How to Earn Money as a Student

1 min read • May 27 2025

Whilst at university, there are so many expenses to think about, and on top of exam stress, money is the last thing you want to be worrying about. By looking in the right places, students can find jobs that work around their studies, help them improve their skills, and expand their CVs. 

Get a Part-Time Job That Works Around Your Schedule

Many students get part-time jobs in retail (like in a supermarket or clothes shop) and hospitality (like in a coffee shop or restaurant). Many of these places have a demand for weekend work, and early morning or evening shifts could be available too. There may also be the chance to work more hours during half-terms and holidays. When searching for a job, a good place to start is to look for places advertising lower contracts, such as eight or ten hours. Many universities also offer jobs for students on campus, such as being a tour guide for new people joining the university. So make sure you keep an eye out for these! 

Flexible jobs also give you the chance to develop your skills. For example, communication, time management, teamwork and problem-solving are impressive qualities for a CV. 

Explore Online Freelance Gigs Using Your Skills

Start by thinking about what you enjoy, what your strengths are and what can help you work toward your future goals. For example, if you have a passion for writing, you could create content for businesses like blogs and newsletters. This also looks great on your CV if you want your future career to involve writing, such as a job in journalism and media. If you’re passionate about your area of study or did well at a subject in school, you could use this for online tutoring. Many parents look for tutors for their children, especially for subjects like maths, English, science and languages. 

Offer Services In Your Local Area

There are many things you can do to help people out and earn some extra money at the same time. If you know what career path you want to go down, you could start by relating your service to this. For example, if you want to work with children in a school or a nursery, then babysitting can help you develop your skills for this. This job often requires evening work too, which can fit around your university studies. If you want to work with animals, you could consider working as a dog walker. This can be flexible, and you may be able to fit in a dog walk before or after lectures. 

The service you choose also doesn’t have to be related to a future career, any kind of experience in a job is useful! For example, you could consider house sitting for people whilst they’re away on holiday. This job gives you skills like responsibility, problem-solving and communication, which all look great on a CV. 

Sell Your Old Stuff

If you think your wardrobe needs a clear-out, you can sell your old clothes and items through websites like eBay and Vinted. Instead of just throwing them away, someone out there will appreciate a pair of jeans or a t-shirt to add to their collection. You might think that selling a shirt for a low price is pointless, but if you do it often, you could make more than you think! This is also a great way to declutter; a less overwhelming environment can help you focus better, increase productivity, and boost your mood. 

Join Paid Research, Survey and Testing Platforms

This option is useful for students who are busy and struggle to find the time for a job. Completing surveys is flexible, and you can do them at a time that suits you. Contributing to research by giving your opinions can also feel important and rewarding. However, there are downsides to doing this. The amount you earn from completing a survey can be very low, and you may have to contribute a lot of spare time if you want to make more money doing it. When signing up for these websites, do research first into whether it’s a legitimate site because there are lots of scams out there. 

Save Money With The Student Energy Group

At The Student Energy Group, we know the importance of budgeting and saving money. The last thing we want you to worry about is your bills, which is why we’ll combine them into one monthly student bills package. This can then be split equally between you and your housemates. If you sign up with us, we’ll also plant a tree. Get a free no-obligation quote from us today to start saving money. 

Get a free no obligation quote

It takes less than 2 minutes!

Start your quote