Your personal tipping point: find the best balance between work and school

Career World, Jan, 2005 by Carolyn Jabs

There are 24 hours in a day. Kids learn that fact in kindergarten. But many high school students don't think much about it until they get a job during the school year. Suddenly, 24 hours doesn't seem like enough time.

"Students think they can juggle work, grades, sports, and a social life," says Jacqueline King of the Center for Policy Analysis at the American Council on Education. "Often, they just run out of hours." That doesn't stop students from trying to juggle both work and school. About two-thirds of high school students have jobs, according to the Current Population Survey from the Department of Labor. Just fewer than half of those students have jobs like babysitting or lawn-mowing. Among students who are on official payrolls, about two-thirds work in food service or other retail businesses.

WHY WORK?

Most teens work because they want the money, but a part-time job can have other benefits. "We've found that students who work moderate amounts often do better in their schoolwork than students who don't work," says King. The reason may be that having a part-time job forces students to be organized. That's the case with Andrew Walker, a 15-year-old from Corvallis, Ore., who works at a local horse barn, cleaning stalls and doing odd jobs. Before he got his job, Andrew says, he wasted a lot of time on TV and video games. "Now I definitely manage my time better, especially during soccer season." Work experience can also be a plus in finding future jobs. Experts say that's most likely to be true when a job is related to a student's field of interest. Internships, for example, can provide a glimpse into the kind of work teens may want to do in the future.

Colleges are impressed by jobs that build on a special interest or skill--working with computers versus selling clothes at the mall, or working with the elderly versus flipping burgers. "Colleges tend to look at part-time jobs the way they do other extracurricular activities or volunteer work," says Bryna Shore Fraser of the Academy for Educational Development. "If you've been able to work and get top grades, that may be to your advantage. But if you've taken easier courses or have gotten mediocre grades while working, that may count against you."

The paycheck, of course, is the big incentive for most working students. Peter Brock, a 15-year-old sophomore from Towson, Md., serves meals at a local retirement home. The money he earns goes into an account that is used to pay the rent on the apartment he shares with his mom. "It makes me feel good to know that I'm contributing to the well-being of our household," he says.

But Peter is the exception, according to Laurence Steinberg, a professor of psychology at Temple University. "Most kids spend their money on themselves," he observes. "Working is a luxury, so kids really need to ask what they aren't doing because they are working." In surveys he's done with high school students, many report that they are happiest when they are engaged in extracurricular activities such as athletics, art, music, or drama. Steinberg points out that adults often can't pursue those interests, so students should think carefully before letting a job take the place of an activity they really enjoy.

SCHOOL'S ROLE IN THE MIX

Teens need to consider whether they can give school their full attention if they are working. Janine Swan, 17, a senior from Holland, Ohio, admits that when she works until 11 p.m. at her restaurant job, she often needs caffeine to stay awake in class. Other students take easier courses or cut corners in schoolwork to meet the demands of their jobs. Experts say that strategy may be shortsighted. "Getting a good education is [a student's] primary job," notes Fraser. There are sound economic reasons for making education a priority: Over a lifetime, the average college graduate earns a million dollars more than someone with only a high school degree, according to the Employment and Training Administration.

FIND YOUR TIPPING POINT

How can you tell whether you're hitting the right balance between work and school? Look for symptoms of overload in these areas:

Academic Performance. A lower grade on one quiz may not matter, but warning bells should go off if you get back-to-back C's, when you usually get high B's. "There's a real danger in letting things slide academically," says King. "Time on task is important for academic success. If you're tempted to take shortcuts, you'll start seeing negative effects." Are you thinking about taking easier classes? skimming through chapters instead of taking notes? doing just enough to get by instead of really trying to master the material? Then you may be shortchanging your schoolwork and might need to rethink your work schedule.

Leisure Time. Everyone needs time to recharge. "If I'm working too much, I don't have time to relax and think and work through my emotions," says Peter. Think about the things that make you feel happy, and make sure you have time to enjoy them. Have you eaten dinner with your family lately? Are your friends complaining that they never see you? Do you skip events you want to go to because of your work schedule? Having too little free time can make you feel stressed and even depressed.