Many students at Northwest high school have part time jobs during the school year which can be challenging. With most of the students who have jobs being upperclassmen they are trying to raise money for college and for their future all while trying to maintain good grades and a social life as a young teen. 

Chloe Hoyt, a junior, works at Quik Trip and on average works 18 hours a week. When asked if she finds it hard to balance school and work she stated how it is hard for her. 

“Yes it is super hard because the days that I don’t have practice, I’m working from 4 to 11 so I have almost no time for homework which is getting harder as the school year has started for sure,” stated Hoyt. 

Some students at Northwest work a little more than part time hours which can be challenging for them to find time to fit in homework and extracurricular activities. Reagan Faulkner, a senior, works two jobs and works anywhere from 15 to 30 hours a week. 

“Whenever I can fit them in. Mainly Friday and Saturday nights I try to keep open for me to do stuff with friends/ family, and Sundays for homework if I don’t get it done during the week,” stated Faulkner.

Outside of keeping students very busy working on top of school, it can also affect students’ mental health and social lives. Rylee Lopez, a senior, works around 25 hours a week and feels that work keeps her busy but it also affects her in ways outside of school. 

“It definitely affects my social life because the rest of my friends also work, so our schedules rarely align. My mental health is affected by it because I feel stressed, but I’d rather stay busy than be bored” Stated Lopez.

Students who work during the school year tend to stay very busy trying to balance their social lives, school, and work all together. Although that can be challenging, many students find ways to make it happen so that they can succeed in all aspects of their life.