As graduation for the class of 2015 approaches, seniors are finding that it is becoming increasingly common among their peers to be working a job in between going to school and cramming for study sessions. While some say a job experience is valuable, others argue that having more time to study far outweighs the benefits of working a minimum-wage job.

Senior Rodney Klingler, who has worked at Rally’s Hamburgers and now works at Papa Johns, believes that a job experience is crucial before high school graduation.

“It’s important that as kids get closer to graduating high school that they learn how to manage their time between school, work, and extracurricular activities,” Klingler said. “[It teaches] people how to be responsible.”

Senior Kayla Stryker, however, disagrees. She believes that having a job is not worth losing study time, unless the student’s family actually needs the extra money.

“I don’t think it’s worth it,” Stryker said. “The time is probably better spent studying or being involved in different clubs and sports.”

Others also argue that time to study is not the only sacrifice of having a job. Senior Arturo Cuellar worked in the summer as a way around losing study time during the school year, but he still found some hardships when it came to having enough time for a social life.

“I thought the money was nice to have, but I wish I had more free time toward the end of the summer,” Cuellar said. “I missed out on a lot of stuff.”

See more views and statistics on high school employments here: http://middleearthnj.wordpress.com/2010/04/02/teenagers-and-part-time-jobs-benefits-drawbacks-and-tips/

By Cindy Tae