SHOULD STUDENTS WORK?

Does working long hours after school have a negative effect on grades? Do the benefits outweigh the harm?

Senior Student Life Correspondent
Chris Rodriguez

Most of my classmates think I am lucky because I get out of school at 1 PM, but what they don’t know is that some days after school I have to go to work. There are many controversial issues dealing with working and being a high school student at the same time. Some people may think that working during school can be very beneficial. They think it teaches maturity, responsibility, & independence. Some parents oppose that idea though.

I work 20-30 hours every week, and more as we get closer to the holiday season. My fellow workers and I look forward with trepidation to the longer hours, and the big rush that starts on “Black Friday.”

The author, a BTMF senior, works 20, 30,
and more hours per week at this
retail giant. Somehow, at the same time,
he manages to maintain excellent grades.

Parents may think it’s too challenging to juggle schooling and working during high school. They feel that if their child starts working during school, they are going to lose their focus on school and continue to worry about money. Worried that their children wont excel in school, some parents don’t allow their teens to work during the school year. “I enjoy working part time after school, it gives me something to do so that I won’t just stay home & watch television all day,” says BTMF Senior Fernando Quispe.

Personally, when I first started working, it was extremely hard and took me a while to adjust to it. I would constantly be very tired, only because I tried everything  I could not to slack in school. I would stay up late most nights to finish homework or class work I needed to complete for the next day of school. This year, I do a co-op program, which gives me credits so that I can leave early from school and go straight to work. I come home early enough every night so I can do homework and rest to be energized the next day. This program is wonderful for working students through your senior year and it also help students without a job get a job and prepare for a future.

Editor's note: Do YOU work after school? Do you work because you have to, or because you want to? Have your grades suffered? Share your working student story on jfkTORCH.blogspot.com. You can leave a comment here, or if you would like to write your own post, email it to goffmanteacher@gmail.com.