COLUMNS
INKLINGS
11
Why every teenager should work while in high school
BY EMILY HELMUTH co-editor-in-chief
High school is historically a time of firsts for teenagers; such as first car, first school dance and first job. In my opinion, the most important of these firsts is the milestone of a first job. Working a job in high school is an integral part of character building. Being someone who has worked a part time job since the age of 15, I have learned countless life lessons from working a low wage job. At my first job, I made minimum wage and quickly realized the value of hard work and money. This job was a great wake up call for me, as it showed me the real world is not always easy and you have to work hard to succeed. Three years later, I am two years in at my current job, which has also taught me equally important lessons I would not have learned elsewhere. My current job requires a lot more responsibility on my part compared to my first job, since I work with one of the most important things to people: their kids. This job has taught me the importance of good communication skills and the importance of patience. Throughout my years of working, I have met many diverse people I would not have met if I was
not working with them. These unique people have shaped my world views, and I believe that I have benefited from these interactions. I now consider these people to be some of my closest friends, which is insane to me considering we started off as strangers who were coworkers. Another valuable skill I have learned from having a job is the importance of time management. I have learned about this in two aspects of my current job. At my current job, I am not only responsible for balancing my work and school schedules, but I also am responsible for following the rotation schedule we have and getting my group from one area to the next. Overall, I believe that it is extremely important for all students to work a job at one point or another during their high school career. The experience from working a part time job as a teenager will last a lifetime, as the skills learned there will benefit you in future endeavors you may pursue, like college or a future career. These learned skills will help turn employed teens into well rounded adults.
More students should be considering early graduation
BY KEELEY BERNARD co-sports editor
Typically, students spend four years in high school. However, it is possible to graduate in three years or graduate a semester early. A few years ago graduating early was a foreign concept to me. Now it is my reality. I believe that graduating early is something that more people should consider. Having lived in the same place for the past 17 years of my life, it gets tiring seeing the same things over and over again. Graduating early gives me the opportunity to go to college somewhere different to where I live, and it spares me the extra year of boredom. This will give me a whole different life experience, since I will get to experience a different culture and vibe. Getting these experiences earlier than normal will better prepare me for the future and will no doubt be beneficial to me. Besides having the ability to experience new things, there are other reasons to consider graduating early. Graduating early comes with the potential to get special scholarships. In Indiana, an early graduate who decides to attend an in-state school could receive a $4,000 scholarship. Not only that, but
graduating early can make you look more appealing to college admissions. Early graduation shows off a person’s academic responsibility, as well their ability to balance a rigorous academic schedule. Not only will schools be interested in your academic talents, but jobs will be interested too. Job skills that most employers look for are all skills that can easily be seen in early graduates: motivation, perseverance, decision-making, and many others. This pathway also allows people who want to get a masters degree or a PhD the ability to save their time. Typically, by the time people finish getting their PhD, they will be in their 30s. Getting a year taken off of the amount of schooling required will be a life-saver to many. While some people probably will not benefit from graduating early, others will. It is a decision that nobody can make for you. Quickly gaining new experiences, getting scholarships, obtaining skills that can make schools and jobs want to accept you, and saving time is something that can benefit many people in the long run.
