Stockton- Balancing a job and school is not an easy task. I work at the YMCA here in Stockton, California where I typically work about 14 hours a week. Managing both school and work can be challenging, as it’s important to prioritize good sleep and mental health. Workplaces often focus on profit and completing your job the best you can while school is about working hard academically and gaining knowledge so that you are better prepared in the future.
My personal experience of working is that the YMCA helps me a lot by allowing me to balance my schedule between school and sports. However, making these commitments often requires sacrifices. There are times when I can’t hang out with friends, which is a significant part of high school life, or when I have do work shifts after school or on the weekends when I am tired from school and my other extracurriculars. With these sacrifices, I sometimes find myself sleep-deprived and low on energy.
When navigating this balance, it’s helpful to create a schedule before taking on a job, but sometimes you just have to go with the flow. Working is like attending another school—it’s an additional 5 to 8 hours out of your day—yet it can be rewarding. One of the biggest benefits of having a job is earning some pocket money to spend with family and friends which is really important because as I get older I have learned that it is important to learn how to support yourself because most teenagers like myself will be going off to college and have to learn how to support themselves without living with their parents or a guardian. Also, having some extra money allows me to go to different places with my friends and be able to afford eating out or buying something I want if we go somewhere fun!
Ultimately, balancing these challenges leads to great rewards and equips you with essential tools for adult life. If you are unsure if you want to get a job, or if you do not know if it is a smart decision, talk to your parents or a trusted adult about the situation. You can also come to the College and Career center in the library and talk to our counselor Mrs. Dickson on how to apply for a job and where to possibly look into applying to.
