By Oyinlola Pelumi Adewale
That you’re in school doesn’t mean you should always be broke, as being in school shouldn’t stop you from making money. As a student, it is very understandable that you might have assignments that require money – class projects, excursions and so on.
There are plenty of ways a person can make money while in school. From starting a business to chasing hobbies in school such as participating in competitions, hosting events, modelling, helping lazy students with their works and also engaging in tutorials for students who have difficulty grasping what has been taught in the lecture room. See ExamLabs
Making money legitimately while in school can be a pretty difficult task because of the responsibilities associated with school activities. It is no doubt a serious job for a person to juggle school work with money making processes. Saturday Sun spoke to Olabisi Comfort Adisa, a business administrator and also a business woman who started making money while she was in school.
Said she: “Making money in school is a very serious task, it can be really tedious because you will have to balance school activities with your side hustles and that is not easy at all. But in the long run, it is beneficial. When you are looking to start a side hustle that can keep you financially balanced in school, you should take note of some of the following.
One: Start your own tutorial
If you like the idea of teaching, you can focus on a subject you are really good at, and you could become a tutor instead. The better your academic performance in school, the higher the rate you’ll be able to charge. To clarify, if you realise you are very good in a particular subject, you can teach that course to your classmates. You can have a tutorial session once a week and charge at least 100 naira per session for each student. This is an excellent opportunity to help others and also improve your teaching skills while making money on the side.
Two: Join student’s groups
One of the easiest ways to make money in school without having to go around advertising yourself or brand is by joining one of your school’s student politics groups. Joining the Student Union Government (SUG) is a very good one because this group is viewed as the student representative and the student affairs pay the people running the group a stipend for their work.
Three: Sell mobile data and airtime
The mobile data is now a daily need for everyone, most especially students who need to always stay connected to their mobile devices. You can recharge your phone with unlimited data subscription and sell to people who need it. You can also sell airtime and data in bulk by signing up to virtual top up businesses and start earning some money for yourself. This skill is already being practised by a few students in your school. So why not join them and make an extra tip for yourself as well?
Four: Go into computer/phone repairs
If you have knowledge about computer and phone repairs, you can start that as a side business because people with electronic gadgets may sometimes experience threats of viruses and some other gadget-related issues and that can be a very good opportunity for you to not only improve your skills but to also make money
Five: Do nails, makeup or heads gears
In this modern age where almost all the girls you see on the street are almost artificial because of the hair, nails, make up and the likes, this can be one of the most reliable ways to make money while in school. You can also go on YouTube to learn if you don’t know how to do these things. And before you know it, with enough practice, you’ll be a pro and can then increase your charges.
Six: Work as a DJ:
It is not all DJs that have a full set lying around in the house, not to even talk of them knowing how to use such equipment. If you’re one of the few that not just own a complete DJ set but can also use it to perform, then you should be ready to use that as a means of making money, especially when you are in a school with so much social activities. Being a disc jockey will be a good one for you if you have the confidence and are very good in mixing songs and setting moods. Being a DJ, you can easily organise parties for no reason and tell people to bring their drinks. Then you charge at least N500 per head just for them to hear you play. Students like parties a lot so you can make money by organising parties and playing nice jams or you can rent your equipment out to other DJs that need it.
Seven: Become a show host:
Hosting shows or becoming a master of ceremonies is also another way to earn some money for yourself while in school. Becoming a show host is quite easy if you set your mind to it. It is one business venture that requires little or no capital to kick start. All you need to do is attend shows and events, not just in your school, but also outside the school if you are chanced. You should also read up jokes online, watch comedy shows and also practise these things with a little bit of drama that you are sure can make people laugh. Then you take up offers to host or co-host events and ceremonies. All you need to do is to submit application for upcoming events. If you can really keep your audience happy and all smiles, then you are good to go.
Eight: Become a hair stylist/barber
This is a very popular skill for students in school especially when they are very good at what they do and if they can keep up with new and trendy styles. Barbering and hair styling are very lucrative jobs in school because no matter how broke a student is, they will always want to have a nice clean cut or a nicely braided hair or weave-on. So in a day, you can get at least three customers. If this sort of business is done in a school environment, then you do not have to worry about electricity charges or having to buy fuel to fill your generator.
Nine: Become a caterer
If you can cook, bake and make delicious tasting dishes or snacks, you can own a mini shop or canteen in the school environment where you can sell your cooked food or baked snacks. If you cannot afford to own a shop, all you should do is get a table for selling and benches where customers can sit to have a comfortable meal. That way, in no time, you will be making a whole lot of money depending on how tasty your food or pastry is.
Ten: Help lazy students with school work and assignments:
Assignments, school tasks and projects are very compulsory in the life of every student because they are part of what determines your grade at the end of the semester. Most students are known to be lazy and in other words they do not have the time or even the brain to work on some of the school tasks assigned to them. In this case, you can make yourself some money by helping them out with the tasks and charge them for the work done. The fee should be based on how difficult the school work is. Some of them might require a whole lot of research, studying and writing and some might require you to build something or be creative with something as in the case of architectural designs and all sorts. You can have an agreement with this class of students to take care of them when these assignments are given while they in return take care of you financially.
Eleven: Go into photography
The best way to excel in photography in school is if you are really skilled and your skills have earned you some popularity. School events such as matriculations, convocations, departmental week, college week, impromptu parties, freshers’ night, dinner parties and so on will always pop up. You can use these opportunities to market yourself, if you have the equipment and skills. You can also go into freelance photography and also work outside the school environment.