About 18 percent of high school students have jobs. But does having a job in high school damage the student’s academic career or does it aid in preparing them for life after graduation?

Working as a student teaches responsibility, time-management and people skills. Jobs allow students to earn money and then learn how to save it.

Even though there are students who have jobs, others may argue that a job could affect their academic achievement.

“Even though a job would give me extra spending money, I’ve already made commitments to school and varsity dance,” said freshman Allie Adams. “I wouldn’t want a job to prevent me from doing my best.”

According to Adams, if work hours interfere with a student’s ability to do their school work and other extracurricular activities, then maybe the job isn’t worth it.

Gavin McBride, a former EHS student who graduated in the class of 2015, disagrees.

McBride has two jobs while attending college.  He has had these jobs since his junior year of high school. He works part-time as both a secretary at an insurance business and at a farm.

He believes that “even if the job does interfere with homework, grades don’t matter as much as experience does.”

According to McBride, the skills he acquired from his job experience, such as being a hard-worker, are worth a lot more than perfect grades.

“If you go and apply for a basic job after high school, a lot of employers will care more about your people skills and your experience rather than if you got a higher ACT score than your friend Jimmy.”