No successful BHSEC student is a stranger to hard work. We all know what it’s like to make sacrifices in our social lives in order to compensate for our rigorous academic ones. When we reach the early college program and college applications loom ever-closer, it becomes even more crucial to maintain at least an acceptable GPA, and we are encouraged to fit in a few extracurriculars as well; colleges apparently appreciate them. However, our dedication to academics does not liberate us from the facts of our circumstances. Along with several after school clubs and homework from a full course load, some students are brave enough to take on a part-time job.

Legally, students under the age of 18 can work up to 28 hours a week. A study conducted by the University of Minnesota in 2003 shows that students who work 20 hours a week or less gain increased confidence, improve their time management skills, and perform better in school-- now and in the future. But is it the same for BHSEC students? Can we really sacrifice an afternoon, half a Saturday and an entire Sunday without damaging our precious GPAs? Can we stay sane with even less time to spend with our friends? How much money can we really make, and is it worth it?

A sales associate at the trendy clothing and bag chain, Brooklyn Industries, makes $11 an hour. Part time employees who are still in high school usually work somewhere between 15 and 20 hours a week, which usually means an afternoon during the week, half a Saturday, and a full day on Sunday. At this rate, a student could save approximately $6,700 by the end of June if she doesn’t spend a single cent or take any vacations. This is more than enough to pay for the little luxuries which some parents are unwilling or unable to give their kids. “That doesn’t sound too bad,” says a Year 1, who doesn’t have a job. “What would you be doing then anyway? Probably nothing. You’d probably be sitting around with your friends debating whether or not to do something that would probably turn out to be stupid, and you wouldn’t be making any money.”

“I actually got a job to make my senior year a little better,” says one BHSEC alumnus who worked as a waitress during her senior year at BHSEC. “My family has always been careful with money, but when I got a job, if there was something I really wanted that cost more than my parents were willing to spend, I can use the money I made from work and they can’t say anything about it because it’s mine.” When asked about the constrictions on her time, she commented, “I thought it was going to be really hard, but I actually remember feeling like I had more time. I finally learned how to budget it, and I found my self sitting around and watching TV a lot less. I guess it felt like more because every minute is spent doing something productive.”

While it may seem like too much for the already overworked BHSEC student to take on a part time job as well, it seems that 15-20 hours of extra work every week won’t necessarily cripple us. In fact, it can provide a sense of financial and physical independence that can provide a valuable foundation for the future. Filling idle time with hard work may seem like an antiquated ideal, but the extra cash as well as newfound freedom can be very rewarding.