Being a full-time student, working a job, maintaining schoolwork, and keeping up with personal relationships strains to be a struggle, yet many Fremont High School students have conquered this challenging schedule. 

Working a job as a high-schooler is nothing new, but nevertheless working a job definitely has its perks.

“The pros are you get great experience in the real world, and you are able to have your own money to spend,” junior Paige Sandness said.

Sandness works as a certified nursing assistant at Edgewood Memory Care, and has been working since April 2020, but started this new job recently. 

“I help the elderly take care of themselves at my job,” Sandness said. 

But, with all the perks and fat paychecks, there are still downsides to working and being in school.

“If you work longer hours, you have no time. You’re at school then at work,” senior Emily Ayers said. “You’re tired and mentally exhausted, you may even be falling behind in your school work. Finding the balance between both will definitely help.”

Ayers works as a childcare provider at the YMCA. She’s been working since August 2021.

“I just basically give the kids snacks, take them to activities and then their parents come and get them at the end of the day,” Ayers said.

Between school, sports, working, extracurriculars, etc, it’s important to keep up with everything so nothing is late or forgotten.

“I write in my notes tasks what I have to get done, and when done I reward myself in a small way such as buying myself something small,” Sandness said. “Sometimes it is even just rewarding to know you are all caught up on tasks.”

If there’s room for working a job, both Ayers and Sandness agree that students should get a job.

“I think students should get a job in high school, that way they have their own money so they don’t have to rely on their guardian whoever that may be to them,” Ayers said. “They are also exposed early to the work environment, they learn how to handle stress and stressful situations.”

The most worked job for high-schoolers is typically fast food. While it’s definitely shown that the fast food industry can be quite stressful, it’s a demanding and sometimes well-paying job.

“Typically I work 25-40 hours a week depending on my schedule,” senior Megan Rayl said. 

She works as a general employee at Dairy Queen where she serves customers, closes the building, and cleans up. 

“I enjoy getting to work with my co-workers, I have close relationships with most of them which is a huge advantage as working any job isn’t easy,” Rayl said. “Honestly, it isn’t always the easiest thing because most of my shifts are pretty much always run by teenagers the same age as me, even younger.”

Having a job is an excellent idea if you need the extra cash, independence and it’s great to prepare high schoolers for life on their own. Being balanced is key and accommodating your hours to fit your needs.