Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

Do you think highschoolers should have jobs? How?

TL;DR: Highschoolers can work as much as 80 hours per week on schoolwork and necessary extracurriculars. How can people expect them to also find the time for jobs, especially in this hard economy where adults can't even find jobs?

Someone told me today that I was lazy and mooching off my parents because they give me money for food, and I don't have a job.

Perhaps in the past, it was more appropriate for highschoolers to have jobs. I am under the impression that nowadays, between the lack of any jobs period, and the fact that highschoolers have to do some much more to be competitive, it isn't practical to expect them to work even minimal hours.

In order to get into the colleges that I'd like to, I need to have excellent grades and a variety of extra -curriculars. That means I need to spend seven hours at school each day, plus two to three hours on homework. I also spend about four hours on my daily sport and creative extra-curricular, whatever they may be at any given time. On the weekends I have tournaments or performances, and time to work on longer school projects and finish homework from the week. I also need community service as part of my school requirement and college requirement, which I only have time for on the weekends. At busy times of year like this, I spend about 80 hours a week on school and my extra-curriculars.

I repeat. I am "WORKING" 80 hours per week. I may not be getting paid, but they are still necessary activities in order for me to have a future and to get a job that I want. I spend more time "working" than both of my parents combined.

I'm not alone in this, either. I may be doing more than the average highschooler, but I know plenty of people that do as much as I do, if not more. Why do people feel they have the right to judge us and call us lazy, just because we're not doing the kind of "work" they think we should?

I'm sorry to be ranty, but I really want to know; do people actually, seriously believe that modern highschoolers have time to work? It would literally be impossible for me to get a steady job, because my other obligations vary so much in time that I couldn't commit myself to any one shift. How do people expect us to work a job?

Update:

Sac: While it's unfortunate that you were badly off when you were in highschool, my family is doing okay. If we were struggling to stay afloat, I'd drop some of my extra obligations and work to help support us... but we're not, so I'm working hard to better myself and hopefully be able to better support any family I might have in the future. I don't see how I could possibly be "irresponsible" just because I'm not making money right this second.

4 Answers

Relevance
  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    I don't think high schoolers should have jobs while in school. Its important for students to work on their academics and extra curriculars. Too many of my friends put work before school and suffered from it. I found I would jave never had time if I had a job. Summer jobs or weekend jobs are the way to go

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Ok so I can somewhat see what your saying... My family was NOT well off enough for me NOT to have a job... But you were talking about being lazy and MOOCHING... So my point is... I STILL did what I had to do in highschool WHILE working... Just becouse your a few years younger doesn't mean my school work load was any lighter... And I played football so I too had after school obligations that I had to juggle... But that's just the "lazy"... The other thing is, no matter how much $ your family has... Mooching is Mooching ;)

    Whether they make 50,000 a year or 200,000 a year... But I'm not trying to belittle you or make you feel bad, just answering your question as best I can... I commend you for taking school seriously and workin it like its a full time job... You should try to do some intern work for a hospital if you ever get a chance... It'll give you credits AND some real life work experiance... I wish you the best of luck ;)

    Source(s): Class of 1997
  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Don't listen to any of those people that are calling you lazy. If you are that dedicated to your school work and extra circular activities, then that is amazing. The real thing is, a lot of students nowadays are not, and are just slacking off and getting themselves into trouble. This is why most parents want their kids that are slackers to get jobs... then at least they will have work experience if they are not putting effort into school.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    I think everone should be able to get a job...just nit full time

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.