by Rayne Carey

Many teens at Atlantic High School have a job, but can they handle school and work combined? Students must balance school and work between homework, getting off late, and never having time to get things done. People don’t always agree on if students should have jobs while they are still in high school.

Senior Blake Thomas said that he uses his study halls to his advantage, as well as doing his homework after work. He said, “It’s a little difficult to balance school and work, but it’s worth it because you don’t have to ask for anything, you can just get it.”

Thomas said that he never feels like he gets enough sleep but it’s “the price to pay.” He keeps his grades up by using his free time to study and do homework. Thomas’s parents like how he has grown up and not have to rely on them for everything, but they also said that they “hate seeing their child grow up so fast.” Thomas said having a job is the next step to turning into an adult because it is preparing him for the real world.

Junior Hannah Greene has almost the same comments as Thomas. Greene said, “I do my homework when I’m off and during my study halls.” She said having a job means learning how to deal with people at an early age. She said, “I work every other weekend.” Green keeps her grades up by “studying hard” and not cramming in all of her homework. Her parents said that it is a good experience to have a job as a teenager. Greene said that having a job teaches you how to work with others.