Trying to survive on a student income can be tough, so here are some ideas to help you generate some extra income while studying. These ideas are all flexible, so you can 'work' when you want, without cutting into your class (or social) time!

1. Writing articles
Writing articles for sites such as Xomba is a great way to earn a few extra dollars while sharing your knowledge and opinions with the world. You can write about almost anything (which makes a nice change from essays and assignments), and building up a good number of articles sets up a passive income. This is a great benefit that will come in handy during times when you are unable to work a regular part time job, such as during exam time.

2. Entering competitions
Becoming a 'professional comper' can be quite rewarding. These days, many competitions are free to enter and can be entered easily by email or web form. To save time, find a Internet competition site. Many are free to join and list all competitions in one place, while offering tips and hints. A great, friendly, free site for Australians is ACC (www.compingclub.com).

Even if you don't win cash, prizes can be sold or used as birthday and Christmas presents (or you could keep them, of course, as a treat that didn't cost you a cent!)

3. Sell your textbooks
Often textbooks end up sitting on the bookshelf unused. If you're finding it hard to sell your books at your local college or university, the Internet offers a much larger marketplace. You can auction them on eBay, sell them secondhand on a site such as Amazon, or some secondhand book websites will buy your books from you directly and even cover the postage! Just remember not to leave it too long, as textbooks are often replaced with newer editions every few years.

4. Tutor other students
Tutoring other students can bring in some extra cash, or if you already have a previous qualification you could apply to become an on-line tutor with an organization such as Smarthinking.

5. Sell stock photos
If you are good at taking photos, there are many stock photo websites that are willing to buy good quality photos. The more you upload, the more you make. This is similar to writing articles, in that it creates a passive income.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Good luck!