We all know college can be a difficult adjustment. It’s hard enough to balance schoolwork with having a social life and getting enough sleep. How are you supposed to fit in a part-time job, too? The good news is that it can be done, and it may be easier than you think! There are plenty of jobs out there for the enterprising college student that can give you valuable experience as well as a little extra spending money, without taking up too much of your time. In my opinion, freshmen should hold off on working for at least a semester or two. But when you’ve settled into college life, here are some easy ways to earn money while still having enough time to study and play:

Shh … You’re in the Library

Working on campus is ideal, but in the library it’s even better. If you’re worried that working won’t leave enough time for studying, this is the job for you. Duties of a study hall or library monitor usually include supervising, shelving and provide centralized access to some of the resources and services they provide. It’s a pretty easy job, and with lots of down time — meaning you’ll be in a quiet place with time to catch up on reading and homework.

It’s Tutor Time

If you’re especially strong in any subject, visit your university’s educational resource center to see if any tutoring positions are available. Even if you aren’t comfortable tutoring peers, there are many tutoring opportunities available at any education level. Visit middle school and high school settings to see if administrators are looking to hire outside help, or if parents need someone to help Junior with his math homework. Even if the work is easy for you, it’ll help keep you sharp on subject basics.

Remember Retail

Working in retail or in a fast food setting often gets a bad rap, but don’t assume flipping burgers is your only option. Frozen yogurt shops and smoothie-making joints are especially popular around college campuses. Visit job-applications.com to see if you can score a part-time job at either of these types of establishments, and you’ll likely find you aren’t only earning money but are also meeting a lot of people your age.

Live-in Help = Free Rent

Don’t worry about this job interfering with your study or social life, because there’ll be plenty of time for everything. Interested? Consider this: In college, many young people live with an elderly couple and help take care of the house and yard in exchange from room and board. As live-in help, you may be responsible for mowing the lawn, vacuuming bedrooms and preparing food — but they’ll be paying for it.

Donate Plasma for Gas Money

All around the country, people are getting $20-$30 a week for donating their plasma, and it’s not a black market deal. Plasma centers draw your blood, extract the plasma from it and return your blood back to you. It’s used to help hemophiliacs, burn victims and aid other ailments. Because it can take up to two hours, unlike donating blood, plasma centers pay you for your time and plasma.

Babysit & Study

Don’t dismiss the idea of babysitting just because you’re out of high school. Teachers, university employees and graduate students who have children often favor college students when choosing a sitter. Students may need you to stay home with their child while they run to class or work part-time themselves. Especially if it’s scheduled during nap time or in the evening, you may only be acting as a precautionary babysitter who’s there in case the child wakes up. In this case, you can get some good studying in while earning a few bucks.

Guest Post by Brad Long
Brad has a knack for writing and gardening. So far he’s managed to find a way to feed himself by being good at both of these activities and that’s good enough for him.

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