From the day I turned 16 to currently, I have had a part time job while still managing school. On Fridays I was thankful to have spending money for the weekend but throughout the long week of school I found myself sometimes struggling to manage my time doing homework, work, and still managing to get a decent amount of sleep. For many people, the thought of not working is simply impractical while others have been unable to engage in a job because of school and sports and thus began the debate on if high school students should have jobs or not.

There are many pros and cons to having a job in high school. Learning to manage time and have responsibilities at such a young age is a great skill to have in life and I find that having a job does this. By having a job in high school, students are forced to responsibly make decisions that impact important parts of their lives. By learning to prioritize and time manage, students develop a sense of the real world that will positively impact their futures.

Another benefit to working in high school is obviously money. After my freshman year in high school, I began to feel guilty asking my parents for money for all the things I wanted to do and when I turned 16 I realized I would soon be getting my license. Asking my parents for gas money so I could aimlessly drive around and listen to playlists on repeat seemed a little wrong, so I decided to get a job. Since doing so I have acquired a second job, and am able to put away almost $250 a week in savings. By having a job in high school I am able to save my money and also be responsible for my own bills. Having money saved for after high school is a very beneficial aspect of having a job young because it allows you to be successful in the future, whether it is for college or saving for a house, having money to depend on will save students a lot of hassle in the future.

With time managing and money also comes stress. Managing time between getting homework done and working late nights can be very difficult. Stress is very hard on students and can become very overwhelming. Personally I am a perfectionist when I am not working I am trying to catch up on school work and when I am not catching up on school work I am working. This leaves very little time to hang out with friends, have fun or even have down time to myself. The minimal down time has caused me to catch colds much easier and become very stressed. But even with stress being a very detrimental issue, this is not the only problem with high schoolers working.

The last thing that takes away from the benefits of teens working is it takes away from their childhood. Responsibility, financial stability and time management are all amazing things but they are the amazing things that come with adulthood. Teens being overworked and having too much on their plate ultimately takes away from their childhood and that is something you can not get back.

Although there are many pros and cons to the topic of high school students working part time jobs, I am thankful to have the opportunity to make money which will benefit me in the future but sometimes I do wish I had more free time and more time to catch up on school work. Having said that, I know that in the long run I will be glad that I worked so hard. As for other students who play sports or teens who need extra help and need to focus on school, part time jobs are not practical. The benefits and takeaways from having a part time job as a high school vary from person to person ultimately whether teens should have part time jobs or not is simply based on circumstance therefore it depends on the person.