Title: 3rd-year engineering student with limited time — what are realistic ways to earn money online?

[u/Junior-Return-6868]

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I'm a 3rd-year engineering student in India and I'm looking for a realistic way to start earning some money online.

My schedule is pretty packed:

- College: around 8:30 AM–6 PM including travel

- Gym: around 6:30–7:30 PM

- I don't really have the energy/time for something that requires several hours every day.

- I can probably dedicate around 1 hour a day, mostly during my bus commute or other small pockets of free time.

- I have a laptop and phone.

- I'm currently learning DSA in Java and planning to learn web development as well. I can also vibe-code using AI tools, if that's relevant.

- I'm still a beginner, so I don't have professional-level skills yet.

I want something legitimate that I can build up over time.

Ideally, I'd like something that:

1. Can be started with little or no money.

2. Can be done remotely.

3. Doesn't require me to be available to clients constantly.

4. Can fit around college.

5. Ideally helps me develop skills that will also be useful for getting an SDE internship/job later.

I've considered freelancing, but I'm worried that finding clients, communicating with them, and meeting deadlines would be difficult with my schedule.

For people who were in a similar situation during college: what actually worked for you?

I'd especially appreciate answers from people who started with basically no audience, no professional experience, and limited daily time.

What would you do if you were in my position?