But when you’re in college, time is precious, and you have to work smarter, not harder to get everything that you want. I have not done every side hustle on this list, but I have tried a few that have helped me make money on the side. Most of them also work around your schedule and you end up having a lot of freedom to do as you wish.

Sell Your Old Clothes on Poshmark

Poshmark is my tried and true way of making money in college. I get to clean out my closet and make some money off of the pieces that are collecting dust in my closet. What’s not to lose? Poshmark is an app that is used by millions of users in the US to buy or sell used or new clothing, shoes, and accessories. All that you have to do is sign up for an account, take pictures of the item that you want to sell, post the item to the app, and voila! You’re on your way to your first sale.

Now in reality, there’s a little more skill set involved to make a ton of money on Poshmark, which I outlined in more detail in this blog post. But the great thing about Poshmark is that it doesn’t take a lot of effort to get started or to maintain. So far, I’ve made over $2,000 on Poshmark with my guide, which is insane for a college student!

What I like to do is every few months, I try on everything in my closet and see what pieces that either no longer fit me or haven’t been worn in that time frame. Whatever doesn’t make the “keep” pile gets uploaded to Poshmark to hopefully sell for profit. This way I keep a clean closet and a steady supply of pieces to sell in my Poshmark closet. When you sign up for Poshmark, use the invite code “SNOWBALLIN” to earn $5 off your first order!

Dogsit or Dogwalk on Rover

My second favorite way to make money in college is by dog sitting and dog walking in my area. I used to use the Rover app a lot more often before I rescued my own dog in college, and it’s super simple to get started. I have another post that outlines in more detail how to get started so check it out. But basically, Rover is an app that is used by thousands of people in the US to buy and sell pet services. It’s basically way for people to find dog sitters and dog walkers in their neighborhood the modern way. You won’t need to make paper flyers and to pass them around to your neighbors for this gig!

To get started, simply make an account, complete a background check and an informational course, and boom! You’re ready to start walking. Now I do recommend getting friends and family to write testimonies, at the beginning, for you that way people can read about your abilities and skillsets before booking you for the first time. 

In the Rover app or website, you get the option to choose your availability, your dog or cat preferences, and type of services that you’re going to be offering. You can offer more than one type of services and can choose your own rates for each service but make them competitive to be booked more regularly.  Use the code “MAKAELA20” to get $20 off your first booking or first gig on Rover!

Start a Money-Making Blog

While starting a blog is definitely not a get-rich quick scheme, it’s a great way to make some extra money if you’re willing to put the time and effort into it. Most bloggers make the majority of their income from sponsored posts, affiliate links, and by selling their own products. For me, blogging has allowed me to cut back some of my hours at work and meet some really dope people in the field.

For those that are interested in learning more about how to start a blog and some other blogging tips, then check out these posts below for more details:

• How to Start a Profitable Blog
• Blogging Basics 101: All About WordPress
• The True Story About How to Make Money Blogging
• 8 Blogging Tools that I Can’t Live Without
• Why I Invested in Convertkit vs Mailchimp When I Was Earning $0 From My Blog

Become a Human Guinea Pig

You’d be surprised about how much money you can make by being a human guinea pig for a research project in your area. No seriously! I’ve only done low ball research studies for organizations on campus that paid $25-50 per study, but there are bigger studies out there that’ll pay you $500 and up for being a human guinea pig. One of my friends from pharmacy school got paid $600 to be a part of a sleep study, and she was able to sleep at home in her own bed!

At any given time, there are multiple medical research studies happening around the US, and they are always looking for participants to get involved. You do not have to be sick or have a specific illness to get started or to earn money from this gig. All research projects require a baseline group to use against the actual sick participants, which means anyone can get involved! The pay for the studies and the requirement levels depends on what type of research the company is doing, how invasive the study is, and the time commitment required.

These are the best resources to look for research opportunities in your area:

• ClinicalTrials.gov
• Local Clinics, Universities, or Research Hospitals
• Covance Clinical Trails 

Become a Virtual Assistant

If you are professional, organized, and have great time management skills, then becoming a virtual assistant would be the perfect side hustle for you! Virtual assistants help bloggers, artists, and other professional people with any tasks that they simply don’t have time for. It could be as simple as answering emails and making phone calls to more complex tasks, like graphic designs or writing blog posts.

When you’re looking up job opportunities, look for the ones that say remote location. This way you can find gigs that allow you to work from home. Some virtual assistant jobs will require you to be available at certain times of the day while others will let you work whenever you’re free. Before applying for a position, make sure you read the fine details to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into and what the client is expecting from you before you begin your new gig as a VA.

Interested in becoming a Virtual Assistant? Check out these links to get started:

• Indeed
• Upwork
• Remote
• FlexJobs

Do you have any tips on how to make money quickly as a college student? Leave them in the comments below so that we can all stop being “broke college students”! 

You may also like: How I Saved $2,000 in College, How to Build Credit as a College Student, and  9 Skills Every College Student Should Master Before Graduation

The post 5 Creative Ways for College Students to Make Money appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.

Learn how to do your taxes correctly 

Doing your taxes correctly is super important because if you do them wrong, you can put yourself in a bad place. When you’re in college and working a part-time job, you have a higher chance of actually getting all of the money back that was taken out for taxes. So it’s basically like an extra pay-day for you! But once you graduate and get a big boy or big girl job, you’ll end up having to pay into the system, instead of getting cash back.

If you’re uncomfortable doing your taxes the first time around, I highly recommend you pay someone to help you or doing them yourself online with the help of an online guide. I’ve used TurboTax in the past, which is super easy to use, and there’s even an app so you can do your taxes right from your phone. They explain everything step by step with examples and pictures, so you know exactly what numbers to put where.

Learn how to make your own appointments 

Once you become 18 years old, it’s really important for you to take your health into your own hands and start making your own medical appointments. I promise you that receptionists and any other healthcare professional will not judge you or make fun of you for any problems that you are having. Your health should be your number one priority. You only have one body for the rest of your life so it’s important to take care of it. Plus I know for me I’m trying to live until I’m in the upper 90s so I can be a sassy grandma one day.

Learn how to do your laundry  

Regardless of who you are, you’re going to have to wash your own clothes at some point in your life. Your parents aren’t going to be washing your clothes forever so it’s definitely a necessity to go ahead and learn how to do it while in college.

You might even want to switch things up and find laundry detergent that best fits your needs. I’m not too picky about laundry detergent but if you do have sensitive skin or a sensitive nose, then there are brands out there that can accommodate your needs.

Learn how to use your credit card responsibly 

Last month, I talked about how to build credit as a college student and the importance of using your credit card responsibly. But just in case you haven’t read that post yet (which you totally should), your credit card can either benefit you or destroy you. If you have a crappy credit score, you’re going to end up having a hard time finding an apartment to rent to you or even purchasing your dream home in a few years.

One of my tips to build a great credit score, that way you’re not in that predicament after graduation, is to use your credit card responsibility and only for monthly bills. That means that every month you pay off the balance on the card by the due date. By paying off your credit card consistently, you’ll show future lenders how responsible you are and that they don’t have to worry about you repaying your debts.

Learn how to create a resume

Regardless of what you want to do in your career, you’ll undoubtedly have to create a resume at some point. It needs to be chic and appropriate for the job that you are applying for, so be mindful of that when you are creating one.

The best advice that I can give is to have one resume that is a work-in progress where you can write down everything that you’ve done, including volunteer work, and one that you can change up depending on the job you are applying for. That way you keep your original resume that has your entire history on it and edit the second one to fit the job that you are applying for. 

Learn how to write a cover letter

This one goes hand-in-hand with creating a resume because creating a captivating cover letter is just as important as your resume. Not all jobs will require a cover letter, but it’s always in good measure to send one over right along with your resume. Because it’s not something that every applicant will do, it’ll make you stand out in a crowd full of applications, especially if it’s your first job after graduation.

A cover letter is a letter that highlights why you would be a good fit for the company and what you bring to the table as well as your knowledge about the company that you are applying. Most cover letters are brief and to the point. If you have a good cover letter, I promise you the interviewer will take a chance on you and look through your resume, even if you aren’t the best applicant out of the bunch.

Learn how to manage time effectively 

Time management is such a useful skill to master because it’s something that you’ll have to do in your future career and for your personal life. College is filled with an endless list of distractions, from college parties to club meetings to social media, but you have to be able to say “no” to somethings. The best way to overcome any residual procrastination from college is to plan your day ahead of time.

I love using my Erin Condren planner to help me stay organize while also allowing me to plan out my week so that I can get everything done on my to-do list. Another great idea is to simply turn your phone off or on silent so that when you’re writing an essay or doing an assignment, you’ll be able to stay focus on the task at hand.

Learn how to speak in front of a crowd 

For some people public speaking can be their greatest nightmare, but it’s a valuable skill to have, if you want to grow in your career. I won’t lie I used to be terrified of public speaking but by practicing and putting myself into positions that require me to speak publicly, my speaking has gotten so much better. I’m no means a professional, but I’ve slowly built up my confidence to not be terrified of presenting a project or speaking in front of a classroom.

Most jobs require that you interact with other professionals so learning in college about how to communicate your ideas and to collaborate with others is important for your professional and personal life. Don’t forget that your outfit can really portrays who you are and wearing an outfit that makes you feel confident will leak into your presentation, making you feel just as confident in front of an audience.

Photos by Brailey Johnson Photography

Learn how to network and build relationships

College is literally all about networking and building relationships with people that you wouldn’t normally meet anywhere else. So utilize the opportunity to really branch out of your comfort zone and stay connected with those people throughout your college career. When I was a freshman in college, I meet a lot of people through Instagram, which a lot of them I’ve stayed connected with over the years. But you can use whatever platform that you use the most to start building your network.

It’s especially important to meet people in your industry or career field that you are interested in. You never know who might be deciding your fate in an interview one day so stay connected and play nice with everyone you meet. You can even add your professors to your LinkedIn account if you were able to talk with them on a regular basis.

If you have recently graduated college, what are some tips or skillsets do you wish you had mastered before you graduated? Or if you are currently in college, what skills are you planning to master this year that’s going to help you in your personal or professional life? Let’s have a chat in the comments below!

You may also like: How to Build Credit As A College Student, How to Decorate Your First Apartment On a Budget, and the Millennial’s Guide to Time Management 

The post 9 Skills Every College Student Should Master Before Graduation appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.

Here are some things that you can do the night before an exam:

Go to bed early to get enough sleep

It may seem worth it to just stay up and study as much of the material that you can, but in the long run, you won’t actually remember much of what you learned. When you sleep, your body naturally moves the information from the day into short-term memory and long-term memory. So, when you stay up all night, your body doesn’t get the chance to store the information for later so you’re less likely to remember for the test.

Eat a good breakfast in the morning full of proteins

Your brain needs proteins and other healthy material to be able to function on a day-to-day basis so don’t skip out on a meal before your test. Your brain needs the energy to work hard.

Alternate different studying spots

Studying in different locations and with different people can immensely improve your studying ability. You’re less likely to become bored or distracted when you study in different places. I typically like to study in my apartment, at the library, and at a friend’s apartment who’s in the same class as me.

Minimize distractions

Millennials tend to always have their phone in their hands or have earbuds permanently attached to their ears. But when you’re studying, its best to put those distractions away and try to only focus on your coursework. The reason why this will increase the amount of material that you will remember is that you’ll be in the same environment during the test as when you studied the material. During an exam, you’re not able to listen to music or play on your phone so studying in a quiet location is the best possible option.

Quiz yourself

The best way to see if you know the material is to quiz yourself using tools, like Quizlet, to see where you need to focus on more. Create some questions that could be great questions that could be used on the test to get the best usage out of this studying tip.

Study in 20-30 increments, then take a 5-minute break

Your brain literally can’t stay focus for much longer than 20-30 minutes on any task, especially when it comes to learning and studying. Plus you’ll be thankful that you don’t have to study 24 hours to make an A on a test. It’s not about the time you spend studying, it’s the quality of the time that you spend studying.

Pack up everything that you will need during the test

It’s the worst feeling knowing that you left something at home that you needed for your test, such as a calculator or a cheat sheet that your teacher said you could have for the exam. So it’s best to go ahead and pack your backpack (this is the exact one that I have and it’s been amazing!) the night before with everything that you could possibly need for the exam.

Here are some things that you should NOT do the night before an exam:

Don’t pull an all-nighter

You have to get some sleep before the exam or I promise you won’t remember as much as you think you do. At night, your brain moves information to short-term to long-term memory, but if you don’t sleep, then your body can’t do that.

Don’t drink a ton of coffee the night before

Caffeine creates a chemical imbalance in your body that allows your body to stay up for a long period of time and can make you feel jittery or hyped up. Stop drinking coffee around midday so your body can excrete the caffeine and allow you to get some rest that night.

Cram for the upcoming test

Cramming is no good when it comes to actually retaining the information or being able to remember it longer than an hour after reading the text. Try to plan ahead so that you can study with no pressure and less of a time restraint. My Erin Condren planner has been such a lifesaver whenever I need to plan out my study sessions for a big exam. There’s even an exact dupe for it, if its too expensive for your budget, its the Recollections planner at Michaels! It’s basically the same planner for half the cost and I love it just the same. 

Change up your diet

Now is not the time to decide that you want to go vegan or to try a new restaurant because you never know what might upset your stomach or make you feel sick the next day. Trust me, it’s not fun having to take a test sick from either the flu or just a bug virus.

Do any intense workouts right before bed

When you work out, your body goes into overdrive mode and is ready to take on the world. But that’s not the feeling that you want right before bed. Working out before bed can actually make you stay awake and not allow you to get quality sleep the night before the exam. If you do a workout the night before, do your workout early in the morning or in the afternoon, at least 4 hours before bed, to allow yourself time to relax enough to go to bed.

The night before an exam is just a critical step of the process of studying because it can literally make or break your score on the test. Most people don’t realize it, but anything that affects your mind or body can drastically decrease or increase your grade on the exam the following day. I try to stay away from anything that could make me sad, mad, or that could make any changes to my lifestyle.

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The post The Night Before An Exam: Do’s & Don’ts appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.