The life of a college student is a busy one. Between classes, sports, club meetings, hanging out with your friends and finding time to eat and sleep, there’s limited free time and, chances are, you don’t have a flexible schedule.

Freelance writing in college

Kate, Textbroker Author and Content Contributor

As a recent college grad, I certainly understand the struggle. I was constantly busy with schoolwork and assignments for my internships, so I barely had enough time to stop for meals, see my friends and go to on-campus events. I studied English with a journalism emphasis, and, because of that, I spent much of my time writing or doing story research. While I considered finding some part-time work for students, I realized I didn’t have the time. Once I graduated, however, and was looking for gigs where I could work from home and have a flexible schedule, I came across freelance writing. Since then, it’s been a good way for me to start writing professionally, especially because I had no experience outside of school-affiliated work. Over the past few months, I’ve written everything from blog posts and pages for websites to product description lists and video scripts, and I enjoy it. It’s disappointing that I didn’t discover freelance writing while in school, but I’m here to encourage you to give it a try.

Why Should You Be a Freelance Writer in College?

Flexible Schedule
Writing on a freelance basis allows you to have a flexible work schedule. You can set your own schedule and don’t have to struggle with balancing your school and work life. Yes, I had a lot going on each semester in undergrad, but even I could have written pieces during weekends or vacations. Another benefit of a non-rigid schedule is you can start and stop working when you need to. When you know you have more time, such as during winter or summer break, you can work longer and more consistently. It’s up to you.

Gain Experience
When you’re in college, seek out as many gigs as you can to gain knowledge. Holding a summer job, you can only gain so much. Freelance writing for websites offers many chances to grow professionally, even if you haven’t written anything since high school English class. Learning to work remotely, manage your time, research efficiently and work with different clients are just some of the skills you could pick up.

Make Money
A 2015 study from the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University found that 43 percent of full-time college students and 78 percent of part-time students were employed. Part-time work for students, though, such as on-campus work and driving for a ride share company, doesn’t tend to pay well. Plus, when you account for other factors, such as commute time and whether a position is paid or unpaid, oftentimes the bad outweighs the good.

The ability to make money online is a major perk of online jobs for students, freelance writing included. Freelance writing lets you supplement your income when you need it. For example, if you need to save up money to pay for a ticket to a big game or concert, you can pick up more assignments to make it happen. With some dedication and efficient writing, making enough money from freelancing to fund that off-campus meal or textbook is possible. Another beneficial aspect of freelancing is it requires no investment. Since no money is needed upfront, and there’s no need to worry about paying for gas, professional clothing or other common job-related expenses, you’re ultimately saving money by freelancing.

Write Anywhere
Online jobs for students allow you to work anywhere with an internet connection. As a freelance writer, you can work from home, your dorm or apartment, the local cafe, or even another country when you study abroad. You have the freedom to work wherever you feel comfortable; just don’t get too distracted! All you need is something to write with and the desire to produce creative content.

Become a Better Writer
Working as a freelance writer is beneficial because it’s a great way to improve your writing abilities, regardless of whether or not you’re a strong writer to begin with. Almost anyone can become a successful one if they put their mind to it. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an English major — like I was — or someone with a completely different area of focus, such as acting or engineering. One of the best pieces of advice I got in college was that the more you write, the better you’ll get. If you stick with it, you can become a stronger writer, communicator and professional. That’s not to mention the market for knowledgeable writers on specialized topics, too; health, legal, and technological topics are not uncommon to find in freelance assignments.

Freelance writing as a college student is not only a great way to earn money online; you gain professional experience as well. This will pay off now and in the future.