might feel like babysitting was something that you did as a young teenager to earn a little bit of money for sweets, but it can also help you get through university as well. If you are good with kids and you know other families who can give you positive references, you can post some ads advertising your babysitting skills. If you are studying childcare or teaching, the more experience looking after kids you can put on your CV, the better.
After the kids go to sleep you can use that valuable time to finish up your school work and basically get paid for writing your essays!
Working in a Shop
Retail jobs can usually fit well with your classes because they will have evening and weekend shifts. You could work as a cashier in a supermarket or a sales person in a shop in the mall or on the high street. If the job offers commission, the harder you work the more money you will earn. Sometimes these types of jobs offer discounts, which can also save you a bit of money.
These are just a few of the jobs that you could take part time during your studies and full time in the summer. Working throughout university can be a great way to possibly get through your degree debt free or at least reduce the amount of debt that you graduate with.
There are many ways that you can make money while going to University, such as tutoring, working in a shop or babysitting. You could even learn how to play poker for free and make money online.
