Having a job in high school seems amazing. You get your own money, you don’t have to ask your parents when you want to get something from the store; you get to develop skills alongside people you probably don’t go to school with.

   However, many students don’t think about how much of your time is needed in order to fully commit to having a job. 

   Personally, I work 5 hours every 3 days a week. I also go to school for 7 hours for 5 days a week. So that means 55 hours of my week are spent going to school, and working. I often feel that I have no time to do any of the hobbies or activities that I like.

   I get up in the morning and get driven to school at about 8:30. School gets out at 3:45, however I do not get home until 4:10. And I am scheduled to work from 5 to 9pm. So that usually leaves me only 30 minutes in between school and work.

   I have recently felt so overwhelmed and tired of having all of these responsibilities. I wish I had the time to lay down and watch netflix, or go out with my friends more often. But I already have such little free time. I also struggle getting the sleep I need, because I stay up late to either crocheting, or playing video games. That leads me to only get about 4 – 5 hours of sleep. 

   Having a job seems worth the money, but is it truly worth sacrificing that much of your free time just to feel more successful? 

   Mental health also plays a huge role in having a job while in highschool. I didn’t realize how much mental strain comes along with it. 

   I still need time to do homework, chores etc. It almost feels like a constant growing pressure that’s impossible to control.

I’m still so young with so much of my life ahead of me, yet I already feel bombarded with all these responsibilities on my plate. Sometimes the stress builds up and becomes so overwhelming that I shut down and ignore everything. Procrastinating like this only makes me stress more, and then causes a cycle of stress that sometimes feels impossible to get out of. 

Having a job has made me become more aware of my mental health and how much It truly affects my day to day life. But also it made me aware of how letting my stress build up and turn into procrastination is negatively impacting my mental health, and my mood everyday. 

Having a job during highschool seems like it could be really beneficial, when in reality it could potentially harm your mental health, and your daily mood.

My advice? Make sure you are truly considering both the pros and cons of getting a job in highschool, and realizing whether or not these are things you are ready to sacrifice at such a young age.