Making Money While You Are in College

What's covered: 

• Sell textbooks
• Sell electronics
• Craigslist gigs
• Participate in lab experiments/studies on UCSD campus
• Part-time jobs on campus

This list is in somewhat an order of most probable to the least probable way of making money.

Textbooks:

After spending tons of money on used or new textbooks for your courses, you can finally make some of that money back! If you were able to find a used book at a good price then you are in luck because you can probably sell that book for nearly the same price that you bought it for. If you bought it new, then you can sell it as a used book and make some money back as well but not as much. Common places where I have had success selling textbooks: Amazon.com and Facebook Marketplace. These two places have been more than sufficient for reaching all the consumers looking for used college textbooks. I prefer Facebook Marketplace simply because I do not have to deal with the hassle of shipping, avoid selling fees, and get paid in cash since I can meet locally.

Electronics:

If you have any old electronics such as video game consoles, video games, cell phones, laptops, televisions, iPods, speakers, or anything along those lines that you don't need anymore then you can sell them on eBay.com or craigslist.org. There are a lot of information that can be found on the internet on how to properly design your eBay ads to attract buyers. The same thing goes for your Craigslist ad as well. I prefer using Craigslist whenever possible to avoid seller fees and shipping hassle. Often times there are price discrepancies on consumer electronics on eBay and Craigslist. Here is where you can make some money by buying from one source and selling it to consumers on the other source. The bigger the price difference, the bigger your gains from trade, and the less risk you have to bear from investing in the product to resell. For example, during the first month the Apple iPhone was released by AT&T, people were selling their used iPhone 3GS for an average of $220 ($150-$270) so they could upgrade to the iPhone 4. A couple months later, the prices for the iPhone 3GS went back up above $300. Local and global prices may differ so keep an eye out for these opportunities to cash in.

  
Craigslist gigs:

Here is another opportunity to use Craigslist to help you earn some cash. People often post certain gigs that they want done. Some examples of these gigs are tutoring in elementary to college subjects, computer assistance, babysitting, personal designated driver, yard work, house cleaning, etc. You may find a request for your labor or skill that you have acquired at some point in your life such as fixing computers or teaching kids. Maybe you have a lot of strength and can help people move furniture. You could also be a great writer that someone is looking to hire to help them write their blogs or correct their essays. Whatever your skill is, there may be a task for you so try it out and make some money while you help someone out. 

UCSD Lab Experiments:

I have personally done a few Economics experiments where I have been paid for my time. These are simple decision making experiments that take anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours and they pay well for the work you do. Typically you will make about $20 an hour from these Economics experiments but they are not too abundant. I have also participated in a vaccine experiment related to exercise and I was compensated $100 for my time for this experiment which involved 3 visits that totaled less than 3 hours. There are many other types of experiments on campus that are posted on the walls of hallways. Check them out and do one or two in between classes and make enough lunch money for the entire week!

Part-time Jobs on campus:

A part-time job on campus is a good way to earn some money while you're in college. These jobs are typically very flexible around your schedule especially if you have a midterm review that was announced a few days before you have to work. Student workers can swap shifts with each other to help each other out while helping out the employer as well. If you qualify for Work Study, then you do not get Federal taxes withdrawn from your paycheck! You can work for UCSD Housing, Dining, and Hospitality and work in the college dining halls. You get free meals and get a work schedule that works around your class schedule! You can also work in the administrative departments of the various administrations on campus. You can become a campus shuttle driver, which pays pretty well at above $12 an hour. Check our Port Triton's Career Services to find jobs on campus that you can apply for!