For many Grady students, balancing schoolwork, extracurricular activities, friends and family is difficult enough. Some, however, work part-time jobs to increase their independence, garner work experience and make money.

A common reason for a high school student to get a job is the independence that comes from earning money.

Sophomore Elizabeth Lansing works as a sales associate for Half Moon Outfitters in Virginia Highland.

“My brother got a job when he was my age, and he had this sense of independence that I really wanted to have myself,” Lansing said. “Also, having my own spending money so I don’t rely on my parents is nice too.”

Senior Skyler Diacou, a barista at Apres Diem, works part-time because the hours benefit his schedule.

“Usually, I have nothing to do on Saturday or Sunday mornings, and I love to have money all the time, and it gets me out of things like going to church,” Diacou said. “It’s nice to make money while also killing time that is usually spent watching TV or playing video games.”

Other students get jobs to prepare for careers. Senior Madison Cumbest, who has aspirations to become a baker, works at Buckhead’s Pie Shop.

“I applied because I wanted to gain experience so I’ll be ready for future jobs,” Cumbest said.

Some must take on the responsibility of supporting themselves and their families.

“I work at Kroger so I can provide for my family,” sophomore Antwon Steele said.

While he is not the breadwinner of the family, he says his job helps earn extra money.

Despite the gains in experience and money, part-time jobs have their drawbacks. It can be difficult for students to balance jobs with their schoolwork, extracurricular activities and social life.

“Sometimes, my [school] work can be rushed if I hold it off until the weekend,” Diacou said. “I usually won’t have time until Sunday night.”

According to a 2011 study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employed students spend less time sleeping, on average, than non-employed students by almost half an hour on school days and almost 50 minutes on non-school days. The study also found that employment reduces a student’s daily homework time on a school day by 45 minutes.

“I would come home tired, and I would have an essay due or a lot of work to do, and it just gets frustrating sometimes,” said freshman Avery Alford, who works at Chik-fil-A.

Despite studies showing the detrimental effects of jobs on students’ grades, some students are able to balance their jobs with their schoolwork by selecting jobs with flexible schedules.

“I would never let my job affect my schoolwork, so, I make it a priority to work shifts during the weekend,” Cumbest said.

The location of a student’s job is also important when determining if the job is beneficial.

“Part-time work for high school students can be meaningful, provided the location of their employment is close to school and close to home,” economics and statistics teacher John Rives said.

Some students must sacrifice participation in extracurricular activities in order to make time for their jobs. “I used to do mock trial, but I couldn’t do it anymore because I work so much,” Alford said.

Junior Daylan Dennis, who works at Publix, has to balance her job with her participation on the basketball team.

“I have a job, so, I can make more money,” Dennis said. “But I can only work three days a week because of basketball practice.”

It is even more common for working students to sacrifice elements of their social life for their job.

“Since I work mornings, I rarely have nights where I can stay out really late or spend the night out,” Diacou said. “I also can’t do stuff in the afternoon with friends because I usually work until 6 p.m.”

Working requires students to manage their time while planning differently than other students would.

“[My job] has cut down my social life,” Alford said. “If I want to plan, I have to plan ahead, instead of just on a whim.”

While part-time employment poses many disadvantages to high school students, it gives students a sense of independence that they wouldn’t otherwise have, as well as money that many could not go without. In the end, the decision boils down to time management and the flexibility of the job.

“It can sometimes be frustrating to be working an eight-hour shift on a Saturday, but you have to push through,” Cumbest said. “It can be hard to fit everything in, so you have to know what you’re getting yourself into when getting a job.”