Balancing school and extracurricular activities is an uphill battle for most high school students. But what about the students who balance school and a job? Or in some students’ cases, school, a job, and sports. This is what many students juggle in their day-to-day life. Through my personal experience and input from other students, I have discovered the effect this has on students.
Does A Job Affect Students’ Grades?
Balancing school and a job is difficult, there’s no doubt about it. What about the homework they have to complete also? I know students who leave school and go straight to work and then work there until after dark. By the time they get home, there’s no time to do homework because they’re so tired. I spoke to WCHS sophomore Elly Sallee about how she manages work and school. Sallee stated, “Sometimes it can be pretty difficult; my shift starts at 4, so I have to go straight from school to work with little to no time to get things done. I work till 9 most days, so I get home late and still have a hundred things to do before I can get in bed. Luckily, my manager is reasonable and flexible, so if I need to schedule a change or need to get home early, I totally can”. Sallee is great at managing school and work, but she still has to stay up a little later to get everything done for school the next day. Although Sallee does work late hours, she still makes time to maintain her grades. However that’s not the case for some students.There are students without extra time for homework- their grades often drop and they don’t have time to fix them. But using HIVE wisely can help you dedicate time to schoolwork.
What about students that have a job and play sports?
In addition to work and school some students balance a sport. These students might have to choose between the activities. I spoke to Elly Sallee on this matter also. This upcoming spring she will be balancing work, school, and track. Sallee stated ¨I run track, and my sport doesn’t start till the spring, so I do not have to worry about that currently, but once it gets to running season, I practice 4 times a week, right after school. So I will have no free time, and I am not entirely sure I will continue working during track season, for many different reasons. I would like to enjoy this school year and not be stressed and crammed, with school, track, and work¨. It’s important to organize your responsibilities ahead of time, as it can be easy to get overwhelmed. Learning to use your resources can be essential for managing every aspect of your life. This is another time when HIVE can help to get all your extra work done.
You can do it!
In conclusion, it can sometimes be difficult to balance school and a job. If you work hard and find time to work on homework you can do it. Many students at WCHS have found a way to balance both of them, just like Elly Sallee.
