The Working Student

Natalie Peckham

Being in high school, the stress of schoolwork, homework, and extracurricular activities can overwhelm just about anybody. Add a job into the mix and you might find yourself being stretched to your capacity. It’s true that having a job in high school can have its perks – the being trusted with more responsibility, making a little bit of money, it looking good on college applications – but the minute you get a job there’s no going back.

Believe me, over the past two and a half years or managing my own work and school and plethora of many other responsibilities, I’ve had my fair share of stress, sleepless nights, and wanting to rip my hair out. Sometimes it just feels like there isn’t enough time in the day.

In order to be successful both in school and in your workplace, you need to know your limits. Whether you have a job and are having trouble, or you’re thinking about getting a job, here are a couple tips on how to manage your stressful high school life:

  • Before getting a job, think about your schedule and how you will handle juggling your work and your schoolwork. Talking to a counselor, teacher, or parent can help you figure out how you are going to balance all of your activities.
  • In order to be successful you need to plan out your workdays with your parents and your employer. Don’t commit to too many hours when you first start. Begin gradually, picking up hours here and there until you feel comfortable.

For me personally, I have had two jobs during my high school career; my first being at the former, locally-loved Bel Air Bakery. It was the epitome of a perfect first job. I could pick my hours, I loved my boss, and I got to know a lot of new people from the town I grew up in. But, because all good things must come to an end, as many of you know, Bel Air Bakery closed down towards the end of last year. I was fine with it; I was happy for my boss that she had come to a decision that had been weighing down on her for a long time. My former boss’s relief, however, did not change the fact that I was now jobless.

Having had that job, I’d managed to save up a good sum of money, so I wasn’t worried about that. But as time moved on, I saw my bank account slowly start to shrink. In the four months that I hadn’t had a job, I realized how much I had relied on getting that paycheck every week. Yes, I do now have another job and I love it just as much, but once you get a job you don’t realize the perk of pay until it’s gone.

Getting a job in high school is probably one of the smartest decisions I have ever made. It has taught me how to handle a lot of responsibility and allowed me the opportunity to work on my time management skills. Lauren LeDonne, student at Bel Air, describes what she’s learned by having a job, stating, “I think after having that [a job], I am more prepared to plan out my activities around my schoolwork, all while not overexerting myself.”

Some of your parents or teachers might discourage you from getting a job, bringing up the fact that it might take time away from your schoolwork. But what better way to prepare for adult life and a possible future in higher education than getting a job in high school? (Plus you get a little extra money in the process. Which is always a perk ☺)

So take it from me: As long as you know your limits, becoming a working student and adapting to a life of a little bit of more responsibility, but also a good amount of newfound freedom, can be one of the most rewarding and exciting things you will ever do!