One of the things students are renowned for is being strapped for cash. Their famous for eating tinned foods and plain spaghetti, simply because they’re cheap. Seeing as most students uproot their entire lives and move away from home (leaving any jobs they did have behind) to go to college or university however it’s little wonder. Then when you throw in tight deadlines and constant classes most students are left wondering when and how they’re meant to make even a penny. That’s where I come in! I’ve been doing my research and mixed it with a few ideas of my own to come up with this list of twenty ways to make money in college (and no, none of them mean having to sacrifice sleep or a social life).

1. Freelance Writing

When I first started freelance writing I was working in a supermarket but found myself still needing a little extra cash. Despite working full time, I still found plenty of time to write to up my income and in just a few short months I became so successful at writing I left my day job.

Writing worked for me and could also work extremely well for anyone looking to earn extra cash in college. You could approach local media outlets with articles you’ve written but personally I recommend taking the online approach. There are lots of websites where you can create a freelance writing profile, search for jobs, set your prices and deadlines, and in short have total freedom over your work.

2. Sell Stock Photography

If you’ve got a sharp eye and a half decent camera, one way to make some extra cash is by selling stock photographs. There are plenty of websites such as Footolia where you can sell your pictures for a little extra cash. It’s an incredibly simple process too, all you do is create an account, submit your photos for acceptance, and once your photos are accepted you simply wait for the money to roll in. I will warn you however that not all photos are accepted so make sure you have a good quality camera to up your chances. While you’ll never be a millionaire selling stock photographs, this is a great way to earn a few extra pennies.

3. Start A Blog

If you know what you’re doing and have the time to commit to it, starting a blog can be an extremely profitable business. Your blog is basically your website and you earn money from it by allowing your host site to place ads on it. Every time someone clicks these ads you earn money. Sounds simple, huh? There are a few catches however. To earn money you need traffic on your site so to do this you need to post constantly and make the content sharp and engaging. Also, not all blogs are accepted into this scheme so it’s worth reading the guidelines first.

4. Start A YouTube Channel

Making money via YouTube is similar to making money by starting a blog. Basically, you earn cash by allowing YouTube to run ads at the start of your videos. Believe it or not, some YouTube channels are so successful their owners can live off them! Again however, you need traffic to gain hits on your ads so make sure you post regularly and keep your content exciting.

5. Be A Guest Bartender

If you’re bar tending for just one night, you don’t always need a licence and will likely be taught all you need to know right before the gig. This is a great way to get some cash in hand and a few tips if you’ve got some good moves. You could do it at your local pub or even at a local event or festival. It’s always worth keeping your ears open to see what events are coming up and putting in a good word for yourself at local pubs.

6. Sell On Etsy

Do you have a talent which you can use to make things like furniture, paintings, ornaments, and jewellery? If so, why not look into selling the things you create on etsy.com? It’s a great little site that allows people to buy and sell handmade items. If you’re selling on the site you can easily earn some extra cash, especially if your items are unique, quirky, and desirable.

7. Apply To Supermarkets

If you’re looking for a more stable source of income, supermarkets can be a great place to work for students. Firstly, they tend to be quite flexible in they hours you work and are reasonably understanding if your dissertation is due. And secondly, they’re all over the country so if you want to travel home for the holidays they’ll likely give you a shop transfer to your home town so you can continue working even when you’re not at college.

8. Sell On eBay

You can make money a few ways by using eBay. Firstly, you can go down the obvious route and sell any unwanted goods you’ve got. Secondly, you can sell for others and take a commission out of the selling price. Thirdly, you can create things you’ve made yourself and sell them on the site. And lastly, you can buy things from places such as car boot sales or wholesale really cheap and sell them on for more. Depending on how good you are, you can either use eBay to gain a little extra cash or you could even make a living out of it.

9. Sell Through Social Networks

If you’re not keen on using eBay to sell things then how about using social networks? Facebook in particular is great for this – I’ve done it myself. You can post to local groups where you can buy and sell things or you could even create your own page to advertise things. Creating your own page is especially good if you’re making your own things to sell as it’s great advertisement for you. You can either work out an online payment scheme or, if your buyer is local, have them pick it up or you could drop it off for a fee.

10. Do Online Surveys

Doing online surveys is never going to make you a millionaire but it will however make you a bit of extra cash. Different surveys pay different amounts depending on the questions asked but soon enough your earnings will be mounting. Most online survey accounts don’t pay out until you’ve reached a certain amount ($10 is a common number to see) but it’s pretty easy to do and it means you’re not just getting $1 here and there, you get a lump sum instead.

11. Sell Your Online Gaming Accounts

If you’re good at online gaming and can get your characters to a high level quickly then you can make money by selling on that account. That’s right, people pay for your high level characters! You can do this through sites such as mmobay.net and accountmarket.com. If you can level your characters pretty quickly then this is a great chance at some extra cash with a potential quick turnaround.

12. Tutoring

If there’s a subject you’re particular good at then you might consider tutoring for some extra cash. It’s great because you can set your own hours and prices. You can tutor anyone too; people perhaps in the year below you at college, high school students, adults looking to learn something new, anyone! Just be honest and don’t claim to be a professional however. Show them your good grades and let your knowledge speak for itself.

13. Host A Yard Sale

For some of us selling online just doesn’t appeal in which case a yard sale is a great alternative. Simply gated together you unwanted items or homemade crafts, set up a stand, and get selling. You can also invite your roommates to join you so you have a bigger yard sale to attract more customers. If you don’t have a yard, setting up at a car book sale is also a great way to bring in the cash (though many have a small set up fee).

14. Flip Domain Names

Flipping domain names basically means buying unused website names and selling them on for more money. It’s only worth buying a domain name if you’re sure you can persuade someone to buy it and this really is a business you should only get into if you’re up for a challenge too.

15. Transcribing

If you’re a great typist then this job is for you. You basically get given an audio or video sample and are asked to transcribe it work for word. You can find lots of these jobs online or you could even advertise your services in your local area.

16. Translating

If languages are your talent then you might consider translating for some extra cash. You’d be surprised just how many people have foreign documents or books that they need translated into English or vice versa. If you’re good at what you do, it’s not time consuming and you can make a lot of money from it in just a small amount of time.

17. Babysitting

Babysitting has been an excellent way of making extra cash for a heck of a long time. Don’t think it’s beneath you or it’s hard either. Most of the time, the kids are in bed by the time you arrive or soon will be so you’re not too likely to be rushed off your feet. If you’ve got young cousins or friends with kids look after their kids first so you can get some references to pass on and build yourself up a profile. You’d be shocked at just how much you can earn by babysitting, especially if you do a bit of dusting or wash the dishes while you’re there!

18. Bake Cakes

I don’t know about you but I’m constantly seeing beautiful cakes in shops and online and most of them are handmade. I know a tonne of people who are running their own baking business are are raking in the money by specialising in intricately decorated birthday, wedding, and Christening cakes. If you’re a dab hand at baking and have a steady hand when it comes to putting the icing on the cake then this is a great way to make phenomenal amounts of money in a short period of time. Once you’re established and have a portfolio you’ll be flying!

19. Home Cleaning

Why not set yourself up as a house cleaner on your days off to earn a bit of money? This is great as it’s such a cheap business to set up (especially seeing as most clients will want you to use the cleaning products in their own home) and you can set your own working hours. Cleaning is relatively quick and easy so you can potentially make a lot of money in a small amount of time. Just be sure you do a good job and have a keen eye for dust otherwise you’ll quickly lose clients to a more reliable cleaner.

20. Mow Some Lawns

I know, I know, this hardly sounds glamorous but believe me there’s big cash in mowing lawns. It takes hardly any time to mow a lawn but people are willing to pay big for you to do it. Whether they don’t have the time or ability to do their own garden is irrelevant, it’s all profitable to you. Most of your clients will have their own mower but if they don’t you’ll be able to pick up one relatively cheap and you’ll have made your money back on it in little to no time at all. You could even start doing a bit of weeding or planting to earn extra cash in the gardening business too.

Of course, these are but a few ideas to help you get the money rolling in. There are plenty of things you can do to earn money in college, you just have to be motivated enough to go do them! As you can see, there’s no need for you to be skint just because you’re a student so put a stop to it and start earning now. Good luck!

Being in college is great, it’s where you get the chance to really find yourself, to simply be young in indulge in life (as well as studying, of course!). The thing is however it can be a killer for anyone looking to lose weight or simply keep heir trim figure. With so many parties to attend, so many drinks to try, little time to exercise between classes and a diet of fast food it can be difficult to stick to your weight loss goals. I say difficult however, not impossible. There are, believe it or not, ways that you can stick in at college, enjoy the college lifestyle and still lose weight – and no, you don’t have to deprive yourself either. I’ve got your attention now, huh? That said, here’s twenty fantastic tips and tricks to help you shed those pesky extra pounds while you’re in college…

1. Be Aware Of What You Drink

In college, life can often be one big party which all too often leads to excessive drinking. Going to a party or a bar and drinking however can result in near instant weight gain, not what we want at all. Did you know that five shots of alcohol can contain one thousand calories? That’s half your daily recommended intake! Drink just four margaritas and you’ll find you’ve drank your entire daily recommended calorie intake. By drinking, it’s all too easy to fill your body with extra calories and pile on the pounds, that’s why it’s vital you stay aware of just what you’re drinking.

2. Ban Fast Food

Fast food is one of the worst things you can put into your body yet in college it’s a staple diet food. It’s full of calories and lots of other junk seeing as it’s been so heavily processed. You will get no goodness or the nutrients your body needs out of fast food, instead you’re likely just to get a few extra pounds of fat deposited onto your hips. To begin losing weight, it’s vital that you ban fast food altogether – and yes, that includes your Friday night treat.

3. Cut Out Soda

While we’re on the subject of banning things, I suggest you throw out all the soda in your fridge. Soda is a dieters worst nightmare! For a start it bloats you like few other things can and it’s filled with empty calories. Each can is loaded with sugar too and we all know why that’s bad for us. One second you’re enjoying a cool, refreshing sip of fizzy juice and the next second all those empty calories and all that sugar is resting on your hips as fat. Switch to healthier drinks instead like water or fresh fruit juices.

4. Share The Burden

With all your friends continuing to indulge in all these tasty treats it can be easy to become a little disheartened and discouraged from your diet. Share your weight loss goals with a few of your friends and get them to support you on your journey. Having their support will make it much easier to stick to your plans and see your weight loss journey through.

5. Take A Class

Yes, I know you’re already taking plenty of college classes and your schedule is probably very busy but if you want to lose weight then it’s important that you find the time to enrol in a fitness class. It can be anything you want – Zumba, yoga, spinning, aqua fit – just so long as you attend and it gets your heart pumping and your body moving. It will help you burn off those extra calories and pounds in no time. Bear in mind however that one class a week simply won’t be enough to make a difference – you need to work out at least four times a week to see results. The great thing about fitness classes is that they’re a great place to socialise and meet new people, and you can take a friend along if you don’t fancy going it alone.

6. Fitness Friends

You’ve no doubt got many circles of friends such as your home friends, your flatmates, the people you share your classes with, so why not grab yourself some fitness friends too. Try and make friends with people who share you weight loss goals and will help you stay focussed. Find the people who will drag you out for a morning run, will say no when you want to order pizza and will share with you some healthy tips, tricks and recipes to see you on your way. In turn, you’ll be able to keep each other strong and help each other reach your targets.

7. Don’t Lose Focus

With everything going on in college life it can be easy to lose focus of what you’re doing. Sure, you’ve got a lot to study for but your health is important too. Studies show that being healthier and fitter can even help you concentrate more when studying too so making time to exercise and eat right can help you in more ways that losing weight. That said, don’t lose focus and don’t slip, even if it is finals week!

8. Save Pizza For Special Occasions

Pizza is probably one of the main causes of the majority of pounds in the Freshman Fifteen. It’s just so easy to pick up the phone and have a delicious, hot pizza delivered right to your door and, in college towns, competition is fierce so pizza’s are often cheap too. I know what students are like, it’s rare that they share a pizza too. That said, pizza is too delicious to cut from our diets completely so instead simply save it for special occasions. Order it if it’s someone’s birthday or in celebration of a good grade but other times stay well clear of this calorific treat.

9. Get Those Zzzs

Getting plenty of sleep is vital for helping you to lose weight and, of course, keep studying hard in college. Make sure you get eight hours every night, no matter if there’s a party on or not. Sleep is vital for helping to keep your body in tip top condition so if you want to lose those extra pounds I suggest you start taking note of that. On the bright side, I doubt many of your will complain at the chance of taking a guilt free nap in the middle of the day. It’s healthy, after all!

10. Shop Right

Chances are you’ll have an on campus store where you usually shop and chances are that shop is full of nothing but foods that will do your body no good. Tinned ravioli, frozen pizza, chocolate – sound about right? These foods may very well be the reason you’re gaining weight. Instead, take a trip off campus and visit your local grocery store or even a farmer’s market. You’ll find fresher and healthier foods. Fill your basket with fruits and veggies and avoid the ready meals and sweets. Here’s a great tip – if you’re in a supermarket, avoid the inner aisles as these are usually where all the calorific food is kept. The fresh foods tend to be on the outskirts.

11. Make The Change

If you eat mostly in your college cafeteria and all they serve is calorific processed foods with not a piece of fruit or veg in sight then perhaps it’s time for a change. You pay your college tuition after all so you should have a say in whether or not you get served up a healthy meal or not. Try speaking to whoever is in charge of the kitchen or send a letter to student services outlining your opinion and your proposal. Make sure you mention that a well nourished body focuses and studies better too, therefore allowing you to get better exam results, I’m sure they’ll listen to that!

12. Move Your Body

Life in college can involve a lot of sitting around computers, slouching in lectures and sitting crouched over a book. This means you don’t get your body moving and thus is doesn’t burn calories meaning you’re bound to gain weight. Make sure you take the time to get up and move each day to keep your metabolism up. You’ll find this also stops your mind from deciding to essentially switch off as it keeps it entertained too. Between lectures, go for a walk. Don’t take the lift, take the stairs. You get the picture! do anything, just so long as it keeps you from sitting idle all day long.

13. Forget The Bus

Perhaps you have a few classes a week that are all the way across campus and, on a usual day, you’d take the bus. I urge you to stop doing that at once. No campus is that big so why not walk the distance or even cycle or run. This gets you out in the fresh air and enjoying the scenery while working your body and making you fitter all the while.

14. Say No To The Vending Machine

 While they do exist, the vending machines that spit out healthy food are few and far between. That’s why it’s vital that you avoid vending machines at all costs. They give you nothing but calories and fat so ask yourself, do you really need that chocolate bar?

15. Wear A Pedometer

It’s recommend that we do at least ten thousand steps per day so why not wear a pedometer to see if you’re reaching this and push yourself until you do? You’ll find yourself wanting to challenge yourself and walking even further to lose weight.

16. Eat Breakfast

A lot of college students tend to sleep in but no matter what time you get up it’s vital that you eat breakfast. Aim to eat within an hour of waking up – even if all you have is a piece of fruit it will keep your body going and get your metabolism up so you burn off weight faster.

17. Pack For Fitness

Chances are you had some form of fitness gear when you were back home. Perhaps it’s just your gym clothes from school, your trainers or a set of weights. Whatever it is, make sure you bring your fitness gear with you when you go to college. You’re not going to be able to use it if it’s tucked under your bet at home, after all.

18. Forget The Elevator

 If you’ve got the option of the elevator or the stairs, always take the stairs. Yes, always. I don’t care if your class is on the top floor either. Stair exercise is a great way to help you burn calories and pounds, especially if you’re getting little other exercise. It really works your muscles and, if you climb high enough, can give you a mini cardio workout session too.

19. Get Your Five A Day

I’m sure you’ve all heard that it’s important for us to eat at least five portions of fruit and veg per day. It keeps our bodies in tip top condition, fills us with important nutrients and keeps our minds sharp. Sadly however, very few of us ever reach our recommended fill of fruit and veg each day and we go lacking. If you’re trying to lose weight, I suggest you focus on meeting this number. You’ll be filling your body up with good calories and fuelling it so you can get the best from your body and mind.

20. Use An App

 Sometimes one of the best ways to stay on track when losing weight is by keeping track of your progress. My personal favourite way to do this is by downloading an app such as My Fitness Pal, These apps help you track your weight and inch loss and you can even put in what you ate and what exercises you’ve done to see how many calories you body is taking in each day. The app will also be able to recommend how many calories you should be eating per day to help you reach your goals and by seeing everything written down you’ll be able to stop yourself before you unknowingly overeat.