One thing that most college students have in common is their income level: very low. Even if you have a job as a student, you probably won’t get paid very much. And you have a lot of expenses: tuition, books, housing, food, a social life . . . the list goes on. You’ll probably end up taking out a few loans and graduating in debt (as most people do). However, if you just need a few extra 20’s for the weekend, you can try one of the three ideas below that you may not have thought of.

Sell Plasma

Blood plasma is the liquid portion of your blood. It’s the part that everything else—your red cells, white cells, platelets, and so on—is floating in. And there are companies who will pay you decently well if you’d like to sell it. All you have to do is find one of those companies, schedule an appointment, and go for it! The more often you give, the more money you’ll make (you’re limited to the frequency of your appointments for health reasons, though). It’s a pretty easy, fairly painless process that doesn’t take a whole lot of time.

Gamble

Don’t hit the slot machines, or use online betting services. But if you’re good at beating your friends in poker, start putting some money on the table. It doesn’t have to be much—five bucks here and there can add up over time. Play with quarters or half-dollars. Organize a tournament on your dorm floor (beware of anti-gambling rules, though). Or if you have a really high alcohol tolerance, challenge some people to a beer pong match and bet some cash on it. Any sort of game like this can serve as a moneymaker if you’re good at it and people are willing to take you on.

Tutor

You don’t have to be a graduate or a professor to tutor—most schools have centers that you can get a job tutoring at. All you have to do is prove that you know your stuff in a particular area. Many schools have tutoring centers for several areas, including math, English, biology, and history. (You can also establish your own tutoring business.) Figure out what you’re best at and see if you can help people out. This is a great strategy, because you can help people out and feel good about yourself when you’re done raking in the cash.

If none of these ideas suit your strengths, don’t despair—you aren’t assured a life of poverty. Just start thinking about the skills you have that other people may not, and how you can monetize those skills. Maybe you’re very gifted with grammar. So edit papers for a fee. Or you’re a great public speaker. Help people out preparing for their public speaking classes. Everyone has skills . . . if you can identify yours and find others who are willing to pay for them, you’re set!

As always, if you have any questions, comments or funny stories you'd like me to share about college or the blog, email me at stu@stuvu.com