By: Kerrick Shaw 

Students are stuck juggling their responsibilities while stocking shelves or handing out orders with homework due the next morning. 

Some teenagers begin their search for work once in high school, but with both school and a job, students might struggle to manage their time efficiently. 

“It is definitely hard to manage my time because my plate is full with school, work and softball,” junior Maggie Alcorn said. “It gets challenging, but I try my best to work around my work schedule.” 

Sports and other extracurricular activities can make it especially hard to handle the workload. Senior Katie Shea, Fundraising Director for Mini-THON, said that most employers are “more lenient towards students.” 

“If something comes up for Mini-THON or volleyball, I make sure to let my manager know right away,” Shea said. “They usually understand with high school students that school comes first; if your job gets in the way, you need to put it on the back burner.” 

Principal Mr. Adam Jones believes that having a job isn’t as important as some students make it out to be, saying that students who participate in school activities like clubs, musicals or athletics should focus on those. However, Mr. Jones also understands that jobs teach teenagers life skills that they cannot learn in school. 

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Comic by: Kerrick Shaw

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“I think going to school is your primary job,” Jones said. “If the time you’re committing to your job is impacting your studies or if your grades are going down then you need to set your priorities. I hear so many kids say that they have to work, but school should be number one on their list.” 

Regardless of her busy schedule that can sometimes be a struggle, Alcorn thinks it is very important for high schoolers to have a job, saying it gives teenagers an “early work ethic.” 

“I started working the summer before my freshman year; I was fourteen,” she said. “I would recommend getting a job early and working hard. I think working will only get harder as you leave high school.” 

Shea agrees it’s ideal to start working as soon as possible. She explained that it teaches responsibility and is a different way for teenagers to meet new people. 

“I started working at the end of my junior year,” she said. “I’m a food runner which can sometimes be difficult because we have three floors, so having to run food up three floors as quickly as possible can be really tiring. I also have to close on school nights at times which means I don’t get home until 11:30 some nights.” 

Balancing work on top of school requires adjustments for teenagers and its important to ensure that responsibilities, like good grades, will be maintained.  

“Each individual is different,” Jones said. “Some students can juggle high level courses and a 30-hour work week; some can’t, and that’s okay. Everything really depends on what the kids are comfortable with and what they need to do. It’s important to remember what comes first.”