‘Making Money During The Pandemic’ – National Student Money Week Testimonial

Photo by Alexandra Dalidovskaya on Unsplash

Making money during this pandemic has been cause for concern for many students. No doubt it has been a very difficult time and many students are being made redundant from jobs in the hospitality sector and hours for other jobs have been reducing due to the lack of events being run.  

However, just as with everything else in life, there is always a way to adapt and conquer. The field of working from home should be no different. This article will outline some of the ways in which you can maximise your efficiency at home while also making some money on the side.  

One of the most effective and flexible ways of making money at home is offering online tuition. There are multiple companies and places to look into to help you in this pursuit. The following companies are very quick and easy to sign up to:  

  • MyTutor  
  • SuperProf  
  • Explore Learning  
  • Offering tuition to friends and family and neighbours  

These companies allow you a lot of flexibility and they really depend on you being active and organised. My Tutor is brilliant at offering school tuition opportunities and this gives you consistent lessons over a few months. SuperProf is also a fantastic platform where you can decide what you want to tutor in and set your own rates. It gives you the independence to give lessons on subjects that you feel passionate about and subjects outside of academia.  

Another way to make some money from home is exercising your creative talents. Instagram is a perfect way to start your own business with minimal costs. Many people have started pages for selling food, personalised paintings and drawings and desserts. There are hundreds of things that you can sell on Instagram and this is a brilliant way to manage your own work hours, practice a new skill and learn the essentials of running a small independent business.  

Here are some tips from students who have recently started their own independent businesses:  

  • Factor in all the resources needed and how much they cost.  
  • Keep an excel file that contains information of orders and profit/loss.  
  • Use your friends and pages on Instagram that are offering promotion and encourage people to spread the word and leave feedback.  
  • Manage your time well so that this doesn’t become overwhelming and doesn’t take too much time from your studies. 

Although things seem tough right now, just remember to always put your mental health first and aspire to see this situation as an opportunity to undertake a new avenue of work. Tap into your creative side or get involved in a company that will allow you more flexibility and independent ownership of your work time.  

Best of luck to you all and remember that the Money Mentors are here if you need guidance regarding finances, especially if you are struggling to make important payments. Do reach out to us on Instagram or via the Student Services page. We are always happy to help.  

Good luck, and take care! 🙂

Selai Saydzai
King’s Student Money Mentor
Part of Money & Housing Advice
Studying Dentistry BDS (UG)

Need to speak to a Money Adviser? Call the Student Advice Line.

For more information on making money, check out this video workshop. You can also click on this link for more details on Blackbullion!

The King’s Student Money Mentors blog shares our students’ personal experiences and thoughts on money-related topics. Any reference, opinions or recommendations on a particular company/brand are only the views of the student(s) who wrote the blog post. King’s College London, the Money & Housing Advice service and the Money Mentor project do not share the views in the blogs nor endorse any of the companies mentioned. Readers should conduct their own research before using any companies mentioned in our blog posts. 

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‘Tips and Tricks on Making Money From Home’ – National Student Money Week Testimonial

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The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unexpected event and undoubtedly affected our finances, amongst other things. The lockdown in March restricted us to our homes, with limited access to work and on-site education. With much time on my hands and little to do, I started looking for jobs to keep me busy and save for the future.  

I began applying to temporary jobs at supermarkets, available due to an increase in demand for essential supplies. I applied through the company portals and websites like Indeed but with little luck. There were also few suitable jobs that could be done from home. I realised that online tutoring was also in demand due to teaching and exam cancellations. So, I decided to apply to online tutoring and was luckily offered a job soon after applying, owing to my previous tutoring experience. Online tutoring offers a decent and regular income with flexible hours and the ability to work from the comfort of your own home. It also provides the opportunity to develop personal skills and boost your CV to improve future employability.  

Another mode of earning involves participation in online surveys. Although in my experience this is often time consuming and requires the completion of a significant number of surveys before a decent reward can be earned. Instead, participation in King’s research, advertised in a fortnightly email circular, offers better rewards for your time. For example, completing a 30-minute surveys can earn you £5-£10 in Amazon vouchers. This is an easy way to earn some money, whilst helping the scientific community; a definite win-win!  

For more tips on how to make extra cash, please visit the Blackbullion blog on this topic.

#sidehustle #workfromhome #earnmoneyonline

Rhea Lopes
King’s Student Money Mentor
Part of Money & Housing Advice
Studying Medicine MBBS (UG)

Need to speak to a Money Adviser? Call the Student Advice Line.

For more information on making money, check out this video workshop. You can also click on this link for more details on Blackbullion!

The King’s Student Money Mentors blog shares our students’ personal experiences and thoughts on money-related topics. Any reference, opinions or recommendations on a particular company/brand are only the views of the student(s) who wrote the blog post. King’s College London, the Money & Housing Advice service and the Money Mentor project do not share the views in the blogs nor endorse any of the companies mentioned. Readers should conduct their own research before using any companies mentioned in our blog posts. 

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‘Surviving Scams’ – National Student Money Week Testimonial

Banking situation:

A situation I would like to talk about is one that has probably affected millions across the UK and happens daily. Last month I nearly fell victim to a scam which could have affected my ability to complete my masters.

What I did?

I was sent a text message which said that my bank account had been used to make an odd purchase and to reply if this transaction wasn’t me, which of course, I did.

Around 2 minutes later I received a phone call from a gentleman who was supposedly working for the ‘fraud’ team at my bank. Alarm bells started ringing in my head as the number was unfamiliar, the tone of voice seemed rushed and I was asking for my personal identification number.

I told the gentleman that I’d call back later using the official bank number off the website, he persisted to tell me he was trying to help me, and I would be liable for any transactions made, even if I didn’t make them! I immediately went to the banks website and rang the team to ask if indeed it was them calling or was it a scam, I was told that they hadn’t called me, and somebody was indeed trying to gain access to my account.

Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash

Access to resources?

This situation was highly stressful as under the pretences it’s easy to cave in to the pressure and give the fraudster what they’re after, especially after they insist they’re only helping. But there were many red flags that I would urge people not to ignore, if it doesn’t feel right, more than likely it isn’t!

I would also urge people to step out of the situation and look at it from another perspective and think ‘what would you advise somebody who told you this was happening to them?’. You often think more rationally when placed to give advice. Lastly, I would like to remind everybody that essentially you are in control of the situation, never be afraid to speak up, confront and ask questions. I did this and it saved somebody stealing all my potential tuition fees for my masters!

Nidah Younas
King’s Student Money Mentor
Part of Money & Housing Advice
Studying Accounting, Accountability & Financial Management MSc (PGT)

Need to speak to a Money Adviser? Call the Student Advice Line.

For more information on scams, take a look at ‘Understanding & Avoiding Scams Part 1: What is a Scam?’, and ‘Understanding & Avoiding Scams Part 2: Known Student Scams’.

The King’s Student Money Mentors blog shares our students’ personal experiences and thoughts on money-related topics. Any reference, opinions or recommendations on a particular company/brand are only the views of the student(s) who wrote the blog post. King’s College London, the Money & Housing Advice service and the Money Mentor project do not share the views in the blogs nor endorse any of the companies mentioned. Readers should conduct their own research before using any companies mentioned in our blog posts.