Work/Life/School Balance

By Charkendra K. Harris
 
 Can you have it all? According to popular opinion the answer is no. Having it all refers to finding a solid balance between your personal and professional life, but is this something someone can actually achieve? 
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 They call it work-life balance, but it is a very stressful thing to achieve when you are a student with many demands on your time. Students who go to school full time and work part time are tired. That doesn't even take into consideration students that play sports, are in a relationship, and have other commitments outside of school.

According to East High School student, “Sophia,” who holds down a part time job at the retail store 5 Below, she said, “I wake up more tired because I have to take time out of my sleep to take care of homework that I didn't have time to complete after school because of work.”  According to Statista.com, in 2021, there are only 17.6% of high school students who have a part time job. That statistic is dropping from the previous year 2020 which said 19.2% of high school students had a part time job.  The decrease in the trend could be due to the stress and pressure a job puts on students. It is not just about the job, it is about keeping up with your homework and home life as well.

 A football player at East who works after practice talked about how difficult it is to get work done. If he completes the homework it's not until around 1 am until he is finished. He states, “Sometimes teachers are cool and work with students who work. Some of the teachers really don't care that you have commitments after school, they expect the work to be done on time.”

 Students at East are proving that it is possible to balance school and work but it's not easy. Most teenagers are struggling to keep up their grades while keeping up with their jobs, sports, and other commitments, but it’s not stopping them from trying to have it all.