Once a student turns 16 it’s common for them to get a car and begin working for income. Most do this on top of their 7.5 – hour school day; this could lead up to a very long day. Many students at Kelly Walsh work because it’s beneficial to them and it could be beneficial to other students looking to fill in gaps between their days. 

 “…Working and attending high school is beneficial for learning responsibility and time management,” Taylor Van Hecke, a senior, said.

 Every job is different but all jobs can teach someone crucial life skills. Although these skills can be obtained from other aspects of life there are more opportunities with the many tasks that come with both school and work.

According to the Delta Institute the skills that are developed through the simultaneous high school and job career will be preserved throughout a person’s life if done properly. Due to the fact that creating an equilibrium between a person’s wellbeing, relationships, time, and priorities is a lot to do when someone is already dealing with pressure from their future. 

“I’ve had to speak to a lot of people over lots of different things both good and bad so my confidence and comfortability with new situations has definitely grown,” Eleanor Whyde – Korfanta, a senior, said. 

The College Board says that those who work tend to have more confidence and gain independence through their job and school relationship. By having that additional confidence in oneself they have an advantage in new circumstances to express themselves in the best way possible. Typically people who are confident will be able to strive for academic success through better communication, personal motivation and risk taking. 

While there are many benefits to working while attending school there are also downsides. Most of which are subjective to the job the student has and their curriculum in schools. Which is why it is important that someone’s job matches their outside life as best as possible. 

Van Hecke said, “A big part is finding a job and manager that will be flexible so you have time to be a student.” By finding a workplace that acknowledges an employee’s priorities it permits said employee to focus on multiple aspects of their life without giving one up for the other. Once a person has the ability to be a good employee and student there is less chance that someone will have a decrease in their academic performance due to work.

There is always more to discuss when it comes to students’ performances and what benefits them and what doesn’t. Work is a very complicated matter and is a case to case scenario on how it could affect a student. However, having a job is a good foundation for students to begin discovering and developing their skill sets in life. Without it there would be less chances for students to receive these skills. Regardless of what a student does or does not gain from their job it is understandable why so many students do work.