To Work or Not to Work

November 14, 2018

I have been working at Smoothie King for two months now, and even though my parents pushed me to get the job, it was the best decision of my junior year.

Since working at Smoothie King, my time management skills have improved. Since I have to drive my siblings around after school, I am only allowed to work the closing shift from 6:30-10:30pm. This means I have eat, shower and complete all homework right after I get home. I have learned to utilize class time and extra minutes after school.

I have also learned to be more prepared. Since everything we serve is fresh, we are unable to hold the fruits in massive containers. Sometimes as orders pile up, we begin to run low on fruits, juices, powders and clean blenders. This means we have to think ahead to avoid wasting time going to the back and grabbing more ingredients.

My communication skills have improved as well. Many customers have questions about nutrition or different ingredients they should add, and I have to be able to communicate clearly to satisfy their needs. I also have to communicate with my coworkers. Work can can get hectic when three or four employees are trying to take orders, wash blenders, make smoothies and pay people out simultaneously, so good communication is a must.

Even though I was skeptical that I would be able to balance a job with school and my other activities, my parents pushed me to get a job so that I could make some money and learn extra skills.

“One reason I made you get a job was to pay for your own expenses, like day to day things like food, but also to put money aside for college. Another one is to help you realize what a strong work ethic is. I think having to balance multiple things is what real life is about. Also, just interacting with all sorts of people, even difficult ones, is going to teach you a lot of life lessons,” said my mother Karen Hall.

Although my mom made me get a job, it was definitely for the best. Through work I have been able to earn extra cash, work with a team of fun employees, meet a variety of new people and learn a strong work ethic. Having a job may not always be easy to balance, but it is worth it in the long run.

Kyla Flor

What WORKS For Me

Nick Bone, Staff Writer

High school is an incredibly hectic time of a person’s life. High school kids often have to balance school, sports, family, faith and friends. Luckily for me, I did not have to add a job to that list.

Not having a job has allowed me to spend more time with my family. As a senior, I know my time spent living with my parents is getting shorter. With an already busy schedule, it is hard for me to find time to be with my family. If I had a job, I would be away from home even more than I already am. I really cherish the extra time with my family members, and they feel the same way.

“I am happy that you don’t have a job because it means I get to spend more time with you. I also think high school is a time for kids to focus on studying,” said my mom Kris Parker.

If I had a job, I know my grades would suffer. Personally, I am not a night person, so a long night of homework after a shift at work would be mentally and physically exhausting to me.

Being exhausted is no way to live life. Sleep is largely important to your health, and especially to the development of high school students, but many fall short on sleep because of their busy schedules.

“Trying to keep everything balanced is incredibly stressful. Quite often, I’m physically exhausted, but I find ways to push through it. My life would be much less stressful if I did not have a job,” said senior Ally Renaud.

Not having a job means I do miss out on some life lessons and skills, but my stress levels are significantly lower. Spending time practicing my faith by going to the sacraments and adoration are things I value tremendously. If I had a job, I would have to sacrifice some of the things I enjoy most. Luckily for me, my mom realizes this.

“I also think high school is a time for kids to enjoy life. You get to be with family and do events at church. I know those things make you happy, so that’s a reason I don’t require you to have a job,” said Kris Parker.

Overall, I think having a job is a great way to build character and gain experiences that will help later in life, but for some kids like myself, it would be too much for me to handle. Those who have the ability to balance so much during high school are really special and will undoubtedly be successful in life, but I sure am glad I don’t have the added stress.

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About the Contributors

Christian Hall, Staff Writer

Christian is a senior here at St. Dominic. He is the secretary of the Ambassadors Program and involved in National Honors Society, Peer Ministry and Pro-Life...

Kyla Flor, Staff Writer

Kyla Flor is a senior here at St. Dominic High School. She is involved in photography club, NHS, and is a senior advisor. She is also the manager of the...

Nick Bone, Staff Writer

Nick Bone is a senior at St. Dominic. He is involved in Peer Ministry, AD Club, varsity baseball and is the president of the Ambassadors club. In his free...