Unconventional Ways to Make Money this Semester

From flickr.com, uploaded by Alan Cleaver

As fall semester approaches, most students are finishing their final days at jobs and internships as they prepare to start the new school year.  Most students are excited to see their friends and get back into their normal routines of studying (or maybe more partying).  Either way, it is difficult to keep up with a job, school, clubs, athletics, and of course, an eventful social life.  Since college is the time to find “you,” students prefer to participate in new activities, take a variety of interesting and challenging classes, or join the most popular sorority or fraternity; a part-time job scooping ice-cream or filing documents is not really the enlightening experience students are craving.  And even if they do make the effort to get a work-study job, they will most likely spend less than ten hours a week working, which does not provide quite enough dough to even make a dent in that steep college tuition.

So,how can students experience everything they want during the year while still earning some cash to start making payments on those loans (or buy the week’s supply of alcohol)?

Here is a list of four easy ways to earn some extra cash this semester:

Have an Underground Book Sale

From flickr.com, uploaded by wohnai

Every semester our bookshelves become over-crowded with textbooks and novels we were forced to buy for this one class.  Whether you never even opened it, or used it all the time, you will never use it again.  Sell them to other students at a discounted rate to both clean your room and earn some extra cash.  However, don’t use websites such as Amazon or textbooks.com since they will buy the book from you for a lot less than it is worth and then sell it for double or more!  Mount Holyoke College has a facebook group where students can post announcements for books they’re selling or requests for books they need.  This eliminates shipping costs and makes sure no one gets ripped off by the “middle-man.”

Become the Next Mr. Clean

From flickr.com, uploaded by außerirdische sind gesund

With all of the college stress, many students barely have time to take a shower, let alone clean and organize their dorm rooms.  You can offer to relieve their stress of cleaning (their rooms’ anyway) for a small, but reasonable price.  Dorms often have cleaning supplies available for students’ use, so grab a broom or vacuum (or invest in a Swiffer) and clean your friend’s floor for $10.  Or, if you are good at organizing and arranging, you can offer to organize their desk or binders, or even, bring all of their bottles and cans (of soda, obviously) to the recycling center in their dorm.  Advertise your services on facebook or on bulletin boards throughout campus, and in no time, you’ll be “filthy rich.”

From flickr.com, uploaded by Courtney Dirks from www.courtneyrian.com

Run a Marathon of Errands

The last thing I want to do on a rainy day is trudge across campus in order to hand in that paper that’s due, or run to the library before I’m charged for an overdue book.  Several students have the same thought process as me, but you should see those rainy days as a chance for money to rain on you.  For five bucks, offer to do any errand your client might need done; for example, submit papers, return library books, pick up poster board at the school store, print their paper, or even send a package at the post office.  You can go anywhere they may be too lazy to travel.

Start a Movie Rental Service

From flickr.com, uploaded by ToastyKen

Yes, many people now have subscriptions to Netflix or Hulu Plus (or they illegally download movies), but several students still want to watch a good movie (or maybe just one they’ve never seen) and they don’t have access to these movie and TV sites, or they want to watch a good-quality movie on the big TV in the common room.  This is where you can be of assistance.  If you are a movie buff and have tons of movies, make an inventory of what you have, bring them to school, and make a facebook group that allows students to rent from your collection.  Even offer pick-up and delivery for an extra fee.  Once word gets out about your service, you will be hotter than Redbox.

Just because you are busy doesn’t mean you can’t find time to do one (or all) of these quick money-making ideas.  Even if you only keep up with it for a week or a month, you will have more money than you would have if you never tried.  This semester, you should not only try to find the true “you” by participating in new clubs and activities, but you should find the “you” who can reach into his/her pocket and find a thick wad of cash.