Picture the high school senior who likes to flex their money – either on social media or pulling up to the school in their fancy car. They wear the latest fashions, including limited edition Jordans, and of course, carry the latest iPhone as well. Looking at these students, it can be easy to think to oneself, “I wish I had all of that as well.”

Money is important, but do students really need such expensive attire and/or easy access to cash in high school, or are they just showing off their wealth for looks? The answer to that question can be split 50/50, depending on the student’s year in school.

As some may know, the typical (broke) high school/college student is not able to afford much because of the responsibilities they may have. On the other hand, on social media platforms like TikTok or Snapchat famous “influencers” can be shown walking on dollar bills with everything they can ever dream of. 

Those people have what is called “daddy’s money” as portrayed by the internet. Some may have it easy when it comes to money, but others struggle financially. Every teenager desires money, whether it’s $10, $20, $30, or far more, right? Many complete chores and earn allowance or work a part-time job in high school. Money is an essential need for your life, but part-time jobs during school can lead to some issues, depending on the hours and schedule. 

When should students start looking for/getting a job? And when should they focus on money? A student’s life consists of learning and growing, having fun, and exploring who you are as a person. Money should not be your biggest worry during your young years; only when you’re stable with grades and schoolwork then start thinking of when to get a part-time job. Students are not fit for long working hours while in school. 20 hours a week should suffice so no damage in done to a student’s social/academic life

“How often should I work during school? Research has consistently shown that working over the standard 20 hours a week limit negatively affects teens in a variety of ways, such as school performance, lack of sleep/impaired driving, and academic/behavioral problems” – said Bryan Johnston writer for “Your teens” website

This is not to say that working in a school is a bad thing: responsible, hard-working students can actually multitask, which grants them real life skills like being on time and staying on track as a citizen of their society. Juniors and seniors are usually the students who end up working to save money – either for themselves or for their future (college, house, food, car, etc.), which is good for them, as a job builds character, but can come with some risk as well. Students’ education can go downhill depending on the person, or not have much time to fulfill school duties like projects and homework. A job can lead to a lower rate of high school completion. 

“It can hurt academic achievement. While the correlation between working and grades is not easy to measure, researchers have learned that students who work upward of 20 hours a week suffer from reduced academic performance. It often fails to teach valuable skills,” as per an article published by Walden University. 

Should students get a part-time job? Yes, only that a stable student in school should get a part-time job mainly because of the skills and the learning experience that could quite literally be your butt in the future. Those who do not really do schoolwork or really try at all in school should not be able to get a job since they will not and cannot even hold their ground in a place as easy as school other than that get the “dolla” bills and get what they want. The decision to work also quite depends on the student’s year: sophomores/freshman should really just do their schoolwork; they are still just kids, after all. Upperclassmen, who are approaching adulthood, can do what they want. Perhaps a job would really benefit them.

“Summer jobs help students not only to know about their strengths and weaknesses but also help them to gather real-life experience. It helps to hone the skills and teaches them to maintain a work-life balance. Part-time jobs teach students the value of money for which they learn how to manage it efficiently,” Isobel Lynn Lee, a biologist, said.

Money is essential in high school, but only at a certain grade level: seniors can flash their wealth as much as they like, but leave the rest of the grade levels to enjoy the high school experience. Underclassmen should only work in summer mainly to not disrupt their education for the better of their future