Everyone knows that college is an expensive time. It costs you money to get there, and you can find yourself still paying for it long after you’ve left. In addition to the tuition and textbook costs, you also need to live.

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Going to college is a key life event that impacts your future. First you’ll need to choose which type of college you’d like to attend, there are so many different types of colleges from a sports university to a Christian university. Naturally, the major you’d like to study will largely influence your decision. Making big decisions like these can feel stressful, and you might be worried about how you’re going to financially support yourself. Luckily there are so many easy ways that you can make money.

Many students tend bar or waiter their way through college, but have you thought about the different ways you can make money online instead?

Whether you need beer money or a bit of help to pay your rent, check out the different ways you can pay your way through college from your computer.

Complete online surveys

Online surveys are one of the simplest ways to make easy money online. You may be wondering whether or not you can make money from online surveys, but the truth is you can. Depending on how much time you’re willing to put into it, you could make money hundreds of dollars each month, while still binge-watching your favorite shows on Netflix. Completing some online surveys can be a great way to make some additional cash that could substitute a part-time job.

Sell things

Selling things online can be easy if you’ve got a knack for it. If you have a fashion habit, for example, you can always sell-on the clothing you no longer want to help you afford new items. While you have your classic selling sites like eBay to get rid of your unwanted goods, new tools like Depop are a great way to make money from selling online. If you can source a good bargain and resell to make money from your investment, you could have the makings of a great online business!

Write

Copywriters are in high demand online, so you could make some good money doing anything from writing product descriptions to writing social media copy online. It’s easier than you might think to get started with copywriting, with websites such as eLance, Copify and PeoplePerHour offering some excellent ways for you to build up experience and hone your skills. If you’ve got a passion for words or you want to write something other than essays for the next couple of years - copywriting could be a good little earner for your college years and beyond.

Sell your services

If writing isn’t your thing, there might be other talents that you have that you could sell online. People offer all sorts of services from proofreading to voiceover work and even tutoring - whatever your talent might be; you could make some extra cash online. There are some inspiring stories of people who make thousands from websites like Fiverr, so it’s worth exploring to see what sorts of services you could offer others from your computer.

Online games

While it might not be the most recommended way to make money online, online games like online casinos can be a way for you to make some money online. If you stick to free trials and stakes, you won’t risk your own money and could help you earn some extra income if you know what you’re doing.

Start a blog

Blogs can be a fun way to make some money online while also indulging your passion. If you have something that you’re interested in, such as beauty, sports or food, you could easily make money from blogging. Blogging requires commitment, but if you’ve got the time to write and promote a couple of posts a week, it could be a good venture for you. Having a blog is a great way to boost your career prospects post-college, demonstrating that you have other interests, as well as expert knowledge on a particular topic.

Start a YouTube channel

Having a YouTube channel is another popular way to make money online. A vlog is a good companion or alternative to a blog, allowing you to share ideas, how-tos and more. The more subscribers you have to your channel, the more money you can stand to make from it - with YouTube offering monetization options after you reach a certain amount of views and subscribers. If you have something good to say, say it - it could be a great money-making opportunity for you.

Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing can be a good way to make money online without much effort required. In short, affiliate marketing involves making recommendations to people through links or referral codes that lead them to products and services. You can make money through affiliate marketing using your social media pages, Pinterest, your blog and other methods. Shopstyle Collective, RewardStyle, Amazon and Target have some good affiliate marketing programs that are worth investigating.

Make money from gaming

Do you enjoy gaming? Why not make some money from it? There are different ways to make money from gaming, including having subscribers follow you on Twitch, writing how-to guides and walkthroughs for different games or publishing podcasts with advertisements and sponsorships. You’ll need the right streaming setup to make it work, but it could be a good investment if you’re serious about earning while gaming. If you already spend hours of your day gaming, this could be a good way to keep up your hobby while also making some money from it.

Micro-tasking

If you’ve got some free time and want to get paid for menial tasks that others can’t be bothered to do, you’ll be surprised at how much money you can make from doing this online. Websites such as Taskrabbit, Swagbucks and others can pay anything for completing small tasks which could range from posting a review to using a search engine. Ideal for when you need some extra dollars here and there, this could help you make some easy money and fast.

Become someone’s virtual assistant

It can be tough to get a job after college without experience, so looking for ways to make money that also boost your skills can help. Becoming a virtual assistant is a good way to develop some skills that will be useful for your career such as administrative tasks, developing your communication skills and working to deadlines. You could be a virtual assistant for a day or for a certain number of hours a week depending on how much time you have and what the requirements of your client are.

Invest

Investing is something you can start during your college years to help you grow your savings. The College Investor is a great website to teach you all about the ins and outs of investing to help you get started. Investments can come with risks, but if you set out a plan for yourself and start off slowly, you can make some wise choices that will boost your existing and future financial situation. If you’re unsure of how to get started with investing, you might want to consider a micro-investing app to get you started using the spare change from your card purchases.

Teach your skills to others

Do you have useful information that you can pass onto others? Why not teach an e-course? People make money teaching courses on everything from improving your blog to social media basics. Provided you can create a suitable marketing strategy to promote your e-course or book, you could make some decent money by sharing your knowledge with others.

Making money online is much easier than you think. Unlike generations before you, you can find more flexible ways to earn money for college that will help you get by and without impacting your studies. How will you make money online from your computer? Find out now by exploring the different options to help you pay your way through college.