Six months ago I was broke. Like really broke.
I had $47 in my bank account. Rent was $650 and due in 8 days. I was a CS major drowning in assignments, and getting a part-time job felt impossible.
Then my roommate said something that changed everything.
"Dude, you're literally doing AI homework for free. Companies pay for that."
The Problem: Time vs Money
Here's the thing about being a student. You have two problems:
- You need money
- You have no time
Every "make money" article tells you to start a business or learn a new skill. Great advice if you have 20 hours a week. I had maybe 6.
What I Tried (And What Failed)
Before I figured this out, I wasted a lot of time.
Surveys: Spent 6 hours over a weekend. Made $12. Never again.
Food delivery: Downloaded DoorDash. Did 4 deliveries. Made $28 after gas. My car smelled like french fries for a week.
Tutoring: Posted on Facebook offering CS tutoring. Got 2 inquiries. Both wanted to pay $10/hour. After prep time I was making $5/hour.
The pattern? All of these required me to stop what I was already doing.
The Shift: Work That Looks Like Homework
My roommate showed me something called "AI training tasks."
Companies like OpenAI need humans to review AI responses. "Is this code correct?" "Which explanation is clearer?" "Does this math solution make sense?"
It's literally homework. But you get paid.
I signed up for Remotasks that night. Got approved in 2 days.
Month 1: $380 in One Week
The first task I got was reviewing Python code snippets. The AI would generate a solution to a coding problem. I had to say if it was correct.
I made $380 in one week.
Not because I worked 40 hours. I worked maybe 15 hours total. Late at night when I couldn't focus on studying anyway.
The pay ranged from $15-40/hour depending on the task. Coding tasks paid the most because fewer people could do them.
Here's what shocked me: I was getting better at my own coursework. Reviewing code made me a better programmer.
The Three Categories That Work
After testing this for 6 months, I found three types of "homework work" that make sense for students:
1. AI Training (What I Do)
Platforms: Remotasks, DataAnnotation.tech, Scale AI
Pay: $15-40/hour
Best for: STEM majors, anyone good at logic
You review AI outputs. Code, math, writing, images. Companies need humans to train their AI models.
The work is async. No meetings. No schedule. You work when you want.
I do this between classes. 30 minutes here, an hour there. Made $1,200 last month.
2. Academic Content Creation
Platforms: Studypool, Course Hero, Chegg
Pay: $100-500 per guide
Best for: Good writers, subject experts
You create study guides, answer questions, or explain concepts.
My friend Sarah does this for biology. She makes study guides for topics she's already studying. Gets paid $200-300 per guide. Takes her 4-5 hours.
She's made $2,400 this semester. While studying for her own exams.
3. Research Tasks
Platforms: Wonder, Respondent, UserTesting
Pay: $50-150 per task
Best for: Anyone who can Google and summarize
Companies need market research. You find information, summarize it, present findings.
I did one last week. "Find 10 competitors to this SaaS product." Took me 2 hours. Paid $120.
Look, I spent weeks trying to figure out which idea would work. Eventually I built a tool to help you find side hustle ideas for students by matching your skills to opportunities. It's not perfect but it beats endless scrolling.
The Realistic Numbers
Let me be honest about what you can actually make:
Month 1: $200-400 (learning curve)
Month 2: $400-800 (you know what you're doing)
Month 3+: $800-1,500 (if you're consistent)
This isn't "quit your degree" money. It's "pay rent and eat real food" money.
I make about $1,200/month working 10-15 hours a week. That's $80-120/hour effective rate.
What Nobody Tells You
The work isn't always available. Some weeks I have tons of tasks. Some weeks it's slow. You can't rely on it like a regular job.
Quality matters. If you rush and do bad work, you get kicked off platforms. Take it seriously.
It's not passive. You have to actually do the work. But it's work that makes you better at your coursework.
Some tasks suck. Not everything is interesting. Sometimes you're labeling images for 2 hours. It's boring but it pays.
How to Start This Week
Don't overthink it. Here's what to do:
Day 1-2: Sign up for 2-3 platforms
- Remotasks (AI training)
- Studypool (academic content)
- Wonder (research tasks)
Day 3-4: Complete their qualification tests
- Take them seriously
- Don't rush
- They determine your pay rate
Day 5-7: Do your first 3 tasks
- Start small
- Focus on quality
- Track your time and earnings
The Mindset Shift
The biggest change for me wasn't the money. It was realizing that my skills had value right now.
I didn't need to wait until graduation. I didn't need 5 years of experience. I could get paid for what I was already learning.
That's powerful.
Final Thoughts
Look, I'm not going to tell you this will make you rich. It won't.
But it will pay your rent. It will let you eat something other than ramen. It will give you breathing room.
And the best part? You're getting paid to get better at your major.
Six months ago I had $47. Last month I made $1,200 doing work that looks like homework.
If you're reading this at 2am stressed about money, I get it. I was there.
Pick one platform. Sign up tomorrow. Do one task this week.
You might surprise yourself.
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