“Get life experience, promote yourself later on with new skills, enjoy your life. You have your whole life to work,” said art teacher Gregg Stevens.
According to Stevens, these are what students without jobs should prioritize. Since it can be difficult for many students to get jobs, many are unemployed.
Still, there are plenty of careers in the trades available to students as young as 16 years old. Having a part-time job while in high school offers opportunities for teens to experience working a job and to understand their options later in life.
“It [having a job] teaches you how to do a job, manage money, and gives good life experience,” said senior Daniel Ewing, who works at Taco Bob’s. Despite the valuable skills Ewing has gained from his job, such as managing money and communicating professionally, it can still be a struggle to balance his job and his school work.
Ewing’s struggle exemplifies a popular argument against students having jobs: that students won’t have as much time for homework. Sometimes homework gets piled up, work is tiring, and you just want to get some shut eye. Combined, this forces school to become less of a priority.
“Make sure you have a wisely managed schedule that includes home life and a well managed school life,” said economics teacher Ryan Allen.
Another motivating factor for students with jobs is the money. With the minimum wage being $10.10 in Michigan, it’s no question that students want to get a nice degree to rise above and make some real money. Still, some students prioritize making money so much that they begin missing out on sleep. This can lead to students sleeping in class, which means they’re missing out on learning during instructional hours.
“Some students work seven hours a day, and students spend a lot of time sleeping in class because of it,” said Allen.
Students sacrifice a lot to maintain employment during the school year. Whether it’s time or opportunities, sometimes it’s worth the money earned to support their family or just saving for the future.
