Why More Singapore Gen Zs Are Taking on Side Hustles While Studying Full-Time

Today, more Gen Zs in Singapore are embracing the idea of side hustles — from part-time work and small businesses to turning personal passions into income — all while studying full-time.

In the latest episode of Gen Z Crash Course, hosts Zeliang and Chen Qijia met two young Singaporeans who are juggling school with side gigs, and found out why this has become the norm for many in their generation.

Emma, a Computing and Law student at Singapore Management University, runs a tuition centre by day and works as a club DJ by night.

Most mornings are spent attending classes on campus, followed by a seven-hour break before her next lecture. During that long gap, Emma teaches at her tuition centre nearby, grabs dinner, and then heads off to her DJ gig, where she performs as DJ Evie.

The tuition centre she co-founded, Lock In Education, opened in May. When she isn’t teaching, Emma uses the space to relax with friends or catch up on schoolwork.

Sharing how her side hustle came about, Emma says:
“I started tutoring since I finished my A-Levels three years ago. It was a long process, but I had this really nice boss who took me along with him to open this centre.”

At the heart of Emma’s multiple roles is her desire for financial independence.

“I didn't really want to take money from my parents, if it's my parents' money, it's their rules how I spend it, so I wanted to make my own money to fund my own kind of creative lifestyle,” she explains.

“I always had a vision of building a tuition centre and I wanted to do something with my skills. I played the piano since I was three [but] I ended up liking electronic dance music, so I thought to go up on stage [as a DJ] to see how it goes,” she adds.

Emma has also noticed that many people her age are building side hustles or businesses around their skills and interests.

“I think most Gen Zs have side hustles because they’re worried about the job market. There’s always the question of what comes next after graduation — you are not guaranteed a job. So it’s like building career ‘lily pads’, a kind of backup plan they can fall back on, so they’re not lost when they graduate, and it’s something that aligns with their goals,” she says.

For Haziq, a third-year student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, the motivation behind his side hustle was more immediate — the need for extra income.

Together with two schoolmates, Haziq co-founded Simply Pie, an on-campus café selling savoury pot pies and pastries. As a school-based business, they pay a manageable monthly rent of S$200 for their stall.

“All of this started during the pandemic. My dad was a taxi driver, so our income pretty much dropped to almost zero. That was when I decided that I should try selling what I bake, and people started buying it. From there, I hopped on this opportunity,” Haziq shares.

When asked why he didn’t opt for a more traditional part-time job, Haziq says:
“For Gen Zs, or people my age, if you get a 9-5 you're considered cooked. It's like being stuck in the matrix, you don't have the freedom to do what you want.”

Almost a year into the business, Haziq says they are on track to break even if current trends continue. The co-founders rotate shifts around their class schedules and bring in part-timers when academic commitments pile up.

Emma and Haziq are part of a growing group of Gen Zs who say it’s now “quite common” to juggle side hustles alongside full-time studies. With job market uncertainty looming, many young people are choosing flexible, self-driven paths that allow them to earn on their own terms — while building something they genuinely care about.

Photos: Mediacorp

You can catch the full episode of Gen Z Crash Course below.