High school is a time for students to focus on their academic studies, engage in extracurriculars, and prepare for the real world. Many students choose to take on part-time jobs during their high school years to gain work experience and earn some extra money. However, balancing work and school can be a challenging task for some. With classes, homework, extracurricular activities, and the added stress of a job outside of school, it can be overwhelming for high school students to manage their time effectively. Take a look at some students who navigate their busy schedules while balancing school and work.
Selena Huang (11) works at her family’s business, Asian Pearl, a popular Chinese restaurant in downtown Zachary. Every day after school, Huang stays at her family’s restaurant until 8:00 p.m. Huang is taking many challenging classes this semester, and she always strives to do her best, going above and beyond to maintain spectacular grades. But how exactly does she manage her time so well?
Between upcoming assignments and tests every other day, studying and completing homework after work can be taxing. Since Huang works for her family, she takes time off if she has an upcoming assignment due or a big test to study for.
“Working limits the amount of time you have [to complete assignments], so [I] definitely spend more time at night doing homework,” Huang (11) said.
Huang manages her schedule by allotting time for each assignment she needs to complete. She’ll set timers and work on the assignments to the best of her ability, hoping she finishes them effectively and efficiently. She says this system helps her stay on top of grades, and now her work doesn’t really affect her grades.
I attempt to do assignments to the best of my ability, and I try to give like an amount of set amount of time to do something.”
— Selina Huang (11)
Kasen Sinclair (12) works at the popular coffee chain CC’s Coffee House. Depending on what shifts he picks up and when he’s scheduled, Sinclair works anywhere from 20 to 25 hours weekly. His shift times vary as well; sometimes, he’ll work in the early afternoon or later into the evening.
{Picture} Being a senior, Sinclair gets out of school earlier in the day, around noon. Regardless, Sinclair still has four core classes he must keep up with. How he manages his day and time is based on when he is scheduled to work. Sinclair typically takes care of everyday life priorities right after school, heads to work, and spends the remaining time after work completing any school assignments or studying.
“Having a job doesn’t necessarily impact my grades, but it impacts the studying and work I need to do to obtain those grades,” Sinclair (12) said.
Since having a job, Sinclair has learned better time management with his school and personal projects. Because of this, he has typically been able to balance school and work without becoming too overwhelmed or stressed. If he becomes overburdened with responsibilities, Sinclair usually tries to take a moment to reflect, plan, and distress. This allows him to complete the work he needs to get done effectively.
If I do get stressed, I normally take a step back and plan out what I can do in order to successfully finish whatever I have to do.”
— Kasen Sinclair (12)
Luke Parks (12) operates his own business, Royalty Treats, which sells frozen, ready-to-bake desserts. With the help of his family, Parks has created a good balance between managing school and work by pushing most of his production hours to the weekend, mainly on Sundays.
Parks takes a lot of challenging classes. Maintaining good grades is very important to him and his family. He tries to do most of his homework early in the week to ease his stress. With the system he created, he can focus on school during the week to prioritize his grades.
Because of how we structure our workdays, I never really have to run into the conflict between school and business.”
— Luke Parks (12)
Parks enjoys seeing the growth of his business. The success of his business inspires him to persevere and have faith in his company. Whether getting into a new store, producing his product in bulk, or even having a demo go over well, Parks takes pride in what he has created.
“[My company success] makes me feel very ecstatic that something I was able to make come together is actually succeeding in the mainstream market space,” Parks (12) said.
Despite the added pressure and demands on their time, these students have shown resilience and determination in managing their commitments. From part-time jobs to owning a business, these experiences provide valuable skills and experience and teach important lessons in time management and prioritization. With perseverance, these ZHS students are proving that they can handle the challenges of today’s fast-paced world.
