School has always been like a hard game of Tetris. If you don’t study for this quiz then that one grade brings down your entire average, thus starting the stack of blocks. Afterwards, you get assigned extra credit to fix the original grade, which takes time away from your regular studies, resulting in the original problem. Not to mention juggling extracurriculars, chores, or outside of school commitments. So you flip this, and flip that, in the hope that everything you do falls into place. Imagine adding a job into the mix.

Recently I got a job as a receptionist. It was a hard slap in the face to be assigned a four-hour shift the night before two quizzes and a test. Not only did I get home at an unearthly time of night, but I was too tired to even maintain a good work ethic to make sure I got all my homework done. Then I had to get up early the next morning to finish all of the assignments I was unable to complete the night before. Is all of this really worth $7.25 an hour?

In my opinion, no. Right now, our main focus should be on academics. The grades we make in high school really do affect our future. This is the only time when we can really commit all of our focus to our studies without any extraneous variables, because once we get to college, there will be much more to worry about.

Of course, I’m not telling you that having a job right now is fatal and that you’re making a decision that you will soon regret. But if you can manage your time to balance a job and succeed with your academics, then props to you. You’ve achieved something most high schoolers, myself included, have trouble with.

For me, juggling a job as well as school doesn’t come as easily. It requires a great deal of planning ahead and stellar time management skills. That means if Monday rolls around and you get assigned homework that’s due on Friday, don’t wait until Thursday night to work on it. Look at your schedule, arrange a good time for you to finish the task, and do not turn it in incomplete; that will just create a bigger problem for you.

So when applying for your next job, make sure it’s something you really have time to handle right now. Because when it comes down to it, all we want to do is succeed in everything we do.