It is expected in many families for a high school student to have a job for after school and on the weekends. However high school is also when students often become involved in clubs, sports, and work to maintain their GPA which becomes difficult to accomplish when a job is added to the mix.

“It’s common for me to work several hours after school and still have a pile of homework to do when I get off,” said Gracie Bain, senior and employee at The Sweet Spot.

Teachers will often assign homework every day and expect it to be turned in the very next day, but they do not always consider that many of their students will have little opportunity to work on the assignment.

There are students who go straight from school to work and do not get home until ten or eleven which is when they start their homework.

“It is very hard to work and find time to do homework,” said senior Zach Cotton.

If it’s so hard to keep up with both school and a job, why do the students not just quit?

Some feel pressure to keep them because they feel like that is what is expected of them. For many students, that is not an option. The money they make is not just extra spending money, but is used to pay for food, cars or other necessities.

“I needed a way to make payments for my truck,” said Cotton.

Jobs are not all bad though and there are often at least a few perks to having a job. Some places give employees discounts or free passes.

“I really like getting discount candy from The Sweet Spot,” said Bain.

There are a few jobs that let you change your availability to accommodate school and busier months.

Sonic is one of the better business about flexibility and employs many students.

If a student is involved in football, band, or some other extra curricular activity, store mangers will allow them to take a short leave so they do not encounter conflicts.

“I haven’t worked for a few weeks because I am a drum major and have football games to attend to,” said senior Jordan Ladyman.

The type of job most students get does not require intensive training, but involves just a few simple tasks.These jobs are usually the ones that are left over once college students and adults have applied for jobs.

This leaves students like Cotton working in the meat department of Harps where he packages, grinds and cuts meat.

These jobs are not always the most desirable and can deter some students from applying for them.

There are some students that say that these jobs hard to find, but Bain says,”It just depends on the type you want.”

In short, teenagers may get jobs for various reasons, but they all must deal with the responsibilities that come with them.