By Rose Nava
As the school year starts, many students have to return into routine and adjust to the school year schedule once again. But what about the students that work a job and go to school? How do their schedules differ from everyone else’s schedules?
From April 2016 to July 2016, the number of employed youth 16 to 24 years old increased by 1.9 million to 20.5 million in the United States, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics.
There are many reasons why students choose to work while going to school.
“I work to save money for college,” said Kianna Pates, a senior at Indian Trail High School who works at the Kenosha Kmart.
Every student has their personal reasons for working and going to school, including Indian Trail senior Ricardo Cruz who also works at Kmart.
“I work to have more responsibilities and get ready for the real world,” Cruz said.Some teens just want a job for the extra cash, that way they have the chance to go places such as restaurants, concerts, the movies and the mall. Other students work because they have to, due to their parents financial status. But just how is it trying to balance work and school?
“It’s really hard and tough. I get tired,” said Lesly Escalera, a Indian Trail student who works at the Mexican restaurant El Sarape.
“It’s annoying having to deal with a long day at school and not being able to rest because I have to work a five-hour shift,” said Pates.
According to the National Institute for Work and Learning in Washington D.C, it’s recommended for students to only work 10 hours a week during the school year, with most hours falling on the weekend.
“I usually work about 25 hours a week and sometimes more,” said Escalera.
The amount of hours that a student works can affect their learnings and their sleeping schedule.
“I get to school late a lot because it’s really hard for me to wake up in the mornings after a long shift the day before,” said Escalera.
“It gets overwhelming, especially with the amount of homework teachers give out,” said Cruz.
One of the hardest things for students would be finding time to do homework.
“I try to finish all my work in school because I know I won’t have time later in the day,”said Escalera.
According to the Los Angeles Times, high school students get an average of 3.5 hours of homework per night. “It really sucks when you wish you could use that time you spend at work to do your homework but you can’t,” Cruz said.
In this case, what should teachers do?
“I think teachers should definitely be more patient with us,” said Cruz.
Indian Trail students who have a job should talk to their teacher and they should also feel free to talk to them regarding an assignment or a deadline.
“Most of my teachers are understanding and they seem to get how hard it is,” said Escalera.