Balancing school, a social life, hobbies, and extracurriculars is already a challenging task. So, why add a job into the mix?
High school students wanting to enter the workforce is fairly common as sophomore Life classes begin the job search process and do tasks like building resumes. Marley Hartgraves is one of those sophomores currently looking for her first job, but the search isn’t always easy.
Hartgraves has used tools to help make the process a bit more effortless. “For a few months, I’ve been looking at things like Indeed a lot for jobs that seem fun. I’ve also been looking up on Google how to make my resume better.”
Working students also need to find a way to make time for all of their responsibilities. Organization and utilizing opportunities given in class is a major part of that.
Mia Winters, junior, stated, “I get most of my homework done in school during Life.” She currently works part-time a few days a week.
Because she completes most of her work in class, she feels she doesn’t have much to worry about doing at home, and therefore easily completes her given tasks at work without the extra stress.
Once Hartgraves begins to work, she has a plan on how she’ll manage her time. “Finding a really good, well-balanced schedule is so important, because not being organized can really be overwhelming,” she added. She believes if she sticks to her plans, she’ll be able to manage everything she has to do.
“I plan on balancing out my schedule so I’m not working too much and doing too much schoolwork at the same time, and giving them each enough time so I can complete everything,” continued Hartgraves. She believes having time to study is extremely significant.
If necessary, Hartgraves would put school before work. “I would definitely prioritize school more, because that’s the basis of my future,” she said. Performing well in school will better help her with her future college plans.
Having a job is still important to high school students, though. Hartgraves added, “It definitely sets you up for later in life, giving you real-world experience and money for when you’re out of school.”
If managed correctly, navigating high school life with a job can be done with ease. Mia Winters stated, “I’m able to balance school, life, and work all in one day, and it’s great.”