SEARCY, Ar. (LP) — This year Searcy Seniors have been given the ability to participate in a work internship program for high school credit. Many seniors have taken advantage of this unique opportunity, hoping to gain skills that may assist them in the future. Some requirements for this work internship include maintaining at least five hours of work a week, and occasionally interviewing your boss on your overall work performance.
Although this is an incredibly beneficial opportunity, some students find it difficult to balance school, work, and maintaining a social life. Tristan Seibert, a senior at Searcy High, and an employee at Sonic states, “It can be difficult to work a long shift and then come home at midnight and force yourself to do another hour or two of homework.” This can lead to grades suffering, and in turn, struggling to keep up in class. Part of this dilemma is a lack of understanding on the side of the teachers. “A lot of teachers don’t realize that the night before you just came off a closing shift, and you have a completely valid reason you didn’t do your work.” Part of this issue could be resolved if teachers were able to either assign work earlier, (offering multiple chances to complete it) or provide allowances for students that can prove their particularly long shift.
This lack of allowance for students contributes to the overall decline of high-schoolers joining the workforce. According to the Pew Research Center as of 1978, 45% of students held a job during the school year. According to the 2018 statistics (also from the Pew Research Center) that number has lowered to 29%. This means that less and less students are graduating from high school with job experience. Employers are much more likely to hire applicants that have previous work experience, even if it isn’t in the particular field of the place of work.
Some teachers do take into consideration the hours of employment of their students when assigning homework. Trisha White, an AP English teacher for 11th graders said, “Yes, I try to take into account students jobs when assigning homework, if your boss is overloading you with hours at work, you would have to ask for fewer hours if it is cutting into your desired outcomes at school.” Mrs. White also believes that there are many benefits to working a job outside of school, “It helps students with learning time management, financial responsibility, and prioritizing.”
When deciding whether or not working a job is the right option. You should always think about your personal goals and expectations. If you are willing to put in the extra work and time, then a part-time job could be an effective way to learn new skills, and earn some extra cash at the same time.
