Waking up, getting dressed, and going to school, going to work, going home, sleeping, waking up and doing it all over again. This is the routine many students follow everyday.

While having a part time job is great to pay for expenses, juggling both school and a job might be tougher than it seems.

“I spend almost all of my spare time working on homework,” senior Alexis Colunga said.

Many students deal with the struggles of growing up and having to start taking on more responsibilities such as paying for their gas, school supplies, and clothing.

“I use my paycheck to pay for gas, car payments and save the rest,” Colunga said.

Because working a part time job does take a lot of time away from the day, students that do have a job are restraining on how much they can do each day.

“I have no time to spend with friends on weekends because I work,” Colunga said.

On the other hand, some students choose to only work on weekends so they’d have plenty of time during the week to work on anything school related and even hang out with friends after school.

“I do my homework on the weekdays, see friends at school and work at iHop on the weekends,” senior Venessa Buol said.

Doing so, Buol only works ten hours a week, which leaves her with more time to focus on her grades, dancing and her social life.

“I knew I needed money but didn’t want a job to interfere with dancing or my grades,” Buol said.

Of course teachers have their own say in this, teachers agree that having a job does teach students important qualities.

“Jobs are great for students, they help them get hands on experience of the real world,” business teacher Lisa Shaw said.

Many teachers though, are worried that their bosses are taking advantage of the fact that they need money now and are willing to take time away from school to get it.

“Employers don’t care how well you do in school or your grades; they care how well you do at work,” history teacher Richard Westerlund said.

Working at a fast food restaurant, a clothing store, or even just with your parents should be temporary and not a lifetime goal.

“Students should limit their working schedule to only the weekends, holidays, and summer time,” college advisor Sarah Simmons said.

Some students need to gain employment to help out their families. Some students want jobs to have their own money to spend on luxuries.
Whatever the case is, students are proving to have a hard time balancing school and work.