Easy side hustles you can do while at uni

Even if you’ve got a decent student overdraft, living on just a maintenance loan can be tough. You might find yourself skipping treats, nights out or shopping trips to make sure you can afford all your bills each month. At the same time, you might not want to commit to a job that takes too much time away from your studies.

Luckily, more flexible roles are opening up, making it easier for students to earn while they learn. From helping people as a virtual assistant to making your own content, here are some side hustles you can do easily at uni.

Benefits of side hustles

Beyond the extra cash (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t want that), there are some other advantages to taking on a side hustle while studying for your degree:

• It can help you develop new skills or practise existing ones (like languages for example) which can benefit your learning and add to your CV
• Getting real-world work experience, which can be helpful to talk about in future interviews or even mean you start to develop your own graduate freelance career
• Making new contacts (both professional and social) and building a network that can open doors to future opportunities and experiences
• Filling your holiday time productively because, let’s be honest, you can’t party for all 12 weeks of summer

To get maximum benefit from your side hustle, it’s important to think carefully about the types of skills and experiences that might help your future career. Having these goals in mind will also help you find roles that you’ll enjoy as you earn.

How side hustle payments work

Even if you’re a student, you’re not exempt from paying tax on any money you earn from a side hustle. If you’re on the payroll of your employer (you get a PAYE slip each month) then they’ll sort out any tax and National Insurance payments for you. Those who are earning money as a freelancer will need to fill out their own self-assessment tax return, so be sure to register with HMRC in preparation.

Once you’ve made over £1,000, you’ll need to declare your earnings. Everyone gets a personal tax allowance, which means you won’t pay anything if you earn under £12,570 in a tax year. If you’ve made money from both employment and self-employment, then you’ll need to add these figures together.

If you’re unsure about what you need to declare or how to fill in your tax return, then it might be worth getting advice from an accountant.

Easy ways to earn money at uni

Whether you prefer the idea of making money online or want to be part of a team, here are some ways to earn extra cash without taking time away from your degree.

Take part in surveys and research

This is one of the easiest ways to earn extra money online. Plenty of sites pay cash or offer gift vouchers in return for filling out surveys or taking part in market research. Plus, you can pick them up at any time. If you’ve got a couple of spare hours, just log in and get paid per session. Many will transfer cash to your PayPal account, so you can keep it as a separate ‘fun fund’.

Make a channel or podcast

Got a big passion that you can’t stop talking about? Then turn it into an online side hustle by creating a YouTube channel or podcast about it. If it’s a topic you really love, then chances are others will want to talk and learn more about it too. From mental health to music genres and sports - there are no restrictions on what you can create content about.

By sharing your thoughts and expertise, you can start to build a community of like-minded people. As this grows, so will the earning opportunities, whether they’re earning ad revenue, attracting patrons or creating a valuable brand.

Rent your stuff

Make money from your phone by lending out your clothes, car or bike for cash. Whether you’ve got a designer outfit or bag in your cupboard, or your vehicle would be idle in a car park all day, apps like Turo or HURR open up passive income streams. Plus, it means you can earn cash without having to sell your fave things for good.

Launch a website

Shopify, Squarespace and Wix make it really easy to set up and run an eCommerce site. Whether you make branded merch, craft jewellery or paint pieces of art, you can add and sell them via your online store from your own bedroom. If you don’t fancy building your own website, then Etsy or Ebay make great digital storefronts for your products.

Become a digital creative

Got a creative talent? Then monetise it and earn while doing something you love. The following skills are always in demand, whether you decide to pitch for projects yourself or find them through networks such as Fiverr:

• Graphic design for brands or marketing teams
• Social media management or idea generation
• Writing for blogs, as a ghostwriter or even for magazines
• Creating voice demos or building a voiceover portfolio
• Shooting videos for events or businesses
• Photography commissions or uploading images to stock sites

Looking for this sort of work doesn’t just get your creative juices (and the cash) flowing, but helps you build your portfolio. This can be helpful as you look to build your career.

Transcribe or translate

When it comes to side hustles at home, they don’t get much simpler (or more profitable) than this. If you’re a speedy typer or fluent in another language, you can quickly earn some cash by turning audio to text. It’s easy to pick up transcription jobs for around £15 an hour and even more if you’re translating an in-demand language.

Tutor other students

Always the one to type up lecture notes in beautiful colours? Already creating a study guide to help with your revision? Make the most of your efforts and sell them onto your coursemates or future alumni. Simply set up your own website and put your resources behind a paywall.

You can make the most of your pre-uni qualifications too. Whether it’s an English A-level or Politics GCSE, sign up to sites like MyTutor or Tutorful or get in touch with local colleges and schools to see if they need extra support. If you’re passionate about a particular subject, this is an enjoyable way to earn some pounds.

House or pet-sitting

Take a staycay in a plush apartment or borrow a super-cute pooch and get paid for the privilege. Though you have to take responsibility for someone’s home or pet, you can enjoy a break away from your housemates, walk someone’s dog at lunchtime or make friends with a parrot for around £10 to £15 per hour.

Flexible or casual roles

If you fancy getting out and about, there are lots of flexible or casual roles you can take advantage of. From signing up to drive for Uber to taking on a role as a part-time barista, signing up as a lifeguard at your nearby pool or sports coach for a nearby team. Keep an eye on local jobs for roles that suit your skills and schedule.

Temporary or contract roles are a great way to meet new people. They also come with the bonus of a reference at the end - ideal for when you start job seeking!

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