I​ ​spoke​ ​to​ ​a​ ​fellow​ ​classmate​ ​who​ ​told​ ​me​ ​he​ ​had​ ​recently​ ​quit​ ​his​ ​job.​ ​He​ ​started​ ​working​ ​to have​ ​a​ ​steady​ ​income​ for ​supporting​ ​his​ ​weekend​ ​activities. When​ ​I​ ​questioned​ ​him​ ​as​ ​to​ ​why he quit,​ ​his answer​ ​was​ ​simply,​ ​“I​ ​want​ ​to​ ​have​ ​time​ ​to​ ​enjoy​ ​my​ ​senior​ ​year.”

This​ ​response​ ​again​ ​led​ ​me​ ​to​ ​question​ ​the​ ​value​ ​of​ ​maintaining​ ​a​ ​job​ ​in​ ​high​ ​school.​ Throughout​ ​my​ ​high​ ​school​ ​career,​ ​I​ ​have​ ​always​ ​loaded​ ​my​ ​schedule​ ​with​ ​extracurricular activities.​ ​I​ ​was​ ​a​ ​member​ ​of​ ​multiple​ ​clubs,​ ​ran​ ​cross​ ​country​ ​and​ ​track,​ ​and​ ​practiced​ ​ballet.

Junior​ ​year,​ ​I​ ​got​ ​a​ ​job​ ​at​ ​a​ ​local​ ​coffee​ ​shop​ ​as well,​ ​and​ ​suddenly​ ​many​ ​of​ ​my​ ​other​ ​activities​ ​had to​ ​be​ ​cut,​ ​leaving​ ​me​ ​to​ ​wonder​ ​if​ ​the​ ​benefits​ ​of​ ​the​ ​job​ ​were​ ​worth​ ​the​ ​time​ ​commitment.​

​More than​ ​a​ ​year​ ​later,​ ​I​ ​can​ ​affirm​ ​that​ ​having​ ​a​ ​job​ ​has​ ​truly​ ​enhanced​ ​my​ ​high​ ​school​ ​experience​ ​in ways​ ​that​ ​clubs​ ​and​ ​sports​ ​could​ ​not.

I​ ​first​ ​applied​ ​for​ ​my​ ​job​ ​because​ ​my​ ​mom​ ​loved​ ​the​ ​idea​ ​of​ ​me​ ​working​ ​in​ ​a​ ​coffee​ ​shop.​ ​She believed​ ​the​ ​atmosphere​ ​would​ ​suit​ ​my​ ​talkative​ ​personality,​ ​and​ ​after​ ​working​ ​there​ ​for​ ​more than​ ​a​ ​year,​ ​I​​ ​know​ ​that​ ​I​ ​fit​ ​in​ ​well.​ ​Though​ ​it took​ ​some​ ​time​ ​to​ ​adjust​ ​to​ ​a​ ​workplace​ ​environment​ ​and​ ​the​ ​demands​ ​that​ ​come​ ​along​ ​with​ ​it, I have come to love my job.

During​ ​my​ ​first​ ​few​ ​months​ ​working,​ ​I​ ​still​ ​participated​ ​in​ ​all​ of my​ ​extracurriculars.​ ​However, over​ ​time,​ ​I​ ​needed​ ​to​ ​cut​ ​a​ ​few​ ​out​ ​of​ ​my​ ​schedule​ ​because​ ​I​ ​did​ ​not​ ​have​ ​time​ ​to​ ​dedicate myself​ ​to​ ​both​ ​of​ ​them​ ​and​ ​my​ ​job​ ​anymore.​ ​At​ ​that​ ​point,​ ​I​ ​was​ ​working five​ ​days​ ​a week,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​was​ ​being​ ​trained​ ​at​ ​a​ ​rapid​ ​speed.

Working​ ​at​ ​a​ ​coffee​ ​shop,​ ​or​ ​any​ ​other​ ​job,​ ​demands​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​from​ ​you.​ ​The​ ​multiple​ ​challenges​ ​you have​ ​to​ ​face​ ​working​ ​in​ ​a​ ​coffee​ ​shop​ ​range​ ​from​ ​waking​ ​up​ ​at​ ​5:30​ ​a.m.​ ​on​ ​the​ ​weekends​ ​to​ ​go to​ ​work​ ​to​ ​learning​ ​all​ ​the​ ​recipes​ ​for​ ​the​ ​drinks​ ​and​ ​food.​ ​Customers​ ​don’t​ ​always​ ​realize​ ​the effort​ ​that​ ​goes​ ​into​ ​preparing​ ​a​ ​simple​ ​cup​ ​of​ ​coffee.

Not​ ​only​ ​is​ ​a​ ​job​ ​time-consuming,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​is​ ​also​ ​mind-consuming,​ ​no​ ​doubt.​ ​When​ ​I​ ​am​ ​working, I​ ​have​ ​to​ ​be​ ​careful​ ​and​ ​pay​ ​close​ ​attention​ ​to​ ​what​ ​I​ ​am​ ​doing.​ ​Even​ ​simple​ ​things​ ​like​ ​pouring a​ ​boiling​ ​cup​ ​of​ ​tea​ ​or​ ​counting​ ​the​ ​money require caution and attention to detail.​ ​

All​ ​these​ ​demands,​ ​however,​ ​create​ ​a​ ​great​ ​sense​ ​of discipline​ ​in​ ​my​ ​life.​ ​I’ve​ ​learned​ ​firsthand​ ​that​ ​waking​ ​up​ ​at​ ​five​ ​on​ ​a​ ​Saturday​ ​morning,​ ​even the​ ​morning​ ​after​ ​a​ ​school​ ​dance,​ ​takes​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​willpower.​

Despite​ ​the​ ​challenges​ ​that​ ​balancing​ ​a​ ​part-time​ ​job​ ​with​ ​schoolwork​ ​presents, the​ ​benefits​ ​from​ ​it​ ​outweigh​ ​any​ ​negatives.​ ​I​ ​have​ ​created​ ​strong​ ​friendships​ ​with​ ​my​ ​coworkers who​ ​are​ ​older​ ​than​ ​I​ ​am,​ ​and​ ​they​ ​often​ ​give​ ​me​ ​advice​ ​on​ ​any​ ​hard​ ​situations​ ​in​ ​my​ ​daily​ ​life.

Over​ ​the​ ​span​ ​of​ ​a​ ​year,​ ​I​ ​have​ ​created​ ​strong​ ​relationships​ ​with​ ​not​ ​only​ ​my​ ​coworkers​ ​but​ ​my bosses.​ ​​ ​My​ ​relationship​ ​with​ ​them has​ ​blossomed​ ​into​ ​a​ ​mentorship​ ​of​ ​sorts.​ ​

The​ ​amount of​ ​time​ ​I​ ​spent​ ​learning​ ​how​ ​to​ ​run​ ​a​ ​business​ ​has​ ​helped​ ​me​ ​to​ ​understand​ ​how​ ​hard​ ​business management​ ​can​ ​be.​ ​The​ ​endless​ ​hours​ ​I​ spend ​cleaning​ ​the​ ​coffee​ ​pots​ ​or ​handling​ ​the money​ ​-​ ​all​ ​monotonous,​ ​but​ ​necessary​ ​tasks​ ​-​ ​taught​ ​me​ ​the​ ​importance​ ​of​ ​dedication​ ​in​ ​order for​ ​a​ ​business​ ​to​ ​run​ ​successfully.

I​ ​just recently​ ​started​ ​to​ ​work​ ​on​ ​weekends,​ ​only​ ​so​ ​that​ ​I​ ​have​ ​time​ ​during​ ​the​ ​week​ ​to​ ​complete​ ​my school​ ​work​ ​and​ ​catch​ ​up​ ​on​ ​lost​ ​sleep. While​ ​many​ ​people,​ ​like​ ​my​ ​classmate,​ ​believe​ ​that​ ​having​ ​a​ ​job​ ​would​ ​keep​ ​me​ ​from​ ​enjoying high​ ​school,​ ​I​ ​believe​ ​that​ ​it​ ​instead​ ​has​ ​made​ ​my​ ​experience​ ​a​ ​whirlwind​ ​of​ ​excitement and possibility.​

​The customers​ ​I​ ​have​ ​met​ ​and​ ​the​ ​stories​ ​I​ ​have​ ​heard​ ​outweigh​ ​the​ ​stress​ ​and​ ​loss​ ​of​ ​sleep​ ​that​ ​come with​ ​the​ ​busy​ ​schedule. The real-world, human experience I gain from interacting with people of all ages is priceless.​ ​Nowhere​ ​else​ ​could​ ​I​ ​learn​ ​about​ ​a​ ​woman’s​ ​weight​ ​loss​ ​journey​ ​from eating​ ​only​ ​cookies​ ​or​ ​the​ ​crazy​ ​stories​ ​from​ ​the​ ​man​ ​who​ ​gets​ ​a​ ​large​ ​iced​ ​coffee​ ​and​ ​works​ ​in the​ ​emergency​ ​room.

In​ ​conclusion,​ ​I​ ​believe​ ​having​ ​a​ ​job​ ​in​ ​high​ ​school,​ ​while​ ​a​ ​significant​ ​part​ ​of​ ​a​ ​student’s schedule,​ ​is​ ​a formative experience ​and​ ​builds a useful foundation of knowledge.​ ​With​ ​the​ ​proper​ ​mindset,​ ​it​ ​not​ ​only​ ​provides​ ​a​ ​paycheck, but​ ​also​ ​a​ ​unique​ ​way​ ​to​ ​enjoy​ ​high​ ​school​ ​and​ ​a​ ​taste​ ​of​ ​the​ ​larger​ ​world​ ​all​ ​at​ ​once.

Paige Alban is the Co-Editor in Chief of The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.