Informative Articles for Students – TextbookRentals.com

Over 70 percent of college students are actually suffering from financial stress.

When you have paid for your college fees, your rent and your groceries, you probably barely have anything leftover.

You may think that you can’t take a job while you’re studying. But, there are many ways you make extra cash while at college.

Check out our tips for making money and avoiding going Broke in College while studying at college. Let’s go!

1. Get a Side Gig on Campus

If you don’t want to leave the college campus to get extra cash, you can earn money where you already are.

If you’re a mature student, you may be able to earn money helping out younger students as a teaching assistant or tutor.

Are any of your professors eager to hire a research assistant? You could learn more about your preferred discipline at the same time as earning extra cash.

You could earn money by showing new or prospective students around the campus or your accommodation.

2. Become an Entrepreneur

If you want to become an entrepreneur, why wait until you’ve graduated. The university campus is actually the best place to launch your startup.

You’re surrounded by talented and smart young people with bright ideas. You have the resources of the college at your disposal.

Plus, if you make any hiccups, nobody will notice because you’re just a college kid. This is where you can experiment with your ideas to make a little extra.

3. Do Random Household Jobs

If you’re pretty handy putting up shelves or you have amazing brand and marketing skills, you could sign up to TaskRabbit.

This could allow you to get linked up with clients who need a task completed. This could be a wide range of tasks.

It’s flexible and interesting work making it perfect for a side job while you’re at college. It can also pay pretty well.

4. Teach a Language

Do you speak a second language? You could find work as a tutor online or on-campus teaching your lingo to customers eager to learn.

You don’t even need to speak a foreign language. If you have the patience and grammar knowledge necessary to succeed, simply teach people English.

If you’re not qualified as a teacher, you may struggle to earn a lot of tutoring people. However, it’s a really fun and rewarding way to earn a little extra cash.

5. Do a Summer Internship

If you want to earn money while at college, you could simply do an internship during the summer break.

This could allow you to make money and gain valuable experience at the same time. You may even land a job after you graduate as a result of impressing people.

Unfortunately, many internships are unpaid. So, make sure you to keep an eye out for the better internships that give you some money for your work.

6. Spend Less Money

You don’t actually have to earn more money if you want extra cash. There are simple ways to save money while at college.

You can save money by renting rather than buying your textbooks. Check out more about renting textbooks here.

You could also save cash by keeping a budget for your groceries and other household expenses.

Rather than going out partying all of the time, stay home and have a gathering of friends at your place instead.

7. Get a Job as a Sitter

You can earn a lot of dosh simply by occasionally taking care of your neighbor’s pets or kids.

It’s easy money really. You just have a play with some (hopefully) amazing children for a couple of hours before they go to bed.

You could even get to do pet sitting for a fluffy cat or a sweet puppy. This can be a fun and enjoyable way to make cash while at college.

8. Sell Your Unused Stuff

Up to one in four Americans actually have a clutter problem. But, this isn’t only organizing your life.

You could be sitting on a bunch of valuable things that you never use. Why not sell them and enjoy spending the cash while you’re at college?

There are so many ways to sell things now. You can promote your possessions on eBay or Etsy. You could even run a yard sale or set up a flea market.

9. Rent Out Your Stuff

You may not be ready to depart with your things. Minimalism isn’t for everyone.

And yet, you could always rent out your stuff when you’re not using it. There are a bunch of apps and websites where you can allow other people to borrow it for a fee.

Do you have a spare room at your house? There could be around $6 billion wasted every year due to the unused spare rooms in America’s homes.

You could get a piece of this action by renting out your spare room. You could even put your own room on Airbnb and stay at a friend’s for the night.

10. Launch Your YouTube Channel

Are you addicted to YouTube? If you’re always spending tons of time watching videos on YouTube, why don’t you start making money while you do it?

Launch your own YouTube channel. You could share your recipes with your fans or promote your views about the state of the world.

Whatever your niche, you can make money from advertising on YouTube. Just build up your following and watch the dollars flow into your bank account.

Broke in College? Make More Money!

If you’re worried about going Broke in College, you don’t have to simply to despair about your money concerns.

Get out there and make some extra cash. From testing out your entrepreneurial skills to doing odd jobs.

Do you want to know more about how you can save money by renting your campus textbooks? Check out this blog post to discover more!

Ah, the dreaded college interview. It’s when you become more than just your resume and GPA – the college gets to meet you!

First and foremost, congratulations! Looking at colleges is a giant step for your future, and you should be proud of yourself for coming this far.

If your school offers you an interview, take it, even if it’s optional. Depending on the college, you may meet either an employee of admissions at the school or alumni in your area.

Many factors are going to influence whether you’re accepted into the college of your choice. The interview is one of them. Go into that interview and show them what you’ve got!

1. Get to Know the School

One more high school research project – for old times’ sake!

Before the college interview, take some time to learn about the school. How much time you put into this is up to you, but the more knowledgeable you are about the school, the more prepared you’ll appear.

Already have an idea of what you want to study or major in? Look into the specific program or division within the school; learn about the professors, the research, and the goals of the program.

You don’t have to memorize anything. You shouldn’t go into the interview reciting the important dates in the college’s history, but showing a bit of passion for the school can go a long way.

If you have a college interview with many schools, you should prepare for each one separately. Treat each interview as an individual and learn about the school as you would a new friend. Some colleges put a lot of weight on the interview to get into the school, others may barely consider them when making their decision.

2. Early Bird Gets the… Acceptance

Most colleges will give you the option to schedule your interview at your convenience. Take the opportunity to schedule as soon as possible.

Interview slots can fill up quickly, and some colleges have rolling acceptance and the decisions are made as the applications are finalized, not at a certain date. Get familiar with the deadlines.

Our advice: take a tour of the school before your interview. Talk about certain buildings that interested you If the college provides tours, try to schedule one on the same day!

3. Preparation is Key

This isn’t one of those “wing it” moments.

We know, we’re preaching to the choir. You’re here reading this after all! But we want to assure you that it’s worth it to put in the extra effort before the big interview.

Prepare to answer college interview questions. This is a big component of your prep and we will go into the specifics in the next section.

Bring your resume, practice questions, and arrive on time.

4. Ace that College Interview!

The following is a brief collection of common questions you may hear in an interview, as well as some recommendations in formulating your response.

Each interview has the potential to be different, and there is no guarantee that the interviewer will ask these questions. But better safe (and overly prepared) than sorry, right? Here’s your ‘Common Questions 101.’

Tell me about yourself?

Be honest. This your chance to let them know who you are and what makes you a great candidate. Talk not only about your family, peers, and extracurriculars but your other passions like baking or your band.

This is one of the rare times that they get to see you as something besides a number. Let them see the real and wonderful you.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

Showcase your passion for something specific. If you have a major in mind or have any applicable dreams, talk about where you hope to be in that field.

Strengths and Weaknesses

What are your academic strengths and weaknesses? What are your personal ones? There is a way to humbly list off your strengths without sounding pompous, just as there is a way to recite your weaknesses without making yourself look bad.

Weaknesses can be a bit hard to make positive, but it is all about phrasing. Saying “I am a control freak” and “I’m working hard on delegating when in a leadership role” sound completely different, but come from the same root problem.

Trust us, they do not want to hear the “I am a perfectionist” weakness response again.

Why are you interested in this school? What could you contribute?

Time to bring all that knowledge of the school to the test! Talk about specific clubs or research you’re interested in or want to be a part of. Colleges want to know what you could contribute to the campus while you’re at the campus, as well as an alumnus.

5. The Handshake

The handshake is so undervalued. When you walk into an interview, introduce yourself and shake their hand. This sets you apart as a professional.

But it isn’t only the handshake, it is your body language. While your transcript will tell them about your success in school, you can present yourself with success right in front of them. Fake it ’til you make it!

6. Dress For Success

The college interview outfit. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money or be a designer label, but it has to be clean and business-professional.

If you’re worried about being able to pay for an interview outfit, look for the hidden treasures in your local thrift store or find a program that helps clothe and prepare teens and young adults for interviews!

7. Sound Professional

It is not just how you look that will make a difference in your interview, but also how you sound. This is the time to make an impression, so choose your words, tone, and phrasing carefully. You’ll be representing the university if you’re accepted, after all!

You don’t have to rush to answer, take a second to consider the question and your response. You’ll sound more composed if you think before you speak.

A professional tone and posture can go a long way. Speak eloquently, but make sure your personality doesn’t get overshadowed by formality.

Also, this should go without saying, but don’t swear!

8. Ask Your Own Questions

The point of your college interview is for the admissions officer to learn more about you and what you could bring to the school.

To the interviewer, it’ll appear that you’re invested in learning more about the school. It will show that you’re prepared, dedicated, and interested in this particular school.

9. Be Yourself

The most polite version of yourself, of course.

The interviewer wants to get a sense of the real you, beyond your GPA and personal essay.

People can tell when you’re not being yourself, and while it is important to have a positive disposition, don’t be fake. There have likely been many interviewees before you so your interviewer won’t be fooled by a facade.

You’re prepared. You’ve got this. Relax and give them the real you!

10. Follow-up

An often forgotten, but important aspect of the college interview: the thank you note.

Send the college interview e-mail or thank you note soon after your interview. Thank the interviewer for their time and consideration. If there were any personal moments or connections you had with the interviewer, try to work that into the note.

Already Ace That Interview?

Look at you go!

When you get into your dream college, be sure to check out TextbookRentals.com before you spend a small fortune on books.

If you’re still awaiting the interview, you’ve got this. And we’ve got your back every step of the way until you get that acceptance letter!

Broke in College? Here’s How to Make Extra Cash!