Lucas Lornell & Noah Sylvia- As high schools students, we find it extremely difficult to manage our time outside of school with homework, sports, and our social lives. However, when you throw a part-time job into the mix, scheduling can get even more hectic. Taking on a part-time job while trying to pass all your classes is hard work, but is it worth it? This lifestyle may be a challenge to most people, but students who have a job develop time-management skills. At Sutton High School, we surveyed 47 upperclassmen and 87.2% who have a part-time job and 54% of those students believe it interferes with their school work. When asked what it is like having multiple part-time jobs, Sutton High Senior Rachel Peters responded, “I love working even though it’s hard to get school work done between coming home late or being too tired to do it, I work at 4 jobs including 2 horse farms.” In Rachel’s case, her schedule is packed with her not only being a student, but also a member of the Sutton varsity volleyball team. When asked about how she manages her time for school work Rachel responded “I finish it (school work), but it’s hard to fit in and to also have the motivation to do it.” Responsible students want to have time to study and get homework done, but also want to live their lives and enjoy themselves. Even though students feel stressed with all their personal responsibilities, most agree that it builds strong character. Part-time jobs at a young age can begin to build a resume for the future. However, part-time jobs lack variety and do not peak student’s interests. According to a survey we took, over 60% of students work at a grocery stores or work in the restaurant business. This is why, for seniors, the Sutton High School internship program is so valuable. With this program, you can get experience in a field of work you plan on furthering and can possibly be offered a job in the future.
One popular part-time job around Sutton is a brand of Price Chopper called Market 32. I took to the hallways of Sutton High School to interview some employees of this fine establishment. First I talked to Jason Mongeon, latest employee of the month. I asked him what it was like having a part-time job in high school. Jason said,“ I enjoy working at Market 32, it is sometimes hard to do other things because I work so much. Since I work a lot, it takes a lot of time.” I also asked him if he feels as respected as a full-time employee. He answered confidently with “well I am the employee of the month and I feel that they do respect me because they know I want to be there for the money and I am a hard worker.” Another question we asked was, do you feel that it is hard managing your time between school, work, and playing a sport. Jason responded with “I find balancing work and school currently is pretty easy, but when I have a big test or quiz I find it very stressful.” I asked this question to a few other students including Foley Williams and Elizabeth Machado and they had very similar answers. Liz has 3 jobs which really makes it hard for her to get homework done. When we asked Liz if she enjoyed her part-time job, she responded with “ It is fun because I personally like working. It makes me feel productive and I get paid which is a plus. Although, sometimes it can be stressful with homework.” With all the information we collected, we believe that having a part-time job as a student can be done and is worth it in the end because of the money you make. Everyone loves the feeling of a good paycheck hitting their savings account. It may be tough to balance your schedule, but learning time management will be a valuable skill for the future.
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