How to earn some extra money whilst at school, college or university

Just because you are still at school or attending university/college does not mean you cannot start earning some money. This will allow you to save up for your first car (and your driving lessons), summer holidays or perhaps put towards your first flat/house. 

Below are some ways in which you can earn a bit of money whilst still studying. 

Part-time work 

A good way to make money is by undertaking part-time employment.

Just remember not to let part-time employment disrupt studying and school work. A good idea is to start off with Christmas and summer temporary jobs. 

Online Surveys 

Sadly most online survey sites have a minimum age of 18 however there are a couple that have a minimum age of 16. Do not put in a fake age either as you are likely to be banned from the site if they find out. 

Surveys usually take between 5-20 minutes to complete however you may get some that are longer. Remember the longer the survey the higher the reward! 

In return for completing surveys, the site will either pay you cash or reward you with points that can be ‘spent’ on things like vouchers or even gifts. Cash payments are usually paid by bank transfer or sometimes by cheque. 

Please be aware you will not make huge amounts of money completing online surveys however dependent on the number of sites you sign up to you and the number of surveys you complete it is a good way to earn some extra money or vouchers to spend. 

A few things to remember: 

• Do not just click random answers to speed through the survey. Most online survey sites have technology in place to detect this and this may reduce the number of surveys they send you. Try to take your time answering the questions as this will show that you are genuine thus they may send you more surveys to complete. 
• Some surveys may ask relatively personal questions or ask you about issues that may be considered sensitive or controversial. Although most surveys will warn you beforehand, please think about whether or not you are comfortable answering these questions. You may be able to skip these questions or select ‘prefer not to answer’.
• Do not be tempted to sign up to the same site more than once with different email addresses to get more chances to complete a survey. This is likely to be an infringement of the site’s rules and in extreme cases may be considered to be fraud (especially if you use someone else’s name). So tempting as it, don’t do it. 
• Some survey sites may only send you one or two surveys per month. 

Babysitting 

This may not be for everyone but if you are up for it babysitting can be a good way to earn some extra money. 

A good place to start is people you know and are comfortable with I.e family or close friends. To get some experience you may need to start off by offering your services for free. After you have babysat several times for family and friends you can start offering your services to other people (and for a fee). It is advised that you try to stick with people you know or that your family/friends know. 

What babysitting will actually involve depends very much on the age of the children and the time. If you are babysitting in the evening you may need to supervise bedtime routines for younger children (very young children may already be in bed when you arrive). Older children may be permitted to stay up until their parents return thus you will be responsible for keeping them entertained. 

Tips 

• Plan in advance what you will do if something happens. 
• Make sure you have the contact details of the children’s parents/guardians in case you need to contact them.
• Ask if there is someone else you could contact in an emergency if you genuinely cannot get in touch with the parents. 
• Let someone else know where you will be and for how long. 

Tutoring 

If you have strong knowledge and understanding of a particular subject you could share your wisdom by offering you services as a tutor. 

A good place to start is with people you know and trust. You will also need to decide whether you would prefer to tutor online or in person.

Tutoring online is logistically easier however not everyone is comfortable with this. However, if you (and the person you are tutoring) are happy, make sure you have access to a computer/laptop with a webcam and strong WiFi. 

If you are tutoring in-person remember you will need to be comfortable travelling to other people’s houses (might be a good idea to let someone else know where you are going and for how long). 

Agree in advance what your fee will be with the person and/or their parents. Remember you will not be able to charge as much as a qualified teacher. 

Similar to babysitting once you have had some experience tutoring you may be recommended to other people. 

Sell unwanted stuff 

If you are ever having a clear-out it might be worthwhile checking if there is anything worth selling. 

Here is our list of sellable items to look out for: 

• Books 
• DVDs 
• CDs 
• Games 
• Toys 
• Clothes 

Make sure items are in good condition. No one will want to buy stuff that is broken or in poor condition regardless of whether it’s second hand. 

Once you have gathered together your collection of unwanted stuff, the next step is to decide how you are going to sell it. 

Some websites allow you to sell second-hand items. However many websites have a minimum of how much you need to sell before they will accept your belongings. Although on the plus side many offer free collection or postage. 

You can also sell your items on websites such as eBay, Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree. This means you can decide how much you sell them for and negotiate with the buyer. However, you will be responsible for organising postage or delivering the item. 

Tips for writing a good advert

• State clearly what the item is. 
• Give an accurate description. Make clear whether the item is new or second hand and in what condition. 
• Include good quality images. 

If you would prefer to sell in person you can try a car boot sale or ask around friends and family. 

Sign up to help at UK elections 

Ever wondered how votes get counted at an election? You may have seen news footage of hundreds of people in a hall surrounded by ballot boxes counting out ballot papers. All of these people are members of the public who have signed up to count votes and the good news is almost anyone can do it. 

The official term is counter and you will be paid to stay up all night at count the votes in your local area. 

If you would rather not stay up all night, you can also apply to work during the day as a Polling Clerk when the polling station is open. This role involves distributing ballot papers, checking people’s names off the register when they arrive to vote and helping to set up and close the polling station. However, you will need to be there from 6:30 AM-10 PM at night and you aren’t allowed to leave for security reasons. 

There are some restrictions as to who can apply. You will need to be: 

• Aged 16 or over although in some places you need to be 18. 
• Not related to or have worked for any political candidate. 
• Not a member of or associated with any political party. 
• Eligible to work in the UK. You can prove this by showing a valid UK Passport or National Insurance Number 

If this sounds like something you would be interested in you can apply via your local authority.