Running from place to place and constantly stressing. Stepping into a new environment every hour, hoping to keep up with all the responsibilities of their everyday life.
There’s been debate on whether a job as a student is really worth it. It can be stressful and sometimes be overwhelming. Although the money seems to be worth the stress, students continuously choose to work to earn some extra cash.
“It’s very, very stressful to both work and keep up with my school work. It’s essentially, wake up, go to school, go to work, go to sleep and then the cycle repeats again,” junior Saleen McGee said.
A big factor is the effect on one’s social life. Some may be too busy to go to school, then work and still have time to see their friends. This can be a huge deal breaker when getting a job as the majority of students prefer to spend their time with friends.
According to Pew Research Center, “The vast majority of teens (95%) spend time with their friends outside of school, in person, at least occasionally.”
Stress is a huge aspect that is present in most people’s lives, jobs can be a big contributing factor of that. They’re a huge responsibility and commitment.
“Working as a teen can have harmful effects on a student’s educational and social well-being, as well as on their health and safety. Students who spend more time working, have less time to focus on school, and often see a decline in their grade point average as a result of their decreased engagement in the classroom,” freshman Katelyn Gendron said.
Balancing work and school isn’t an easy task that just anyone can do. It takes effort and dedication to stay committed. Making sure that whoever is doing both doesn’t slip in their commitment to one, or even both.
“Having a job and school work is hard, but I manage. My car helps me balance both of them, since I’m able to be more independent whenever I leave either one,” sophomore Abigail Kelsey said.
Jobs aren’t necessarily all bad. They can teach life skills and keep teens busy when they could be sitting at home or getting into trouble.
According to Evolve, “There are plenty of reasons why teens should work. Taking on a part-time job as a teenager builds independence and teaches responsibility. Some of the benefits of having a job as a teenager include helping teens avoid depression and teaching work ethic and valuable life skills. Working in high school helps teenagers get a head start by building a resume from an early age. A job can be an opportunity for unhappy teens to find a sense of belonging as part of a team,”
Working a job can be crucial to development as a young adult. It teaches teens how to recognize their strengths and weaknesses, as well as help them to better understand what places would be a good fit for them.
“I got my job because I wanted to build up my savings and learn the responsibility needed for a job,” junior Saleen McGee said.
Having a job can help teens better understand the value of money. According to Fox Business, “John Gallo of Gallo Consulting stresses that teens suddenly learn an item’s worth once they have to use their own money to pay for it. ‘If 20% of what you made in the summer goes into schooling, then the experience becomes that much more real to you- you’ll want to get your money’s worth,’
There are many pros, as well as cons, which come with having a job. If deciding to get a job, a teen should thoroughly consider both the good and bad aspects of having one.
