13 Ways To Make Extra Money Straight From Your Dorm Room | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Adulting

13 Ways To Make Extra Money Straight From Your Dorm Room

You won't even have to change out of your sweatpants for this!

2341
13 Ways To Make Extra Money Straight From Your Dorm Room
Hanny Naibaho

College is tough. Making money while you’re in college can be even tougher.

Full-time class schedules make it almost impossible to have a job and work decent hours. And even if you do find a job, you might not even be making that much money once you factor in the time and transportation to get there.

Let’s break the stigma of being a broke college student. Instead of traveling to a part-time job, learn how to earn an income online right from the comfort of your own dorm room.

1. Become A Virtual Assistant

If you’re one of the few college students who’s actually organized, you could get paid to organize someone else’s life as a virtual assistant. The job duties could be anything from helping with data entry, managing social media accounts or conducting research.

The pay varies depending on the job, but sites like People Per Hour let you browse available jobs or post your own skill.

2. Download Cash-Back Apps

You’re already spending money at the grocery store, and you could be getting paid for it! Download a cash-back app like Ibotta and scan your receipt when you get home. It gives you rebates depending on the products you bought.

Or, if you’re sitting in your room doing some online shopping, join Ebates before you checkout. This cash-back site gives you a certain percentage of cash back just for shopping. Right now, they’re offering 2.5% cash-back from American Eagle, 6% from Macy’s and 2% from Forever 21. It’s not a huge percentage, but it’s free money you wouldn’t have had otherwise! Plus, you’ll feel a little less guilty for shopping online. Just a little.

3. Flip Craigslist Freebies

This might not be the most glamorous option, but you will earn extra cash! If you find some good freebies on Craigslist, sell it for a profit on an app like Letgo or OfferUp.

You might also be able to use this method with your college’s local sell and trade groups -- if you haven’t joined yours on Facebook already, trust me, it’s out there. If anyone is giving stuff away for free, grab it and flip it online.

You might have to leave your dorm if the item is from Craigslist, but once you’ve got it in-hand, bring it home, take photos of it and wait for the offers to roll in.

4. Test Websites

Instead of binging another show on Netflix, use your laptop to make some actual money. Join websites like UserTest and UserFeel and you’ll get paid to test websites.

This is a pretty easy way to make money. All you do is click around on whatever website you’re assigned to and report back on the user experience. The pay is typically around $10 per website.

5. Sell Old Textbooks Online

As a recent grad, I know you’d be lying if you said you didn’t have any old textbooks lying around. For ones you were forced to buy, it feels wrong to give it up, but it’s also just taking up valuable space. And no, you aren’t going to need to crack open your Environmental Science textbook in two years -- we have Google.

Look up your book’s value on Bookscoutr and see what company will pay the most for that textbook.

6. Sell Your Photos

If you’re a self-proclaimed iPhone photographer, you should join Foap. It’s an online marketplace where users upload their smartphone photos, and brands buy them.

Whenever one of your photos sells, you get 50% of the profits. Foap doesn’t say exactly how much you’ll make, but the price seems to vary depending on how many pictures you’re selling.

7. Evaluate Search Engines

Sign up to be a search engine evaluator and get paid to clean up Google’s mess. You’ll be looking at how user-friendly and relevant specific search results are.

This work typically pays around $12 per hour, and the hours aren’t too strict. It’s a pretty easy way to use your free time to earn extra cash.

8. Become a Freelance Writer

Has english always been your best subject? Look into becoming a freelance writer for a topic you feel passionate about. Make sure you have a few writing samples before applying, maybe start your own blog and upload a few sample pieces of content to link to when you apply.

9. Take Surveys

I know, this isn’t the most glamorous way to earn extra cash, but it’s easy and doesn’t require leaving your room. Join a few online survey panels, like VIP Voice, Swagbucks and Ipsos panel. You’ll get an email when a survey for your demographic opens.

It might not be the fastest way to earn money, but it’s not too hard to earn a few $10 Amazon gift cards.

10. Get Rid of Anything You Don’t Use

Instead of having a cluttered room, you could be making money off of things you don’t use anymore.

Sell old clothes or household items through Letgo, OfferUp, or clothing-specific apps like Poshmark or Mercari. If you have old electronics, DVDs or video games, get rid of them with Decluttr.

This doesn’t necessarily have to be stuff sitting around your dorm -- is there anything you left back at home you won’t need anymore? Maybe it’s time to get rid of all those pairs of jeans from high school, or your homecoming dress you thought was so cute in 10th grade.

11. Serve As An Online Mock Juror

Finally, all the courtroom drama shows you’ve watched will be put to use! Lawyers need help to prepare for real cases, so they turn to a mock jury. You won’t get to hear both sides of the case, but you will be reviewing all the evidence from your computer.

Apply to be an online mock juror, and you’ll get an email when a case is available for your review. The work you get is based on location, so it’s hard to say exactly how much work you might receive, but the pay is anywhere from $10-$60 per hour.

12. Work As A Social Media Manager

Spending all your time on a social media platform can actually be translated into a skill. Look for social media management jobs. It’s helpful to be able to specialize in one platform, so pick the one you’re the most familiar with.

13. Become A Transcriptionist

Are you a fast typer? You could be earning $15-$25 per hour transcribing audio. This job is great for beginners -- it doesn’t require much experience to get started, and you can work whenever you have spare time.

With today’s gig economy, it isn’t too hard to find a side hustle. And making extra money while sitting in bed is even better!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

502
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

446
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

1135
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

The Great Christmas Movie Debate

"A Christmas Story" is the star on top of the tree.

2395
The Great Christmas Movie Debate
Mental Floss

One staple of the Christmas season is sitting around the television watching a Christmas movie with family and friends. But of the seemingly hundreds of movies, which one is the star on the tree? Some share stories of Santa to children ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), others want to spread the Christmas joy to adults ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and a select few are made to get laughs ("Elf"). All good movies, but merely ornaments on the Christmas tree of the best movies. What tops the tree is a movie that bridges the gap between these three movies, and makes it a great watch for anyone who chooses to watch it. Enter the timeless Christmas classic, "A Christmas Story." Created in 1983, this movie holds the tradition of capturing both young and old eyes for 24 straight hours on its Christmas Day marathon. It gets the most coverage out of all holiday movies, but the sheer amount of times it's on television does not make it the greatest. Why is it,
then? A Christmas Story does not try to tell the tale of a Christmas miracle or use Christmas magic to move the story. What it does do though is tell the real story of Christmas. It is relatable and brings out the unmatched excitement of children on Christmas in everyone who watches. Every one becomes a child again when they watch "A Christmas Story."

Keep Reading...Show less
student thinking about finals in library
StableDiffusion

As this semester wraps up, students can’t help but be stressed about finals. After all, our GPAs depends on these grades! What student isn’t worrying about their finals right now? It’s “goodbye social life, hello library” time from now until the end of finals week.

1. Finals are weeks away, I’m sure I’ll be ready for them when they come.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments