Side hustles for students: What are the best options?

Side hustles for students: What are the best options?

Every student knows about the burden of debt. After all, they spend a large portion of their working life in school and college before they start earning for themselves in their specific subject areas. The good news is that there are a few side hustles for students that can help them to pay off their student loans early. Or at least get a good head start, perhaps that’s more realistic.

Let’s jump into some of the basics first.

What is a side hustle?

A side hustle is an informal way of describing a part-time job. It’s something that you do outside of your “day job”. This means that you generally get paid for this work on top of your main employment or while studying (if you’re a student).

Side hustles can take many forms and there is plenty to explore.  Some of the most popular side hustles for students include tutoring, delivery jobs e.g. Uber, Deliveroo and online blogging.

Delivery app drivers

There’s not much to say about this except the industry for motorbike courier jobs is absolutely booming. If you’re an Uber driver already then you can also look to become a delivery driver for other apps such as Deliveroo, JustEat and Foodora. The main requirement is that you have access to your own car (or motorcycle) and that it’s insured. You’ll also need to pass the relevant background checks, criminal record checks and meet the usual health requirements.

Don’t forget – you’ll be self-employed with these companies.  This means that they can offer you flexible hours and plenty of work from the comfort of your home. Once you’ve passed your background test, it’s a simple case of downloading their delivery app and hitting the road when you want to!

Tutoring your expert subject

This is one of the best side hustles for students, in my opinion. The benefits are endless and it has an already established market that’s only getting bigger. There are many different subjects you can cover too which makes tutoring extra appealing to students.

You can study at home while you’re doing your bachelor degree or postgraduate degree. Since you can manage your own time as a tutor and study when it suits best, tutoring is a pretty straightforward side hustle to pick up. Here’s a guide to how to tutor online if you’re interested in pursuing this avenue.

There are many great tutoring companies around who will help connect you with students seeking assistance in your subject specialism. You’ll be able to work with them on an hourly rate basis which makes it easy to fit your schedule around other commitments.

If you have a particular passion in an area outside of your degree, then tutoring in this area can be a perfect way to supplement your income while studying or working full-time hours.

Become a virtual assistant

Are you a self-starter and a fast learner who is an expert at social media? If so, being a virtual assistant might be your best side hustle.

Virtual assistants are now becoming increasingly popular as they help to streamline the functions of many companies in this digital age. In general, as a virtual assistant or VA, you’ll be expected to have some technical skills as well as a strong work ethic.

This will help you to establish your own working routine and your earnings from this side hustle can easily reach six-figures with experience and networking too. If you’re considering becoming a VA then it’s worth taking a look at what qualifications you might need and where to potentially find clients.

You’ll need to be able to work remotely in terms of the location that you’re based. Most virtual assistants who are successful in this area will have a home office set up in which they can work for hours at a time in an uninterrupted environment.

Online surveys

This can be a really great side hustle for students to earn some additional cash while studying.

Firstly, you’ll need something that can help you manage your time and stay “on track”. There are many useful apps around which will allow you to schedule new surveys when they become available. You simply need to follow each link, complete the survey and get paid for your time.

All you’ll need is a laptop or desktop computer with an internet connection – it’s that simple!

The best part about this side hustle is how versatile it is in terms of the amount of money you can earn. It will depend on the number of surveys available and what they’re paying out at any given time. It’s worth signing up to a few different survey companies so that you can explore your options and see where the best surveys are.

Some of the best-paid survey companies will also have referral programs too if you’re looking for an extra way to earn some cash from this side hustle.

Become a tester (UX / Site testing)

If you’re a tech-savvy student with an eye for detail then becoming a tester could be the perfect side hustle for you. There are all sorts of companies around who will pay students to test their websites and apps, along with providing feedback on how they can improve them.

There are some really great companies out there who will help you get started with this side hustle, including Userlytics and Applause. You’ll be able to work from home which makes it a pretty flexible option. You can even do it while studying or working part-time hours.

What’s extra special about this side hustle is that you’ll be able to see the products that are being launched before they go live. You’ll also get exclusive discounts and early access to new products too!

Become a virtual personal shopper

As a virtual personal shopper, you will act as an intermediary between your clients and different e-commerce businesses. They will provide you with guidelines on the products they want to purchase and your role will be to search for them on their behalf.

It’s a really great side hustle option that can pay you up to £30 per hour on average, with many personal shoppers taking home over £500 each week.

There are some wonderful tutorials online that will teach you exactly how to get started as a personal shopper. You will often need to be able to find your own clients, but there are some great opportunities to network with others that can help you get started and make money right away.

Wrap up & conclusion

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to side hustles for students. Even if you’re not in education, there are still plenty of opportunities out there. You just have to have the drive to look into them and find the great idea that works for you.

What do you guys think? Do you already have a side hustle that helps with your studies? Have we missed any obvious or hidden gems in this article?  Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!