Throughout Tahoma, we have a lot of students taking on real responsibilities for the first time in their lives.
With that comes paying for their car, gas, food, and hanging out with their friends, so jobs are a big part of allowing them to do these things.
Most Tahoma students start getting their first jobs near the beginning of high school, and with very limited job experience, most stick with minimum wage jobs.
But how do students balance work, school, and life? Alex Mooney, a Tahoma student who works at a gift shop, says, “I work 20-25 hours a week and around 5 to 6 days a week.”
She does say it intrudes on her free time since she works for almost the majority of the week, but she is still able to keep up with her schoolwork and grades.
We also interviewed Marco Rojas, a Cascadia Pizza worker, on how his job affects his day-to-day life.
What he added was that it pushes in on his time with homework, which sometimes causes him to go to bed anywhere from 12-2 am.
“Work makes me able to buy the things that are important to me, but sometimes I can’t do homework because of it.”
But, there are perks that come along with having a job: future work experience, the freedom of using your own money to buy things, and being able to make connections with people.
Alex says that her job is well-rounded in allowing her not to stress as much as, say, someone working in fast food.
She comments that, “it’s a very low-key job. I like that I can just go to work, fold some clothes, and talk with coworkers.”
Marco explains that having a job is a big responsibility because it is a part of one’s reputation.
Stating, “your reputation at your job can determine what jobs you’ll be accepted in the future,” and also emphasizing that, “it also allows for the freedom to buy the things I want.”
Teens don’t do everything themselves; they rely on adults to help teach them these fundamentals.
An example would be Jenny Miller, a horse trainer that has worked with teens to teach them about training.
Miller says, “there’s a lot of benefits to having a job; it helps them with the workforce in their future, and it allows them to get their own money, which teaches them about financial responsibility.”
All of which are skills that are important for teens to be successful when they grow up and get done with school because of the lifelong lessons associated with them, with the most notable being work ethic.
Although having a job while you’re in school can be stressful for many students, we need to remember that it’s to keep a work-life balance.
Remember that we are still young and need to enjoy life, so have fun, go hang out with friends, and don’t forget that your happiness and mental health should be your greatest priority.
