Speak Your Mind: Workin’ for the Weekend

I worked in high school. I was gently coerced into doing so, but I don’t regret any of it. If nothing else, it made me realize exactly what I didn’t want to end up doing when I grew up. Luckily, it was relatively easy to fit my part-time job into my academic and extracurricular schedule. I manged to play tennis and participate in debate and forensics while working after school 3-4 days a week.

But that was 10 years ago. (Holy Christ…that was 10 years ago!) Over at The New York Times Motherlode blog, KJ Dell’Antonia wonders if a teenager’s studies should trump gaining experience through part-time employment. As college admissions – and life in general – get’s more competitive, teens today might be better served focusing on academics. On the other hand, working a job provides an entirely different set of experiences that, at least in my experience, aren’t replicated in your average high school.

What do you think? Do you have a part-time job? Does it give you a broader range of experiences than focusing solely on academics? Or have you decided to focus on school? Is there some kind of middle ground? If you have a job, do you feel like you’re missing out at school? If you don’t have a job, do you feel like your missing out on real-world experience?

Featured image credit: bigbirdz