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Is Working During the School Year Worth It?

Teenagers have many activities to participate in outside of school. They can join a club, participate in a sport, or even join some kind of after-school program. Although if they want to make money, they will have to get a job. But is it a good idea for teens to have jobs?

Looking on the bright side of things, it gives teens an opportunity to earn money for themselves. Earning money on their own gives teens the ability to not have to rely on their parents for things like food and other items they might want for fun. Managing a job and earning money also teaches responsibility by having them manage both funds and time.

Not only that but, it also gives teens real life experience as to what working will be like when they are older. Working when young gives insight on how things go in the workplace, and how to act when it comes to having a job. On top of that it can help teens get into good schools when it shows they are able to juggle both school and work.

On the other side of things, working can also have negative effects on both a teens academic and mental abilities. If a teen were to have a job but get too much into it, it could cause them to lose focus on school and bring down their ability to perform well in school. That then would cause problems later in life when it comes to trying to get into college or even just trying to graduate highschool.

If a teen were to be managing a job on top of others activities such as sports and clubs, that could cause great stress on them which would also lead to lower academic performance. Also, the stress could cause a change in the teens daily mood if they are constantly worried about all of the activities to juggle. Even though these things are all true, if teens are able to juggle school, work, and activities such as sports, it would look really good when applying to schools.

So, should teens be working while still in school? It simply depends on the individual and their management skills. If they are not able to keep up grades while also having a job then it might not be the best idea for them to be working, but if they are able to manage a job and keep up good grades then they are perfectly fine having a job.

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