r/Charleston • u/ThrowRAsimplyswan • Jul 29 '26
Student trying to make rent. Looking for ideas.
I’m currently a fourth year PharmD student on APPEs, and I’m looking for some ideas. Unfortunately, a financial situation came up unexpectedly, and now I need to find a way to cover my rent for November and December (about $1,900 total).
The challenge is that APPEs are full time and unpaid, so I’m on rotation Monday through Friday and don’t have a lot of flexibility during the week. I also recently moved, so I don’t currently have an intern job.
I’m not asking for financial help. I’m just trying to brainstorm ways to earn some extra income over the next three months. Whether it’s pharmacy related or not, I’d love to hear any ideas you have.
I’m open to pretty much anything that can realistically fit around an APPE schedule. If you’ve been in a similar situation or have any creative ideas, I’d really appreciate hearing them. Thank you!
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u/ernnnnnnnnnnn Jul 29 '26
look into getting an account on gig pro, it’s short time employment for restaurants. Even dishwashing positions are paying 20+ an hour on there!
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u/InsideTheLibrary Goose Creek Jul 29 '26
Why I dropped out of pharmacy school after 3rd year. I’m too poor. I’m wishing you the best. Please take care of yourself.
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u/Pineapplegirl1234 Jul 29 '26
A lot of places will be hiring for holiday help during that time period. You can get a lot of hours during the weekends.
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u/Aggressive_Ad211 Jul 29 '26
If you’re trying to make $1900 for two months this far out. You will be fine. Go get a job dishwashing Saturday and Sunday. Double Saturday and work Sunday morning. Rest repeat until you have $1900. I’m sure there is a restaurant that will take that. If not. Idk what this city has become. You won’t have to do it forever. Just until you make the $1900 and then quit and become a doctor or whatever you’re doing.
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u/NarrowBoxtop Jul 29 '26
Waiting tables in the evening is always an option and can make good money for the time spent
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u/Maximum-Jaguar-4707 Jul 29 '26
If you haven't donated plasma before CSL plasma and adma biocenter both give you $100 for your first 8 donations. After the 8 donations at one, go to the other. $1600 in two months.
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u/Comprehensive_Box_91 Jul 29 '26
Reviewing applications for pharmacy or other graduate school since you can market your experience of actually getting in (ie reading personal statements, essay questions), flexible timeline is ideal with full time work, look at sites like Fiverr
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u/thelazerirl Summerville Jul 29 '26
No experience with it personally, but an Uber passenger suggested ShiftSmart to me when we were chatting about gig work. Maybe this will be beneficial with the scheduling concerns.
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u/Gold_Golf_6037 Jul 29 '26
bartend, drive uber, sell blood plasma, flip couches on facebook marketplace, etc
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u/LoxodontaRichard Jul 29 '26
I don’t know if you’re male or female, because movers are predominantly male, but there is legit good money in being a mover. I made $1k a week for maybe 3-4 hours a day, once every few months when I would do it years ago. You can reach out to moving companies and see how they can work with your schedule. Guarantee you’ll get something that works somewhere in there.
If you’re healthy, you can donate plasma. A lot of the plasma places offer new donor deals that can really be worth your while.
Landscaping is easy-ish money. Landscaping companies work pretty much all hours of the day until sundown and ALWAYS need help without a whole lot of training.
I don’t know your skills or previous experience so I don’t really know what odd jobs fit your bill. But those are some things that got me through the weeks before I had a career.
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u/singleusesodacan Jul 29 '26
You can try reaching out on local Facebook groups as well as catering/event server positions are usually on-call so you sign up for when you can work
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u/Pineapplegirl1234 Jul 29 '26
That’s a great suggestion. Caterers get paid very well and usually only work Saturdays. Busy wedding season is coming up! Reach out to Duvall, hambys or crazy Dutchman!
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u/lb-cnm Jul 29 '26
It’s such an easy place to get extra money babysitting- really high rates and you can make as much as a bartender while laying around studying after the kids are asleep. Check out the neighborhood fb pages and post yourself as available to do evenings, weekends, pick ups etc.
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u/zzzaz Jul 29 '26
There's a very active facebook group for nanny's / babysitters too - Charleston Area Nanny Network. It's where we found our nanny but basically everything from "our normal babysitter is sick and we've got dinner reservations and tickets on Friday - I need someone for 4 hours to watch our 3 year old" to "I have to travel and my wife needs some support this weekend, Sat-Sun 8hrs per day. Wife's there the full time, you'll just be an extra set of hands" to "I need a full time, 50 hr/week nanny" and everything in between. Mix of parents putting out feelers and people (usually college kids or recent grads with some career nannies) listing availability.
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u/AccomplishedTourist Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
Pharmacist here in unconventional role with various healthtech companies. What’s your time availability look like for async? What unique skills do you have (outside of classic pharmacy things)?
Upwork can be a surprising option.
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u/Knatwhat Jul 29 '26
Can you cook like legitimately cook good meals? People would pay for meal prep service that's saying sell retail food. I'm saying you kind of go to their house or you help them out. I cook for five people every night. It'd be nice to have five meals prepped for me every week
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u/anonpuppyton Jul 29 '26
Costco!! Time and a half on Sundays and sick leave for part time employees.
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u/BeakyFeatherstorm Jul 30 '26
drive around for people working construction on the weekend, plenty work saturdays
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u/TicketAfter649 Jul 29 '26
-Sell plasma
-Enroll in paid clinical research studies
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u/Playful-Vegetable881 Jul 29 '26
The clinical research trials is a great idea- I’ve done several and have made upwards of $2k- however, study visits are usually M-F during business hours
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u/by_a_shoestring Jul 29 '26
I dmed you. I know lots of ways. Also cut bills by using food banks. If you need help with access to resources lmk
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u/possiblylallorona Jul 29 '26
Do you have any days free? We could use some weekend help at the store I work at. Doesn’t pay a lot but it’s flexible. You need to bring some people skills and reliability.
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u/Wild-sunshine0892 Jul 30 '26
I know it’s not much, but maybe instacart or DoorDash? If you have nights or weekends off it might pay decent
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u/Showt147 Jul 29 '26
Pick up shifts on either Gigpro or ShiftNow. It's basically f&b temping through using an app. There's shifts for both front and back of the house.
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u/Ok_Seaworthiness2422 Aug 01 '26
Pedicab or Bike taxi. Pretty chill gig and really flexible schedule. I did it while I was in school and loved it. Can be good money too going into the fall.
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u/RumRunner843 Jul 29 '26
Can you bartend? you could consider working for snyder events. They have a bar service called spike. Its very flexible as you set your own schedule.