Imagine that after a full seven hours of school, a cadet immediately changes out of their uniforms only to get into a completely different one–one meant for their workplace. Many students at UMA, typically older students like juniors and seniors, are part-time workers throughout the week.
This commitment to a job after a full day at school has it consequences. A study from Walden University says, “While the correlation between working and grades is not easy to measure, researchers have learned that students who work upward of 20 hours a week suffer from reduced academic performance.”
Juggling a job with learning, homework, and a student’s social life can be difficult. Usually, work takes priority over all things. So how do students balance their work life with their learning? It can be a challenge for some students, especially those who work during the weekdays.
“Work can be frustrating, especially after school. It is extremely difficult to go from school to work, just to get home at 10.” Cadet Amaya Brown said, “I have to try and balance my homework during my free time, which is almost never due to work. It’s hard to go to school and get stressed with school, then go to work and be upfront with
customers. The pay is always bad too, making teens work longer to earn more and be more stressed.”
There are a few students who can balance the work life a bit better, like those who work on the weekends. But there are some sacrifices with taking all of the work hours on the weekends.
“I’m unable to do much homework due to my job,” weekend worker Aliyah Reynolds said. “Fridays are especially hard to catch up, since I work pretty much right after school.”
Homework is already challenging to keep up with for all students, but it’s even worse for those with jobs. With such little time between attending school and doing their job to do homework, it starts to impact grades. “Working during school can have its advantages,” Mrs. Lewis, one of UMA’s teachers, said. “A main student’s priority should be learning, and if they’re able to balance a job with it, then they should take that opportunity. But if their grades slip, they should take a break from their work to prioritize their grades.”
Sometimes, work interferes with school directly. Meetings, last-minute shift changes–all sorts of things can cause students to abandon precious learning time just to adjust to those changes.
“Everyday, I get let out of my last period classes to get changed so I can get to work on time.”Jackeline Aguilar said. “It’s stressful to find out the next day that in my class there was some homework or a test.”
The struggle students go through to maintain their jobs and schoolwork is no easy feat. Yet, there’s no talk about them, or much support from teachers to help them out. Students who can handle jobs are truly ones who are mentally strong.
