If time is money, and time is always running out, then money is always running out.
When I was in college, I had a few problems. They were all shiny, pink, and looked great on my feet. Yes, friends, I fell into the same trap that Carrie Bradshaw stumbled into a time or two. I had all these shoes, and no money (because of said shoes). I was literally on my way to becoming the woman who lived in her shoes.
But then, something strange happened. First, I realized my materialistic lifestyle was unrealistic and was only causing me to feel miserable due to the constant hustle created by the treadmill of hedonic adaptation. But then, something stranger happened. I got a job. A friend referred me to a clown company and every weekend I dressed up like Bubbles the Clown and went to children’s birthday parties preforming magic shows and painting faces.
In college, I took 5 classes, joined an academic fraternity, had an internship ever semester, tutored, was a part of the radio station, and I was a Resident Assistant. Having a job that only required me to work one day a week wasn’t just a blessing, it was a requirement. Of course, the work itself was awful, but it got me thinking, what other jobs are out there that require very little time commitment, but pay college students fairly well?
1. Party Motivator
A friend of mine used to work for a party company that supplied DJs and party motivators to bar/bat mitzvahs. She was paid to be the life of the party. She’d lead in the Cha Cha Slide, and encourage all the awkward 12 and 13-year-olds to get up and dance.
Pay: $30/hour
2. Tutor
Some tutors work in a college tutoring center, while others tutor the kids of wealthy executives. If you’re good with math and can get a gig in somebody’s home, you’re golden. Care.com is also pretty decent at finding you parents that are looking for tutors. The job pays pretty well for the time put in.
Pay: $10-$50/hr
3. Swimming Lesson Teacher
Certification to become an instructor will probably cost you about $10, but the pay-off can be pretty well. If you’re a good swimmer, you can get certified fairly easily. You can then privately work your way into somebody’s pool and get paid under the table, or you can be employed by a company.
Pay: $20-$50/hr
4. Clown
Personally, I tried this in college and it was quite an experience. Each weekend I dressed up as a clown and went around making balloon animals, painting faces, and performing magic shows in the city I lived in. (You won’t believe how many kids in New York City have birthdays). They hired me from a referral, paid me for training, dressed me up like Elmo, and sent me out there to figure it out for myself. It was scary, but it also taught me a lot of surprisingly useful life skills.
Pay: $25-$50/hr
5. Fitness Instructor
This is one of those jobs that does require previous experience, but it might surprise you how little you need. If you are already athletic and take an interest in group exercise classes, you might be close to being qualified. Instructor’s pay a fee (somewhere around $50) to get certified, and then they apply to studios and gyms that are looking for instructors. If you’re fit, it’s a good job that only requires a few hours a week.
Pay: $45-$75 for a one hour class
6. Bouncer
The only requirement for this job it that you have to be bulky and able to soberly stand around in a crowded bar on Friday night. Also, you have to break up the occasional fight. The hours are pretty bad. You’ll give up your Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays from 10pm-4am but it can also be great at helping you deal with all the other things packed into your schedule.
Pay: Minimum-$25/hr
[Featured Image Credit: News.com]