Striking a Balance: Juggling School, Work, and Social Life as a High School Student

by Sa'miyah Wood

It’s not surprising to learn that many students work during high school. Take a look at Luna, an eleventh grade student at the local high school. She’s the cheer captain, a big sister, a cashier at Walmart, and top of her class. Now that’s not easy. Due to sports, she has to keep a GPA of at least a 3.6. How does she manage that? She has to work, go to school, cheer practice, games, and also has to be a big sister to two little brothers. Let's look at her life outside of school and work.

Luna lives with her mother and her twin six year old brothers. Her father left when the twins were born, and her mother works twelve hours a day to provide for them. Because of her schedule, the role of babysitter often falls to Luna. Monday-Friday, from 7am-2pm, Luna attends class. She then has cheer practice from 2-4pm, and work from 2-8pm. On days where there are football games, typically every other Friday, she can't work because games run from 6:30pm - 8:30pm. On the weekend, Luna works from 7 am - 1pm. In between all of this, she has to find time to feed her brothers and pick them up from school around 4pm, which is during her 30 minute work break. To her, it's not just balancing work and school… but also balancing being an older sister. She has to give 100% to work, 100% to school, and 100% to home. Is that even possible? To her, anything is possible. Though life is hard, she manages. 

Why do students work?

Students may work because they need the money, or just because they want the independence that comes with it. Unfortunately, some may have no choice. They may need it to help provide for their family or to provide for themselves. Nearly 30% of high school students are employed for at least a portion of the school year. Going to school earlier in the day and straight to work after- how do they manage it? Working can help students improve their time management abilities, but it’s not just about the time. 

How does working affect school performance? 

Studies show that students need around 8-10 hours of sleep to perform their best in school. Many students already aren't getting enough sleep, but working students may be getting less. It’s limited hours due to school, so most work later in the evening into the night. Getting off of work at 10–11 pm and still having to come home, maybe do homework, shower, eat, and do things around the house. Some may not be going to bed until 1 am. So now we know that lack of sleep from things like work can affect students' academic performance. How would this be fixed or managed?  Students may work less hours or work less days to get more sleep to improve their grades or overall performance at school. Even if they do work less hours or days, is it worth it? Less hours or days working equals less money. For most people, that is the whole point of working. Is working during school really worth it? 

Does working and going to school affect your mental health?

While working and going to school, the pressure can lead to heightened stress, decrease self-esteem, and even mental and health disorders. Due to the difficulty of balancing both,  it can lead to burnout which isn’t good for your mental health. The pressure of everything being perfect can cause anxiety which can lead to depression. The toxic culture, excessive demands, and unhealthy amount of pressure being put on one person can be a breaking point for some people. Imagine going to work 40 hours a week while having to go to school 6-8 hours a day which is 30-40 hours a week. That leaves barely any time to relax and rest your mind and body. This could lead to health issues and sleep deprivation. 

So is it possible?

Balancing life, work, and school while being successful is possible. It’s no walk in the park and definitely takes a lot of time and effort but if you put your mind to it you can do it. You’ll have to make time to stop and care for yourself while also making sure you're staying healthy.  It’s a lot to put on one person not only physically but mentally. Mental breaks are good and maybe even talking to someone about how you feel with everything rather than bottling it all up until you reach your breaking point. Balancing life, work, and school while being successful is possible. Take a look at Rachel McAdams: she was working fast food jobs as a teen while going to school, and starting her acting career. Today, she is not only an actor but a mother, and she lives comfortably after all she’s been through.