Students love being able to buy what they want. But for most students, in order to pay for what they want they’ll need to have a source of income. Many students will get a job and begin working for extra money that they can spend on what they want, and what they need. Some students begin working because they need the money for specific things, such as a new vehicle, insurance, or maybe school fines. Although many students work for these reasons, there are some who have to work to help support their families, or to buy their own food and clothing. THS student Eric (last name withheld) said, “Much of my money goes to my mom to help with bills, but what I have left over I cut in half and allow myself half of that as spending money. The rest goes into savings.” Whatever the reason, many students do not manage their hours well and end up working over 20 hours a week. While that brings in some decent money, it can drain a student. THS student Eric also states “I try to keep my hours down below 15 but some weeks I’m scheduled to work more, which makes me fall back in a few classes and I have to stay up to catch up.”

Research conducted by Susan R. Furr and Theodore W. Elling, professors at the University of Northern Carolina renowned for their multiple studies on Child Development and Family Sciences states that 29% of students who work 30-39 hours and 39% of students working full time have experienced a frequent decrease in school success. In order to be successful in school while having enough time to study, do homework and sleep, students will need to manage their hours properly. Students can talk to their managers about decreasing the amount of hours they work, or only working certain days of the week. THS Senior Laura Collins (real name withheld) says “Last year I wanted to play on the volleyball team but I work almost 20 hours every week so I would never able to make it to practice or anything.” Students should leave enough time to be able to do things they like, which could mean only working weekends, or a few hours a day. If students are unable to complete schoolwork, or participate in other activities, working may not be in the student’s best interest.