Websites for College Students

Being a college student and earning an income can be challenging. Juggling a full-time job with your class schedule and studying is exhausting! 

But with the gig economy growing bigger by the day, more and more college students are turning to freelancing as their main hustle.

If you have a talent, there’s someone out there who needs your help. It doesn’t matter if your skill is hands-on or in your brain; you can make money from it if you know where to look.

These five websites are perfect for the college student looking to earn some cash. Whether you’re looking for gas money or rent and tuition, there’s a job out there for you!

1. ProBlogger

Do you enjoy writing? If so, blogging might be a perfect passive income stream for you.

The idea behind blogging is simple:

You write about things you know, grow a following, and people read your stuff.

As a blogger, you get to choose a topic you’re passionate about and purge your thoughts on it in written form. 

Once you develop a following, you can begin partnering with other shops and offering affiliate links. That’s where the money comes from. When someone uses your link to order a product, you’ll get a commission off that sale.

ProBlogger is a site that will help you build your blog, grow your audience, and monetize your writing. This site is perfect for beginners because it walks you through everything you need to know to get started.

However, don’t expect to make money blogging right away. It takes time to prove you’re an expert on your topic, whatever it is.

It can start out really slow, but over time and with enough followers, you’ll be making a passive income from your writing.

2. Fiverr

Fiverr is a site where people go to hire freelancers in many fields. It’s an online marketplace where folks from around the world head to when they need a service.

It’s commonly used by artists and graphic designers, but if you’re a writer, singer, or musician, you might find work here, too. Freelancers of all kinds sign up to offer their services and bid on job contracts.

Buyers pay for services in advance through the purchase of “gigs.” They explain the details of what they need and what they want to pay for it, then interested freelancers put in bids for the job. 

When a buyer decides on the seller they want to hire, the two parties agree on a delivery time. The buyer and seller work together until both parties are satisfied that the job is complete.

3. Upwork

Similar to Fiverr, Upwork is another all-in-one freelance platform. People hire freelancers on Upwork to do everything from virtual assisting to resume creation. 

On Upwork, you create a profile highlighting your skills and experience, similar to a resume.

Upwork uses your profile description to point out jobs you might like, and clients can see your information and request you for their work. 

When you initiate, firstly you have to build your portfolio. Over time, you’ll gain reviews and earn a higher Job Success Score that will lead you to higher-paying opportunities.

Freelance jobs on Upwork can be as simple as transcription or as skilled as programming and developing new apps. 

You don’t need a lot of experience to build a steady career on this platform. Clients are often willing to hire beginners for a lower fee, especially for simple jobs. This side gig frequently turns into a full-time job for freelancers with a lot of talent in their field. 

If you have patience as you build your portfolio and ratings, you’ll find yourself in-demand with a job you can work around your class schedule.

4. Tutor.com

Tutor.com and other tutoring sites are perfect for college students who are knowledgeable in specific subjects and want to teach. Tutors on this site help clients prepare for tests and review their homework before submitting it.

You don’t need a specific degree, but you do have to pass a subject area exam in the courses you want to tutor. There are more than 40 subjects you can teach, from core classes to foreign languages and business.

The tutoring sessions happen inside a virtual classroom on the platform. Students can request audio lessons or text-based interactions. 

Tutors start out with a set number of hours they’re allotted for the week and can pick up extra shifts by “floating.” This is where you log onto the platform and do your thing. If a student signs in requesting your subject, you’ll be notified. When you accept the student, you gain the extra hours.

You choose your own hours and are never forced into a set schedule. It’s a college student’s ideal job!

5. Freelancer

Any talent you have can be put to work on Freelancer. Here, you compete with other freelancers to bid for the jobs you’re interested in. 

This is one of the most popular go-to sites for outsourcing work. Those who have the skills to do the job are hired by clients based on the freelancer’s profile and bid.

As a freelancer, you can browse the categories and choose the ones that best suit your knowledge base. You’ll be shown projects that are available in those skill areas, and if you find any that you’re interested in, you can bid on them.

The client sees your bid, reviews your profile, and decides whether to accept it or not. If they do, they create and fund a milestone. You do the work and submit the milestone for approval. They release the funds once they accept the job as completed, and you get paid.

Both you and the client rely on feedback to build your ratings. If they are communicative and professional, you can leave them a good rating, and vice versa. 

Read their prior feedback before accepting the job. If the client is rude or demanding, other freelancers will have given you a heads-up in the reviews.

Conclusion

College students no longer have to rely on bagging groceries and serving food to make an income. Those are tried-and-true jobs that build a lot of skills, but the schedule is often hard to keep up with.

Now, there are lots of websites where you can make a good living as a freelancer. These five sites are exactly what you need as a college student looking for work on your terms!

Author Bio

Ryan Sundling is a group marketing manager at Cardinal Group Management, where he works with The Ruckus and other apartment communities.