First-year master’s student Wang Rui (far right) and her five roommates started a crystal shop in their shared dormitory room. - WANG RUI
BEIJING: Over the weekend, a queue of around 10 to 15 students waited patiently for their turn to enter the newest “shop” on campus – dormitory room 403 at Qingdao University of Science and Technology in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong.
Once in the six-bed dorm room, they headed to a carefully decorated table in the narrow space between two bunk beds to pick their preferred crystals to be strung into a bracelet or necklace.
It was the first day of business for first-year master’s student Wang Rui, 22, and her five roommates, who converted their shared dorm room into a “shop” selling crystals by pooling around 3,000 yuan (S$560) in capital to get their small business rolling.
They are among a small but growing group of Chinese students hustling for work experience while juggling school by getting creative with what they can sell or the services they can offer out of their dorm rooms.
Flowers, snacks, cut fruits, nail art, and even a printing “shop” for lazy students who cannot be bothered to walk to the bookshop at the other end of the campus – these are some examples of dorm-based businesses sprouting up across Chinese universities and vocational colleges in recent years.
At a time when China’s economic malaise has caused youth unemployment to remain high and many young Chinese are concerned about their employment prospects, this small group of young entrepreneurs are hoping to get a leg up on their peers by leaning into the hustle culture even before they graduate.
On Chinese social media platforms, there are thousands of posts tagged “dormitory entrepreneurship”. Some posts have more than 32,000 likes and a lively comment section where young people trade tips and seek advice on starting similar ventures.
“We’re not the kind of people to ‘tangping’ (or ‘lie flat’, a synonym for ‘giving up’), so rather than just lying in bed and scrolling on our phones all day when we have no classes, why not try to do something productive with our time?” Wang told The Straits Times.
“I don’t know if we’ll continue the crystal business after we graduate, but at least now we’re gaining experience running a business that might be useful for us in the future,” she said, adding that the next milestone is for their dorm-based business to break even. Prices for a bracelet start from 168 yuan.
Besides, turning her love for crystals into a business with like-minded friends is “much more exciting than going to class” and will be a core memory to cherish, she said.
The group of six, all of whom are drama and film studies students, are also exercising their filming and editing skills to document the process of setting up shop on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu to publicise their business.
The draw of dorm-based small businesses lies in the low-cost and low-risk model which allows them to take a shot at any business idea, however outlandish, without fear of failure, while earning some pocket money, said tertiary students interviewed by ST.
So far, Chinese universities and colleges appear to be turning a blind eye to these ventures, as long as the voltage of electrical appliances involved, such as mini fridges and portable electric pots, stays within the acceptable limits in order to prevent fires.
First-year undergraduate student Wang Huixuan, 19, started making and selling sandwiches for 6 yuan in her dorm room less than a month ago, after observing her roommate’s dorm-based cupcake business.
To fulfil orders, Wang wakes up at 6.30am and makes the sandwiches on her study desk before delivering them to the students who ordered them and heading for her classes. She makes about 200 yuan for two to three hours of work.
First-year undergraduate student Wang Huixuan, 19, makes sandwiches at her study desk in her dorm room and sells them. - COURTESY OF WANG HUIXIAN
“To be honest, it’s quite tiring and takes up more time than I initially expected, so I’m already thinking about taking a break from doing this,” said Wang, who studies auditing at the Hunan University of Finance and Economics.
“The good thing is, once my ingredients run out, I can stop any time without any losses. There are no real consequences,” she said.
For a second-year vocational student at Wuxi Higher Normal School in Jiangsu province who has been selling flavoured iced coffee to her schoolmates for the last six months, her dorm-based side hustle has given her a semblance of financial stability.
“I really dislike asking my parents for living expenses. I’m also underage so I can’t take on many part-time jobs. I’ve had situations where people take advantage of me and don’t pay my wages,” said the 16-year-old teenager who wanted to be known only as Xin as she is still a minor.
“In my view, starting my own business is a relatively safe choice, and I’m also developing some business acumen,” said Xin, who profits about 100 yuan on a good day.
Dr Lim Tai Wei, adjunct senior research fellow at NUS’ East Asian Institute, said China’s entrepreneurial spirit remains strong even as it grapples with a slowing economy and other pressing challenges, such as in the property sector.
For many Chinese, he said, participating in the informal economy and having multiple streams of income is not uncommon, with dorm-based start-ups being one novel option for young people.
“In China, it has become almost necessary, especially at the varsity level, to have internship or job experiences on their resumes in a competitive job-hunting market,” he said.
A successful entrepreneurial stint may potentially be useful in this area, but much depends on the nature of the project and relevance to the industry the student hopes to enter, said Dr Lim.
A large proportion of dorm-based ventures are started by female students, although male students participate too in less labour-intensive set-ups such as reselling packaged snacks and offering printing services.
Businesses related to food, fashion and beauty have a bigger presence on social media, where students advertise their “shops”.
Second-year vocational college student Zhang Ziye, 19, started offering make-up services in her dorm room a year ago, charging 30 to 50 yuan per person. - ZHANG ZIYE
China’s education system is known for its cut-throat culture, where students and parents strive towards higher education, believing it will lead to better employment opportunities in the future.
However, the world’s largest state-run education system churns out more university graduates than there are jobs available for them each year, as China’s economy struggles to get back on its feet.
The latest November statistics show that 16.1 per cent of young people in the 16-to-24 age group, excluding students, were unemployed.
In 2025, a record high of 12.22 million university students are expected to graduate in China, further straining the already squeezed job market.
But for some entrepreneurial students who have no intention of joining the rat race when they graduate, dorm-based side hustles simply serve as a stepping stone.
Second-year vocational college student Zhang Ziye, 19, started offering make-up services in her dorm room a year ago “just for fun”, charging around 30 to 50 yuan per person. But she soon realised that she had a knack for it and could develop it into a career.
To upgrade her skills, she enrolled in a four-month make-up school for 14,000 yuan.
“At first, I was earning only 100 yuan a day before deducting costs, so I didn’t break even for a long time. But now, on some days I can earn 1,000 to 2,000 yuan, which is more than enough for me as a student,” said Zhang, who studies at Fuzhou Melbourne Polytechnic in Fujian province.
After six months, as her reputation grew and she started getting more client inquiries from people beyond her college, she decided to open a small make-up studio near her campus.
“At some point, I might have to go to a studio to work to learn the tricks of the trade. But for now, I’m happy the way it is after I’ve had a taste of what it is to be an entrepreneur,” she said. - The Straits Times/ANN
