Spice Up Your College Schedule with These 4 Remote Gigs & Extracurriculars

By Amelia Woolard

If you’re like us, you may be growing a little tiresome of your usual pandemic routine. Whether you’re attending college on a flex schedule or fully online, you likely wake up, fulfill your classroom responsibilities, take a couple short breaks in-between, and then settle in for a night of doing, well, next to nothing. Hey, it’s not all bad – staying at home as much as you can means that you’re actively doing your best to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, which is really important right now!   

Even still, it can be tough to get through endless days of the same old song and dance. We’re social beings, after all. Though your usual college routine may look very different right now, you can still actively better your resume, boost your skills, and even meet new people – all while staying socially distant and compliant with CDC regulations. Here are 4 options to explore, if you’d like to add a remote gig or extracurricular to your current course lineup.  

Get creative with volunteer opportunities.  

Volunteer jobs usually involve physically getting out in your community and performing a certain task. But, these days, it’s becoming more common to engage in online volunteerism. Not sure what we mean? Consider all of the text messages and emails you’ve received the past several weeks about the 2020 election, for example. These processes required the service of a pool of dedicated individuals, who were willing to spend their extra time calling, texting, and emailing people, such as yourself, to encourage them to get to the polls. Although the Presidential election is no longer taking campaign volunteers, consider a cause you’re interested in volunteering for and look to online opportunities to fulfill your wishes. Visit sites, like Volunteer Match or Do Something, to discover openings – as well as IRL opportunities, if you’re comfortable  – that range from writing socially minded blogs to gathering donations for food pantries within your area in desperate need.  

Accept a remote internship or part-time job. 

Right now, everyone is turning to the World Wide Web to get things done – and, this includes entry-level part-time jobs and internships. Though certain positions do not accommodate online work, there are plenty that do, like in the marketing, sales, customer service, and technology industries – just to name a few. For instance, you might assume a position as a freelance writer, data entry specialist, call center employee, or the like. All you really need to succeed in this realm is a good Internet connection, personal laptop, and go-getting attitude. So, why not amplify your resume with a remote position that can help you earn money and/or college credit, with the added bonus of staying safe in the comfort of your off-campus apartment? Aside from helping you pass the time, all of these jobs offer a great way to steadily improve your resume for your post-grad job hunt, which will be here before you know it!  

Become a virtual tutor or babysitter. 

Speaking of part-time jobs, one of the most popular is virtual tutoring or babysitting! Considering that 42 percent of Americans are still working from home, you can bet that there are a ton of stressed parents out there making an office space out of their living room, meaning their children still must be cared for and entertained in the meantime. Depending on which role you assume, virtual tutoring or babysitting entails either teaching a young child about a certain subject or virtually entertaining kids for a few hours, so Mom or Dad can power through a remote work task or actually enjoy some alone time. Given that these two jobs speak directly to your ability to problem solve, practice good time management, and behave responsibly, you can bet that these skills will reflect favorably on you as a future job or graduate program candidate. Not to mention, you’ll help younger students meet their personal and educational goals, which will likely make this sometimes-tiresome gig all worth it in the end!  

Join a club online. 

When you think of college clubs, your mind undoubtedly goes to organizations, such as student government, art club, or the debate team. These days, colleges are attempting to offer online options, so you can attend no matter where you are. If you’re interested in joining an online club, weigh your interests, then consider which organizations you’re curious in pursuing further. Next, head to your college’s website to see what options are available to you as a remote student. No information listed? Contact the head of the club to learn how you can join in the fun remotely. You can also look outside of your campus for organizations to join independently. For example, College Democrats and College Republicans are two highly esteemed political clubs that operate in every state. There are also countless book clubs out there that appeal to all types of readers, and you can even locate clubs for people of your religious faith. Trust us, when it comes to college clubs, the opportunities are infinitely fruitful, pandemic or not!  

With the traditional college experience shifting drastically in 2020, you might think that there isn’t much to attending your university right now, aside from fulfilling your semester’s online coursework load. However, you can still gradually build upon your resume and have fun while doing so, even if the pandemic is still impacting our lives significantly! The next time you feel bored with your current college schedule, contemplate our list of suggestions and perhaps, you can add a bit of interest to your day-to-day with some remote gigs or extracurriculars. 

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