We are all familiar with the level of stress high school students endure when juggling a multitude of responsibilities. On top of deadlines, tests, and projects, a job can be too much. However, some students take on the responsibility of having a job anyway. For some students, their job takes care of their gas money, small expenses, and other things a teenager wants or needs. For other students, a job helps support their family in some way.
Students don’t get exempted from school to go to work and workers don’t get exempted from work for school. Students who partake in both found balancing work and school is not easy.
Sadi Selph, a Junior at Austin High and hostess at Guerro’s said “I save money for college,” when asked if it was hard for her to balance the two she said, “Yes, I prioritize school more but work makes it difficult.” Work can affect students’ grades, but what if they have to work? This isn’t fair for working students.
To add on, Arwen Gordon, a junior at Austin High and employee at Snarf’s Sandwiches,  agreed that work affects grades. “It can, especially on days I really need to study, but I have work after school. Students who have to work after school often have to prioritize school much more because they don’t have that free time after school. The school work needs to be done earlier with the same amount of effort. Gordon added, “…If I’m working, more likely than not I’ll put off school until the next day.” Putting off schoolwork adds to the next day’s workload. This makes it harder for students to turn in assignments on time and stay on top of their work.
On the flip side, some students are just not affected by work at all. Camdyn Puwpong, a junior here and employee at Pinkberry, explained “Work does not affect my grades, I have an off period so I’m able to get all my work done before school. Having an off period can be really helpful when it comes to extra time for studying.”
While an off period can be helpful, not every student who has a job procures an off period. Without an off period, maintaining a stable schedule while attending work and school can be difficult, this is why it’s necessary for employed students to strictly prioritize their responsibilities. It could be done by setting aside time solely for the purpose of studying or completing schoolwork in order to minimize stress.  
Personally, it’s really hard for me to balance school and work. I had to cut my hours at work in half so I wouldn’t get behind. There have been times when I have chosen work over school by working instead of studying for a big test, but it has never benefited me. Overall students, including me, definitely attempt to prioritize school but being employed can make it a challenge without the proper time management.