Introduction
In this article, I’m going to share seven realistic side hustles for students, whether you’re in college, high school, or anyone looking for a side hustle. This article will be very helpful for figuring out which type of side hustle or business you would like to start. Let’s go ahead and get into it. These are some that you probably haven’t heard of very often; some of these I’ve done myself and made tens of thousands of dollars from. I don’t have anything to sell you; there are no courses or anything. This is all just free information. I want to help you figure out something to help pay your rent, car, or whatever it might be. Let’s get into it here today.
Graduation Photos and Photography
So, the first side hustle that I think is really lucrative, especially for college students but even for people in high school, is to do graduation photos and other types of photography in college. For example, my videographer for my personal YouTube channel did this in college and paid his rent doing it. You can get really busy towards April and May during graduation season. You can charge each student about $100 for pictures of them in their cap and gown, maybe popping a bottle of champagne. You can do this for dozens of students, especially at a big school. There’s always a need for graduation photos, and this is a great way to make some money. If you’re sitting here saying, “I don’t know how to use a camera or I don’t own one,” that’s okay. Many colleges have cameras that you can rent out for free. Also, take some time to learn; there are tutorials online on how to use a camera. You can do this on weekends, setting your own schedule. You might not become a billionaire doing this, but it’s better than just getting a job and something worth looking into.
Depop and Clothing Reselling
The second side hustle that I think is really great is doing Depop and reselling clothing on that platform. My sister paid her rent for the past four years in college by going to Goodwill, Salvation Army, and other thrift stores, finding niche clothing items for a dollar or $5, and then flipping them for $300 or $400 on Depop or similar platforms. She loved doing this at her own schedule, in the afternoons or on Sunday mornings. Just learn to understand certain types of clothing, list them, take pictures, and ship them out when sold. This is an easy way to make a few hundred to over $1,000 per month.
Launching a Marketing Agency
The third side hustle is for people who are a bit more serious and looking for something more than a side hustle—launching your own marketing agency. My friend and I did this in 2018 with S tral Media, running ads for local businesses and scaling up from there. We learned through trial and error, running ads for our own products, and then offering services for free to companies to get better at running Google, Facebook, and now TikTok ads. Many local businesses don’t know how to set up ads and target customers, so helping them can be a win-win. You can do this from home or anywhere in the world, and there’s no limit on potential earnings.
Selling Notes and Test Prep
The fourth side hustle is to sell notes or test prep for specific classes. In college, I used a service called Lion Tutors, paying for practice tests and notes. You can take notes and sell them in various groups or chatrooms for $50 for a year’s worth of notes. This is a great way to make money if you’re already taking notes.
Landscaping and Lawn Care
The fifth side hustle for college students is landscaping or lawn care. In high school, I ran a landscaping and firewood business and paid for my first year of college with it. You can do this in summers and make a lot of money. Physical service businesses like this can be very profitable.
Newsletters and Email Campaigns
The sixth side hustle idea is to run newsletters or email drip campaigns for influencers or local businesses. Many local stores don’t understand email marketing, so offering to set it up and manage it for them can be lucrative.
Window Washing
The seventh side hustle idea is washing windows. My brother worked for a window washer and made a lot of money washing windows for colleges, hospitals, and offices. It doesn’t cost much to start, and it’s a physical business that can be quite profitable.
Influencer Management
Lastly, influencer management can be a great side hustle for students. Connecting influencers with brands for sponsored videos and taking a percentage of the deal can be very profitable.
Pick one side hustle and become an expert in it. Obsess over it and become the best at it. It’s difficult to lose if you do that. Thanks for watching. Subscribe to the channel for more content, and I’ll see you in the next article.
