Working While in High School Is Essential

Argumentative Essay: Working while in high school is essential.
Travis J. Burleson
Excelsior College

Abstract
High school students should have the opportunity to work while still in school. Working will teach them responsibility, money management skills, and give them valuable work experience and tools for use later in life. While there are a few disadvantages to working while still in high school, all can be controlled with parents’ help and supervision. Overall, working while still in high school should be encouraged.

Do you remember a time when you or your older sibling were in high school and had a job? Maybe you had a paper route or a part time job washing cars, dishes, or animals. Today, it is not as common for children to have a part time job while in high school. Mainly it is due to lack of jobs in the current economy, but I still believe it is important to have one. Working while still going to school helps build a foundation that will increase the chances of being successful. A job teaches children responsibility, money management, and useful tools in the work place. While there are some issues with working while attending any sort of schooling, overall the beneficial effect of having a job, especially early in life, outweighs any negative aspects.
Having a job while still in high school will increase a student’s overall sense of responsibility. A job teaches a student what it feels like to be out on his own in society and a sense of individualism away from his parent’s money. Working allows a student to take a look at his life and decide whether or not he should spend his time with other students who are doing illegal activities. An issue comes up with working as a high school student when his or her school grades decrease. According to Jerald Bachman, (2010), "Working more than 15 hours a week while in high school may have some costs that extend far beyond high school. The most notable cost is reduced likelihood of college education, with lifelong consequences. A second possible cost is heightened risk of cigarette addiction with potentially life-shortening consequences.” Jerald Bachman, (2010), also said "The students who seem to do best are those who are able to get and hold a job by the time they are seniors in high school but who do not work more than 15 hours per week, on average." What this means is that, as parents of such students, monitoring of the hours a student works is a must. If a job does begin to interfere with a student’s grades, it must be quickly addressed and remedied. If need be, a change of job will be in order if hours cannot be changed.
Another reason for having a job while in high school is to learn the ability to manage money. While in high school, all a student’s living expenses should be taken care of by the parents or guardians. This means any money the student earns from a job is extra cash to spend or save. Hopefully the student’s parent(s) will help the student make wise choices with his or her money, but ultimately it is up to the student himself. If for some reason, due to the economy, a high school has to work to help support his or her family, hours should still be regulated. A student should never be so overworked, even to help support his family, that he is unable to concentrate on his school work. The final reason for having a job while in high school is the abilities and work experiences gained from working. Most students, coming out of high school and straight into the work force, have a rough time learning to multi task properly. Gaining this important skill will increase the chances of promotion in any field that they try for. Also, any jobs that were done while in high school adds to the student’s resume for future employment. The biggest counterpoint to this is the ability to acquire a job in the first place. In today’s economy, even adults are finding it hard to obtain employment. The most a student can hope to find, depending on where he lives, is somewhere to volunteer or flipping burgers at a fast food resturant. Unfortunately, a solution to the issue of employment is not readily available and the only thing that can be done is to keep looking and trying to get a job. Of course if a student’s family has a business that is run by the family, finding a job is much easier.
We, as parents, should encourage our children to work, but also ensure that they do not forget their duties as students. The increased responsibility, money management, and work experienced gained from a job, will help our students far into their adult life. The advantages of a student working while in high school far outweigh the disadvantages. As long as the student is supervised by their parents, there is no fear that anything negative will occur.

Reference
Bachman, J.G., Staff, J., O'Malley, P.M., Schulenberg, J.E., & Peter Freedman-Doan, P. (2010). "Twelfth-Grade Student Work Intensity Linked to Later Educational Attainment and Substance Use: New Longitudinal Evidence." Developmental Psychology. doi: 10.1037/a0021027)