How To | Make Money While In School/College

Hello Darlings

Here's how to make money while you're in HS or College.

Recycling

The next time you and your roomies throw a party, set up a trash bag or plastic bin for people to toss their empty bottles and cans in. The next day, take a trip to your local grocery store and cash in for the deposit. You'll make great pocket change with last night's empties going anywhere from 5 to 10¢. Not only are you helping the environment, but it's also extra money for your coffee habit.

Babysitting

Unleash your inner 5-year-old by way of Dora the Explorer and dinosaur chicken nuggets (they'll be your new best friends). If you don't mind hanging with kids and the occasional diaper change doesn't repulse you, you might have a career as the next Mary Poppins. Start your search for babysitting jobs by posting fliers with your information at your school, or consider placing a small ad in your school newspaper. If you know one of your favorite professors has a couple of tater tots at home, approach her after class and let her know you're available. Also, check out Web sites like Sitter City, which allows you to search for jobs based upon where you live, the distance you're willing to travel, the rate you charge, your availability, and more. This is the perfect job for night owls who don't mind staying up late at night (and getting paid to do your homework when the kids fall asleep!).

Sell Back Your Textbooks

Buying textbooks for the semester is painful. But in order to ease the pain of seeing $500 slip from your wallet, don't give them away or toss them in the back of your closet. Instead check out sites like Chegg or Sell Back Your Book, where you can sell your books for money in addition to purchasing inexpensive ones for when that time of the semester rolls around again.

Dog-Sitting/Dog-Walking

Getting paid to play with a puppy? Sign me up. Not only will you be getting a paycheck, but you'll also be a total guy magnet when you take Fluffy for a loop around campus. Like a babysitting job, start by putting up fliers and advertising through a newspaper where you're likely to reach a wider range of people. Keep in mind that you might have to take the dog out several times a day, so the more flexible your schedule is, the better.

Bring Your Clothes to Consignment Shops

Not only does taking a hefty bag of clothes to your local consignment shop instantly make more room in your closet, but it's a quick and easy cash-in. Take a couple of hours to sort through your clothes and make a trip to a consignment shop with whatever doesn't fit (or that knitted kitten sweater that Grandma made for you three Christmases ago). At a consignment shop, your clothes that are accepted are given a value, and then depending on what it is worth, you get an amount in a cash payment right there on the spot!

eBay It

Hosting a garage sale may be difficult when you don't have a garage (or a front yard), so use the Internet as your own marketplace. Whether it's clothes, a used iPod, or your old snowboard, you can practically sell anything on eBay and make big bucks by almost doing nothing. Setting up an eBay account and listing the items you want to auction takes minimal effort and is an easy way to get the things you don't want and never use off your hands.

Sign Up to Be a Human Subject in a Psych Study

You get dozens of these e-mails a month and like me, probably delete them. But before you send those annoying messages to the trash, take a minute to really check them out. Many science and psych studies requesting human subjects are willing to pay you to participate. But if you're thinking freaky experiments that mad scientists conduct, there's no need to worry. For example, during my first week of classes, I received an e-mail requesting participation in a survey about violence in romantic relationships. For this particular study, participation requires completing an online questionnaire, which takes around 25 minutes and can be anonymously taken. Go to your school's Psychology department's Web site to find out how to sign up to participate in studies. Payment for participation varies

Be a Note-Taker

It can be tough to roll out of bed for those Friday 8 a.m.'s, which is why becoming a paid note-taker carries the perfect incentive you need. Here's how it usually works: Go to class, take notes, go home and type up the notes, and then post them within a 24-hour period. You're essentially getting paid to do the work you've already done, so if you pride yourself on taking immaculate class notes, this gig is right up your alley. Check with your class's department to see if a note-taker is needed.