Hustling on a side gig to earn that extra Dollar? Maybe to get that student loan off the chest, But let’s be real, finding the right side hustle that fits your schedule, skills, and interests is a challenge.
As a college student myself, I’ve spent countless hours researching and exploring different options to make some extra cash on the side. (this NYKCblog is a successful turnout among various hustles I tried)
For this blog I also reached out to successful side hustlers from my circle as well, and I’ve compiled a small and to-the-point List of 7 Money-Making Side Hustle for College Students That works in 2024.
From starting your own newsletter to reselling clothes on Depop, this guide covers a diverse range of side hustles that cater to various interests and skill sets.
But here’s the kicker – I’m not just listing out these ideas; I’m taking a deep dive into each one, providing you with a detailed roadmap, success stories, and valuable resources to help you get started.
Let’s get started!
Golden Rule of Making Money with Any Side Hustle
I want you to read this twice
There is no magic way to make money from side hustles. The only real way is by providing value to people who can pay for that value. This is the golden rule of making money.
Many people want to find a “magic bullet” side hustle that makes them rich without effort. But that’s not how it works. Making money is a skill you have to learn. And that skill will help people in return you will earn money. It all comes down to skillset.
When you understand the principles of how to make money, the next thing is to take a deep dive into a single skill set master it, and serve the people who can pay you for that skill!
the next thing in this sequence is value, in what way your skill can offer value to others? for that, you can divide the term value into 3 types:
3 Types In which we can divide this term “Value”
There are three main ways you can provide value to make money with a side hustle:
- Offering Services With service-based side hustles, you use your skills and knowledge to help people by doing tasks or jobs for them. For instance, you could do freelance writing, virtual assisting, online tutoring, or other services people need and are willing to pay for.(these are just example i have listed other service-based businesses below)
- Selling Products
Another way to make money is by creating and selling products. This could be physical products you make or source and ship to customers. Or you could sell digital products like ebooks, graphics, software, etc.
- Creating Content The third approach is to create free content that attracts an audience. Then you can get paid through advertising, sponsorships, or other ways of monetizing that audience.
As A student flexibility in work is the number 1 thing you should look for Side hustles based on providing digital services or content online tend to meet these needs well. You have full flexibility and can find something enjoyable to do. And you can attract customers globally rather than just locally.
Why not the product? The problem with the product is you have to manage a lot of things from product feedback, development, shipping, and whatnot it will take away flexibility for sure that is the reason we will focus on the other 2 models of providing value
It should also be fun – something that feels like play to you rather than work. And of course, it needs to generate reasonable income over time.
So let’s begin with the content-based side hustles first:
1. Starting a Newsletter
What is an Online Newsletter?
An online newsletter is a regular email publication that you write and send to subscribers. We are always subscribing to a few check your Gmail you will get the idea, You can write about any topics that interest you – from creative writing to business insights to personal stories. Over time, your newsletter builds an audience of readers.
How to Start an Online Newsletter
Starting a newsletter is easy and free. First, choose a topic you’re excited to write about regularly. Then sign up with a free newsletter platform like Substack or Convertkit or Beehiiv. Write your first newsletter issue, hit publish, and start sharing your subscription link to get your first readers!
Some tips:
- Write authentic content you’d genuinely want to read yourself
- Share stories, insights, links, or anything engaging
- Choose a channel to gather emails ie, audience like FB, website, or interest to promote your content and ask people to sign up for your newsletter.
- Be consistent in sending new issues
- Interact with readers by replying to comments
Resources you can start from:
The best source in 2024 is to learn from Scott DeLong this newsletter guy is bonkers you should definitely follow his methods. Here is the 52-week challenge where he scaled a newsletter with Facebook ads from 0 to 85,000 subscribers you can do things organically as well but it takes time
A quote from his 52nd week update:
Pro tip: content curation is the best way to build up a social profile or a site before starting a newsletter for organic growth (this is 2nd recommended site hustle explained below)
Success Stories
Morning Brew One huge newsletter success is Morning Brew, started by Alex Lieberman in his college dorm room. Morning Brew provides free daily business news updates in a fun, entertaining style.
In just 5 years, Morning Brew grew to over 3 million subscribers. In 2020, Lieberman sold Morning Brew for $75 million at just 28 years old! His story shows the potential an email newsletter has to become a highly valuable business.
Here is an interview you should watch:
2. ExplodingIdeas.co Eric Lam had worked at a venture capital firm but wanted more creativity. In December 2022, he started the ExplodingIdeas.co newsletter sharing startup business ideas.
Within 4 months, Eric’s newsletter became profitable. He grew it by posting valuable advice on Reddit forums, to gather traffic to his website and then sharing his newsletter as a free resource. People were interested and signed up while he was sleeping!
Eric saw other niche newsletters successfully sell for over $1 million after just months of operating. This inspired him that newsletters can build substantial value beyond typical social media due to the monetization opportunities.
Both Morning Brew and ExplodingIdeas.co show how writing an engaging newsletter on topics people crave can quickly attract a large audience and income stream from sponsorships, subscriptions, and more. The success potential is huge if you find the right niche.
2. Content Curation
Content curation means finding existing content related to a topic you’re interested in, and sharing that content with your audience. It’s different from creating all-new content yourself.
How It Differs From Content Creation
Content creators make brand-new content from scratch – writing, filming, designing, etc. Content curators gather great content that others have already made, add their own perspective, and share it in a new way with their audience.
Success Story: Alex and Books
Alex built a following on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube by curating insights from the many books he reads. He doesn’t just repost the books’ content – he reads each book, pulls out the most fascinating parts, summarizes the key ideas in his own words, and shares those concise summaries with his audience.
By curating and summarizing great book content in his authentic voice, Alex has grown a huge following of people wanting his unique take and book recommendations. His curated content provides tremendous value, allowing him to monetize through sponsorships, promotions, and more.
How to Start Content Curation
To become a content curator, first pick a topic, niche, or interest area you’re passionate about. Then, start reading, watching, or experiencing as much existing content on that topic as you can. As you go, identify the most insightful parts and make notes in your own words.
To take inspiration I have mentioned a few Twitter handles which does the same job effectively
The best place to start displaying your curated work?
In 2024 it’s Twitter. although Don’t forget to syndicate your content to other social profiles as well it will help you collect traffic and eventually in the journey many brands will also fall your way!
Once you’ve curated your first batch of content summaries and thoughts, share them for free on social media or a blog site or newsletter Be consistent in releasing new curated content batches. Over time, build an audience by promoting high-quality, unique curation that can’t be found elsewhere.
The most successful curators develop their own authentic voices and perspectives on the existing content they curate. This gives them a way to provide value beyond just sharing other people’s work.
Resources to take inspiration from:
- productivity niche content curation by Fernando Cao Zheng. just check what he posts you will get the idea.
- Startup ideas and business niche content curation by Aditya Arora.
if you just check these two profiles and decide to curate content in your chosen niche the same way they are doing I searched for it and there is not much of competition as of now scaling will be easier.
3. Short-Form Video: Snapchat Spotlight Creators
This world of social media has given us the scroll effect it affected our attention span making it Shorter so short-form video content has emerged as a dominant force, captivating audiences with its bite-sized entertainment and information.
Among the various platforms craving people’s attention, Snapchat Spotlight stands out as a lucrative opportunity for creators to turn their creativity into cash.
How People are Earning with Snapchat Spotlight
One of the key factors that make Snapchat Spotlight unique is its monetization model. When it first launched, Snapchat announced that it would pay creators from a pool of $1 million per day for the top-performing videos on the platform.
This massive incentive attracted a diverse range of creators, from seasoned professionals to aspiring amateurs.
While the payouts have changed over time, creators still have the potential to earn significant income through Snapchat Spotlight. and brand deals are always the cherry on top
To qualify for these payouts, creators need to meet certain requirements, such as:
- Being from an eligible country (a list of eligible countries is provided in the video).
- Being at least 18 years old (or having parental consent if between 16-18 years old).
- Having at least 1,000 followers on their Snapchat account.
- Posting a minimum of 10 videos per month.
The Daniel Britton Story: A Teenage Millionaire
One inspiring success story is about Daniel Britton, a 15-year-old from Cyprus. Along with his partner Luke, Daniel created a Snapchat show that earned over $600,000 in the first month alone.
Even though it was difficult to get a Snapchat portal (needed to create a show), Daniel and Luke did not give up. They found a way to connect with an agent. Their hard work paid off, as their satisfying video compilation show became very popular.
To keep creating great content, Daniel and Luke hired a team of writers, voice artists, and editors. This helped them make new episodes regularly for their growing audience.
you can checkout the full story in this video linked below:
Where to start learning?
Learning how to create quality short videos Should be your top priority-
- Agorapulse guide on short-form video content.
- Hootsuite beginner’s guide on short-form video.
- You can specifically learn Snapchat Spotlight from Snapchat Creatorhub itself.
- and lastly a video of current situation with Spotlight
Understand Cross-Platform Promotion
While Snapchat Spotlight is a great opportunity, you should also share their content on other platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. This helps their brand grow and reach more people.
You can also reuse and adapt their existing content for Snapchat Spotlight. This saves time and helps them make the most of their previous work while tailoring it for the Snapchat audience.
As the demand for short videos keeps increasing, Snapchat Spotlight is a promising side hustle for creators who are innovative, creative, and consistent. With the right approach and understanding of the platform, anyone passionate about storytelling and capturing attention can turn their dreams into a lucrative reality.
NOTE: Until now the side hustles I have mentioned fall under the category of the “J curve business model”. Sounds sus right? now we discuss what’s that. and the limitation of this model-
The J Curve Business Model Problem
Running a business can be like climbing a big J-shaped curve. With some types of businesses, like content businesses (YouTube channels, blogs, books), you have to put in a lot of work upfront without making any money for a big period of time. This is called the J curve because you start out “in the negative” for a while before hopefully hitting an inflection point where your efforts start paying off.
For example, with a YouTube channel, you might make videos for months or even years without earning anything. It can take a long time to build up an audience. During this period, you’re investing time and effort without seeing any returns – you’re in the negative part of the J curve.
The same thing happens with books, blogs, and other content businesses. You have to create a lot of content upfront before people discover you and you start making money from ads, sponsors, or product sales.
But in my experience, once the curve settles the content business types work the best it gives you completely passive income as you can outsource almost every major task around it that is the beauty of content business.
if you want to make money quickly with a side hustle, a J curve content business might not be the best option. Instead, you may want to look for “non-J curve” businesses with high sales friction that can generate income faster.
Now you might ask what is this high sales friction??? Hold down let’s have a quick read on that-
A quick overview difference between this low and high sales friction
In Simple words, Sales friction means how hard it is to get someone to buy from you.
Low-friction businesses make it easy for customers to buy quickly (like a store or online).
Low-friction businesses follow a J-curve model.
- You have to invest a lot upfront (build a store, make products, etc. in a content business model that I suggested it’s your website and social media content.
- Then you wait for lots of easy sales to finally make money. In the content business, it’s ads, sponsorships, consultation calls, etc.
Whereas, High-friction businesses have to work harder to make a sale (like freelancing)
High-friction businesses don’t follow a J curve as much.
- Each sale takes effort (meeting clients, giving quotes, etc.).
- But you can start making money after after offering your service to the client.
For a side job, think about the sales friction.
- Low friction means investing time/money upfront before you get paid. (content business)
- High friction means working hard for each pay, freelancing, or providing services but money comes in faster as you get paid for service offered instantly.
Now non-J curve doesn’t necessarily mean profit from day 1. Master the skill and find the right people to earn faster,
whereas j curve business means learning the skill to offer value in content and with time people who need that value will find you through the internet and you will get paid for the value.
Stick with a value-providing mindset and flexibility as a student you have a huge opportunity just believe in yourself. And focus on developing a proper skillset.
Now let’s talk about Side hustles that don’t necessarily fall under J curve business model
4. Becoming a Web Designer: Niche Down and Showcase Your Skills
One great side hustle idea for students is becoming a web designer. Trust me There is a huge demand for good web designers, but not enough good supply. Even big startups struggle to find talented designers willing to work for them.
The right way is to niche down
The first step is to learn basic web design skills really well. You can use free online tutorials to teach yourself how to code and create websites. Once you’ve practiced enough the next part is niching down this is very crucial.
If you channel your design skills into one particular niche/ business area you can master it quickly. can get clients faster and can definitely charge more for the service. (this is the key element I want you to focus on)
picking a niche or specialty to focus on. This makes you stand out as an expert in that field. For example, you could design websites just for restaurants, lawyers, e-commerce stores etc.
Research what features those types of sites need. Learn the design standards and best practices for that niche. That way, you understand exactly what problems your clients face and how to solve them perfectly.
But don’t just put your services on freelance sites like Upwork right away. There’s too much competition there, making it hard for new designers to get noticed.
Research what features those types of sites need. Learn the design standards and best practices for that niche. That way, you understand exactly what problems your clients face and how to solve them perfectly.
Resources you can learn from:
Watch this video on niche and also check the channel itself It is gold for web designers he will surely be a great mentor in your web design journey
The right way of promotion / finding clients
Once you’ve picked a niche, build an amazing portfolio website showcasing your best work in that specialty. Then promote yourself and your skills on social media, especially Twitter. Engage with other designers, share your work, and get feedback.
to inspire you here are two accounts that I found on Twitter:
- Twitter handle of Henry. a web developer utilizing social media to promote his work.
- Here is another web designer Mr. Luca doing quality promotion of his work on Twitter.
If you become really good at designing sites for your chosen niche, you can easily land high-paying clients by impressing people online with your talent. Many are willing to pay thousands just for a single website design.
Then your work can also be listed on a freelancing platform on that stage I recommend checking out Chris a self-made web designer who is now focusing on how to start freelancing as a web designer
5. Reselling Clothes on Depop
What is Depop?
Depop is a fashion marketplace app where users from all over the world come to discover unique fashion. It works like many social media apps – you sign up, create your shop profile, and start following other users. Buyers can search for specific items or follow sellers they like. Once an item sells, you ship it directly to the buyer.
How it Works
- Source Inventory: Look through your own closet for unwanted clothes. Ask friends and family if they have items to declutter. Visit thrift stores, yard sales, and marketplaces for secondhand finds. Get creative with sourcing interesting pieces.
- Flip for Profit: An effective way to source inventory is going to thrift stores like Goodwill or Salvation Army and looking for niche brand name or trendy items. You can often find pieces for just $1-$5 that can then be “flipped” and resold on Depop for much higher prices like $300-$400.
- Set Up Shop: Download the Depop app and create an account…
Sourcing Inventory to Flip
“Thier is a friend of mine who paid her rent for four years in college just by flipping clothes on Depop. She’d go to thrift stores like Goodwill and find really cool branded or niche clothing items. She knew what to look for – things she could buy for $1-$5 and then relist and sell on Depop for $30-$400. Insane i know.
All she had to do was go thrift on her free time like Sunday mornings, keep her inventory at home, take pics, and then ship whenever she made a sale. This side hustle is so easy because it’s all on your own schedule. My friend was averaging over $1,000 per month just from flipping secondhand clothing finds on Depop!”
What’s important is By knowing what’s trendy and in demand, you can source inventory at thrift stores for very little cost and then flip those items for a huge profit by reselling on Depop’s fashion marketplace.
Success Story of Giovanni Kyle and a 19 year old Evan is also inspiring: Check out their videos below explaining their journies:
Evan story:
6. Selling Your Class Notes: Locally and Online
As a college student, you spend countless hours taking notes in lectures and poring over textbooks. But did you know that your diligent note-taking could turn into a profitable side hustle?
Selling your class notes online has emerged as a smart way for students to earn extra income with minimal effort.
Well, it’s not something of a get-rich-quick scheme but if definitely a good extra income hustle you can try. Will help you in your studies and you can earn extra as well not bad huh!!!
How It Works: The concept is simple – you create high-quality, well-structured notes from your classes and upload them to specialized note-selling platforms. These platforms then market your notes to other students seeking reliable study materials. Every time someone downloads your notes, you earn a portion of the sale price.
structuring notes isn’t tough and with time you get good in it coming down from my own experience
The process is straightforward:
- Craft comprehensive yet concise notes, including relevant examples and visuals any chart or graph to reinforce key concepts. You can use Gemini to create a graph on given data.
- Sign up on a reputable note-selling platform and create your seller profile.
- Upload your notes, set a competitive price, and provide details about the course and institution.
- Promote your notes through the platform’s marketing tools or your own social media channels.
- Get paid when students purchase your notes, with payments processed securely through the platform.
Popular Note-Selling Platforms: Several well-established platforms cater to the growing demand for high-quality student notes, including:
Popular Note-Selling Platforms:
- Stuvia “Stuvia is an excellent way of sharing your notes with easy-to-use and intuitive uploading and publishing processes.”
- Nexus Notes: Nexus Notes offers a seamless note searching and downloading experience providing you with high-quality and well-structured notes.”
- StudySoup “StudySoup states you earn about $5 for each upload but that you can earn up to $500 per course you cover…Typed notes tend to do best, but you are allowed to upload written notes.”
- Notesale “Notesale is another site that makes selling college notes fast and easy. To get started, just upload your notes and set your price.“
- Oxbridge Notes “Oxbridge Notes is a UK-based website that lets you sell notes for money. This platform pays you 50% of the sale price for notes, outlines, sample test questions, and test answers.“
- OneClass “OneClass pays you a flat rate for providing notes for specific classes…You get paid on a per-class basis, with each course earning you $470.“
- Docmerit “Docmerit is a fast and easy way to earn money from your notes. You set your prices and you keep 85% of the sale.“
- GradeBuddy “GradeBuddy lets you earn in two different ways: Upload individual notes or cover an entire course for up to $500 by uploading weekly.“
While online platforms provide a broad reach, don’t overlook the potential to sell notes directly to your classmates or fellow students taking the same courses. Networking within your university community can open up additional sales opportunities. Look for Facebook groups along with these platforms.
Local Note-Selling Opportunities:
While online platforms provide widespread exposure, Many students are willing to pay handsomely for high-quality notes and test prep materials, especially if they struggle with attendance or need extra assistance mastering complex coursework.
This local approach can become a mini-business of its own. At Penn State, a company called Lion Tutors allegedly generated millions in revenue annually by offering practice exams, complete annual note sets, and other resources to students desperate to excel.
You can replicate this model on a smaller scale by networking through social media, student groups, and class chats.
The key advantage? You hold all the leverage as the product creator. A full year’s notes could easily fetch $50 or more per class from classmates looking to catch up or solidify their understanding. With multiple classes per semester over four years, that’s potential for thousands in profits
Pro tip: Timing Your Note Sales “Docmerit recommends uploading notes during exam periods since students are scrambling to find study notes and are willing to pay.”
Ensuring High Quality “Typed notes tend to do best, but you are allowed to upload written notes if that’s your preferred method.”
Ensure you only sell original notes crafted in your own words, respecting intellectual property rights. and as you go through the online platform mentioned above and explore them you will get great guides on what to do and what not!
7. Window Cleaning Services
Don’t Underestimate window cleaning, Starting a window cleaning business can be an excellent side hustle for college students.
It requires minimal upfront investment, offers flexible working hours, and provides the opportunity to earn a substantial income. Let’s discuss this in detail to get a clear view-
Getting Started
The initial costs of starting a window cleaning business are relatively low. You can get started for less than $1,000 if you already have a vehicle. If not You can Start offering services in the neighborhood and what about adding a friend to your business as a partner?
The primary expenses include purchasing basic equipment such as squeegees, microfiber cloths, extension poles, and cleaning solutions.
Additionally, you’ll need to obtain the necessary licenses and insurance for your area. If you are starting out I don’t think it’s necessary to go for insurance. but as you grow and will hire employees there are various legal formalities that you will need to do such as employee insurance, company registration, and company bank.
for this I advice you first work for someone if needed and then do it on your own you can always learn about the legal stuff through consulting with professionals.
a friend of mine worked for a window washer after his freshman year of college, and the company he worked for was making a couple of hundred thousand dollars per month.
They were washing windows for colleges, hospitals, office buildings, and even houses, charging $7 per window. If a building had 100 windows, charging $7 per window would result in $700 in revenue.
Experienced window washers like those at the company could clean around 100 windows in a day, potentially earning the company a couple of hundred thousand dollars per month.
Once you gain experience and understand the business by working for an established company, you can then start your own window cleaning venture with the knowledge and skills you’ve acquired.
Is Window Cleaning a Good Side Hustle for Students?
Window cleaning offers several advantages that make it an attractive side hustle for college students:
- Flexible Schedule: As a student, you can choose to work around your class schedule and other commitments. Window cleaning allows you to set your own hours, which is ideal for balancing studies and work.
- Low Overhead: Compared to many other businesses, the overhead costs for a window cleaning venture are minimal. You don’t need a physical storefront or a significant initial investment, making it easier to manage expenses while earning.
- Immediate Income: Unlike some side hustles that require building a clientele or an online presence, window cleaning can provide you with immediate income. Once you acquire the necessary skills and equipment, you can start earning by knocking on doors and offering your services.
- Scalability: As your business grows, you can hire additional help and expand your service offerings, such as pressure washing or gutter cleaning. This scalability allows you to increase your earning potential while still maintaining a manageable workload.
- Valuable Entrepreneurial Experience: Running a window cleaning business will teach you valuable entrepreneurial skills, such as sales, customer service, time management, and business operations. These skills can be invaluable for your future endeavors, whether you pursue entrepreneurship or work in a corporate setting.
Real-Life Example
The story of Tyler, a 20-year-old window cleaner, serves as an inspiration for college students considering this side hustle. Despite his young age, Tyler earns an impressive $20,000 per month by going door-to-door and offering window cleaning services.
In the given video, Tyler shares his journey and provides valuable insights into the business. He emphasizes the importance of perseverance, overcoming anxiety, and leveraging customer service skills to land sales. Additionally, Tyler highlights the role of faith and determination in achieving his success, having started from humble beginnings.
Here is the video:
Final thoughts
Alright, let’s bring it home! We’ve just explored seven awesome side hustles, From starting a newsletter to a window cleaning service, there’s something here for everyone.
Remember, the secret sauce here is providing value. It doesn’t matter if you’re curating content or flipping clothes on Depop – if you’re solving a problem or fulfilling a need, you’re on the right track.
Now, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – starting a side hustle takes work. But here’s the thing: you’re already busting your butt in college. Why not channel some of that energy into something that could turn into a serious income stream?
Don’t be afraid to start small and grow.
You’ve got the ideas, you’ve got the drive, and now you’ve got a roadmap. Now get out there and start hustling! I’ll see you in the next one.
