According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 34% of high school students work part-time for about 20 hours or less per week.  Holding down a part-time job may provide several key life lessons. Some lessons learned from working while in school include better time management skills,  improved budgeting, and money management, and an appreciation for higher education. Freshman Grant Lewis mows yards with his brother, Jarrett. This is Grant’s first job.  He said, “I have had to learn how to manage my time, because I have other things I like to do, like play sports. I have to watch the weather and mow when I can after school and on the weekends.” 

Working in high school can sometimes feel stressful trying to balance homework and work.  It can cause a student to get stressed out, because students have a lot of responsibilities and a fixed amount of time to get them accomplished.  “Working on our family farm during harvest can cause me stress, because I have to rush home right after school and work until dark,” said junior Adam Loker. Despite the stress that sometimes comes with working, having a part-time job while in high school is usually a productive life experience.