What Starting a Side Hustle in Uni Taught Me (That No Business Class Ever Did)
Okay, so first off, I am not claiming to be some kind of business prodigy or anything. I’m just a regular student trying to keep my head above water between lectures, group projects, and that never-ending pile of readings that professors pretend we’ll actually finish. But earlier this year, I kind of fell into this unexpected side hustle and honestly, it taught me more about entrepreneurship than any class I’ve taken.
It started with a problem (classic). I was flat broke, like “I am counting coins for instant ramen” broke. And then one night, my friend messaged me because she needed help editing a paper. I gave it a go, fixed it up, and she ended up getting an A. After that, her roommate wanted help, and then her classmate, and suddenly I was editing 4–5 papers a week. And charging. Not much at first just enough for coffee and groceries but it clicked that this could be a thing.
So I made a little Instagram account, threw together a Notion form for people to submit work, and boom I had a low-key startup going. It was messy, no business plan or fancy launch, but it worked. That’s when I really got into this whole idea of student startups and bootstrapping something from scratch, especially with like, zero budget.
What surprised me most wasn’t the editing part (I always liked writing), it was learning how to deal with people. Some were super last-minute, others ghosted after I edited the whole thing (that one stung), and then a few sent in these massive thesis drafts that needed days of work. I had to figure out how to price stuff, when to say no, and how to protect myself without sounding like a jerk. That’s when I learned that even soft skills like communication, boundaries, time management are critical for running anything, even a scrappy student gig.
At the same time, I started digging into online groups where students were talking about side hustles, tech projects, and even building startups out of school. There were people designing apps, dropshipping stuff, coding AI bots, and launching actual SaaS products during lectures. Like, what?! It made me realize how powerful the student startup scene is so much raw talent and zero fear of failing because... well, most of us are broke anyway, so the stakes aren’t sky-high.
And here’s a funny side note: while working on editing and writing help, I kept seeing the same names pop up people using different sites for stuff like tutoring, resumes, even Coursework Help in Canada. At first I was like, “is this cheating?” But then I realized a lot of students weren’t just trying to outsource work they just wanted support, feedback, and sometimes someone to walk them through complex instructions. It kind of shifted my view on all these support services. They're not just shortcuts; sometimes they’re survival tools.
Anyway, as my side hustle grew, I also started hitting limits time mostly. So I partnered with a classmate who’s also great at writing, and we split tasks. I focused more on customer stuff and scheduling, while she handled the heavier editing projects. Boom first collaboration. First (informal) team. Honestly, figuring out how to work with someone was its own learning curve. I used to think I had to do everything alone or it wasn’t “legit.” Nope. Teaming up saved my sanity and helped scale things up faster than I expected.
I also started reading more about lean startups, MVPs (minimum viable products), and customer discovery stuff that sounds fancy in class but actually makes a ton of sense when you’re living it. I guess what I’m trying to say is: starting anything even something small can teach you stuff that lectures just don’t cover.
Like, no one tells you how to write that awkward message chasing late payments. Or how to politely turn down someone who wants a “free trial” (which just means free labor). Or how to set work boundaries without burning bridges. You just have to do it and learn as you go.
Now, I’m not saying drop out and go full Gary Vee (lol), but if you’ve got a skill writing, coding, designing, organizing chaos use it. Test it out. Help people, charge fairly, learn as you go. Even if it doesn’t turn into a big business, the experience is legit valuable.
And if you’re already working on something startup-y, especially as a student, I’m cheering you on from my study corner. Hit me up. I’ll totally trade stories over instant noodles and late-night Canva sessions.
Just another tired student trying to make things work.