By Connor Hawthorne, Staff Writer
For many students, high school seems pointless. Why should a student spend their time in school when they can go out into the world and earn money now? However, working may not be as beneficial as it seems, especially for students trying to balance holding a job and attending high school. For many students, simultaneously working and earning good grades is a monumental task. Working a job in addition to school work can increase stress and decrease the amount of time students have to devote to school, sports, and time for themselves. Some students, however, need to work a job in order to earn money for college.
Working during high school decreases the amount of time students have to do homework and other school related activities. Addyson Miller, a junior, works at Ledo’s Pizza part time after school. She is working in order to save money for college, although the time commitment her work requires sometimes negatively affects her life. She explains that “working makes it harder to do homework, I definitely struggle to get everything done.” She states that she “usually work[s] two five hour shifts” per week. Although this does not seem like a lot of time, work can sometimes still conflict with her school work. If she has a lot of homework one night and also needs to work, meeting all of her commitments can become extremely stressful and draining.
After a long day at school, many students need time to relax and do things they enjoy. Working can interfere with this as well, as students need to go to their job, leaving no time to relax. Addyson experiences these difficulties, explaining that “working can be hard, because it means I don’t have time for myself”, adding that “the time I would have for myself I’m either at work or doing school work. For other students, however, working doesn’t take time away from having time to themselves. Ariel Pena, a sophomore who works at the River Hill Grille, explains that working means he is able to relax more often since it pays well and “it’s nice to have a disposable income.” He thinks that holding a job “doesn’t affect my academics.” He does add that he understands that work could be a burden for some people and that he “think[s] some students might struggle balancing academics and work.”
For some students, work can be a rewarding experience that provides them with valuable life skills and experiences. Summer jobs especially can provide structure to a student’s summer months while school is out of session. Andrew Gou, a junior, worked as a manager for Columbia Association last summer and continues working at the River Hill gym during this school year. He attributes this to being able to “keep my skills sharp and fresh. I’m more prepared for the summer and it’s nice to get a break from the school work I have to do.” Since Andrew only works “three to four hours a week” he doesn’t feel like working interferes with his schoolwork. For Andrew, working is also a chance to improve and learn life skills. saying that “It definitely teaches me valuable communication skills.”
Working while trying to balance school can be challenging for some students, however for others it can be a rewarding experience to earn money and gain life skills. Before you decide to get a job during the school year, consider how much time you have and how it will affect your schedule.