Having a job and keeping up with an education is no easy task. Since the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down, more businesses are going out of business or struggling to stay around due to the shortage of workers. As a result, highschoolers started to step in and help. Highschoolers are only able to do so much. Some students found it hard to keep interest in school, and some found it hard to study, because of the short amount of free time that they have. As a result, some students are falling in grades, where others are managing.
Sophomore James Melin has worked at the Empire Theater for two and a half months. “Work and school could be easier,” he said, explaining that he should probably spend more time on his school work to make the balance easier. He believes that if a student can manage a job as well as school, then they should be able to keep their job. Melin prefers to work as many hours as he can because it means there is more money in his pocket.
Sophomore Luke Hauser has worked at McDonalds for nine months. Hauser says he is doing all right for the most part on grades. Work and school are just very time consuming, but Hauser thinks that everyone should have a job. “It helps you become independent and learn about the world on your own.” His work schedule is balanced, but Hauser wished he could work more than once a week. He also prefers a more work-based schedule to have more money. Hauser says, “I can pay people with money, I can’t pay people with math homework.”
Junior James Eyster has worked at Taco Bell for 11 months. He works about 25-30 hours a week. He said his grades have decreased since getting a job. Eyster said that when he is late on one assignment, it starts to cause more assignments to be late. He says work is easier and less stressful than school.