If you find that you’re studying and are unable to pay the bills – and often afford nutritious food – you’re certainly not the only one. Studying can be a tough time for many, particularly as there is so little time to find work and dedicate time to proper budgeting. Although finding some casual work or part-time work is possible, there are a lot of great options out there that also allow you to focus on your studies (as part-time jobs can very often be more demanding than we’d like). It’s hard to know where to start, though, so in this article we take a look at a few alternate options for students wanting to make money while they study.
Use your current skills to gain income
If you’re trying to manage medical student loans in Australia as you study, you might frequently find that your budget only stretches so far. One of the best places to start is not actually by finding work, but by seeing what you’re entitled to as a student – looking into things like scholarships and stipends may help you find something you’re eligible for that will help you financially while still affording you ample time for study. If you’re not eligible for entitlements, you can potentially consider working as a freelancer in your field – there are quite a few websites that allow you to offer your services, however niche they be, with the potential for you to set your own hours and to pursue work that you’re actually interested in. this is also an excellent opportunity for you to create a portfolio of work that you can graduate with, which means you can kill two birds with one stone! You can also use this time to pursue other creative avenues that you’re interested in, such as setting up a website selling your services or an Etsy store where you can sell creative things you make (after all, why not turn a hobby into profit?)
Pass on your skills
While you’re studying, there is also ample opportunity to do some teaching of your own. This doesn’t even have to be in the field that you’re currently studying in – you can tutor someone in a musical instrument, or even just pass on basic math or literacy skills that you have. This opens up the opportunity to teach people who are not just our own age, but people who are much younger (whether they be high-schoolers or first year university students). You might even consider teaching a few people at once through a community class, whether it be in something like art or digital marketing. There are also quite a few opportunities to teach online, and this is an option particularly well-suited to those who have trouble dictating in front of a group of strangers. Courses like Udemy are a good start, or you might even find you develop enough of a following on YouTube to start making a little bit of money.
Finding your niche
With a creative and open mind, there is a good chance you’ll be able to figure out a potential avenue for you to make money. Whether this be a creative outlet or a way to inform others on your own educational journey, the options available are often more numerous than you might initially think. If you’re stuck for ideas, it’s also worth asking around with other students and finding out if they have any suggestions you might not have yet considered.
