It was 10:30 at night and I had just pulled into my driveway. Thinking about everything I still had left to do I wanted to cry. I had just gotten home from a four to ten shift at Sonic and I had at least three hours of AP Physics and AP English homework.  I was a zombie in school the next day after staying up until nearly two in the morning trying to get it all done.

That was a typical night for me at least twice a week up until mid-October.  I would typically work four days a week: every Friday and Saturday night for a six or eight hours  and two weeknights for a six hour shift. I was working between 25 and 30 hours a week.

My parents, teachers, and friends all thought I was crazy and with good reason. I never got to do anything on the weekends because I would work Friday and Saturday, then go to church and spend the rest of the day catching up on my homework on Sunday. Between school and work, I was working over 60 hours a week, not including driving time or homework. It was not uncommon for me to get less than 20 hours of sleep during the school week.

No one understood why I didn’t quit. I wanted to, but I was making more money than I ever had before. It deluded me into thinking it was worth it.

My job wasn’t terrible, but it certainly had some drawbacks. People can be incredibly rude. I have been yelled at, cursed out, and had trash and mints thrown at me. Not to mention falling on skates is never a fun experience. I have the scar to prove it.

To summarize because I could go on for another two pages about serving teens, I was miserable. It was impossible to keep my grades where I wanted them and I had no life.

I wanted fewer hours but carhops were understaffed. After spending five hours on a Physics assignment I still didn’t understand because I could never go to enrichment, I texted my boss telling him I would put my two weeks in the next day.

It was a rash decision and at first I regretted it. I hate to quit anything and it made me feel like I was giving up. A few weeks after finally quitting I realized I had made the right decision. Working that much with four AP classes was absurd. Now my grades have gone up and by some sort of miracle I’m actually starting to understand Physics. I don’t have to worry about fitting work around lacrosse, and I get to have fun on the weekends. Most importantly, I finally can sleep.

I think jobs are a key part of growing up and everyone should have one at some point in high school, even if it is just for the summer. If you have a difficult class schedule, be reasonable because no minimum wage, dead-end job is worth losing scholarships over. At the same time, if you take easier classes and don’t have many extracurricular activities, a part-time job can really help your application.  

I am planning on going back to Sonic, but I will wait until the summer. If I decide to continue working during the school year I will be very clear about when I can and can’t work so I do not get so overwhelmed again. I’ve learned that school and time to enjoy my teenage years are more important than making money.