If you're anything like the typical college student, you wait all semester for winter break. But after a few days at home, you somehow find yourself bored out of your mind. You have no projects to think about, no tests to study for and more time on your hands than you thought you could handle. So what better time to fill your days with a job and make some extra cash?
HerCampus.com brings you 15 ways to get going on filling up your bank account before spring semester rolls around:
1. Shovel some snow -- If there's lots of snow where you live, you might as well make the most of it and offer your shoveling services to your neighbors and family members. Tom Vecchione, executive director of career services at Elon University, calls this money-maker an "oldie but goodie." He also says he would definitely pay someone to do it for him!
2. Be a distributor -- "Many employers in larger to mid-size areas employ high school and college students to hand out flyers or other marketing items to the public," Vecchione says. Look around at local coffee shops or ice cream shops to see what flyers are already posted, and then give them a call to see if they'd like any more help.
3. Babysit -- Parents are busy with holiday parties and office parties over break. Offer to watch your cousins, neighbors, siblings or nieces and nephews. You'll have fun and make good money in the process. If your neighborhood or high school has an email listserv, send something out letting everyone know you're available to help.
4. Watch someone's pets -- Lots of people take short vacations and trips over the holidays. And most people would rather leave their pets at home than kennel them, so offer to feed and walk your neighbor's dog or feed their fish. You'll be a great help! This is another item you can shoot over a neighborhood email listserv.
5. Clean out your closet -- Go through all of your clothes and sell what you don't want at a local consignment store. Just try not to buy anything there while you're selling your stuff if the goal is to be cash flow positive!
6. Sell some stuff on the Internet -- Use eBay to sell items that you no longer have any use for. It's an easy way to make money.
7. Hold onto that summer job -- Keep in touch with your boss from this summer. Chances are, he might want to hire you back for a few weeks because he won't have to train you! Reach out to your boss as soon as you get home and ask him right away if the company will need any help over the holidays.
8. Get into retail -- "Retail, or anything related to helping a company adequately is a great way to spend your break [because] the holidays increase their demand for services," Vecchione says. You can help! When you're out doing Christmas shopping, spend some time going in and out of stores asking if they're hiring for the holidays.
Read the rest of this article -- and more! -- from HerCampus.com.