By David Gaskill

There are so many things I would rather be doing than working. I never have time to go to the gym, and more importantly, I don’t find enough time to work on my music. That said, with two jobs I can afford a gym membership and better musical equipment, although most of the money I make goes into savings.

Many high schoolers hold part time jobs, sometimes even multiple jobs. Sometimes, keeping everything in order can be tough when you have to deal with both school and work. I am writing this article at La Chatelaine Chocolat company, one of my two jobs. I also wash dishes at Colombo’s Pizza and Pasta, a.k.a the best pizza in Bozeman. (writer’s opinion)(but it’s a fact)

For me, the biggest challenge in maintaining my sanity comes from not having enough free time. I often consider quitting at least one job, but when I am at work I realize that it’s really not that bad, and can sometimes be fun. It is important to find the moments of happiness in the otherwise soul-crushing workday. If there is one thing I can say has been the most beneficial about working, (besides the money) it would be the fact that I have developed a decent work ethic.

Does this translate into schoolwork? No way José. School and work are radically different because well, you don’t get paid to go to high school. When I am actually paying to attend an institution of higher learning, then I hope I will at least work a little harder on my studies.

Another huge setback with working is the lack of sleep. When I close at Colombo’s, I get off usually at 10:30 p.m., but I have been there much later, situation depending. When I close at Petit Chatelaine, (the little one in the Baxter) I usually leave around ten. After I get home, since I have just spent the last four to five hours working, I feel the urgent need to catch up on everything I’ve been missing on Netflix.

Staying up until 1 a.m. on a Wednesday night watching Serpico isn’t normal, but on work, it is. As Ms. Donahoe the journalism teacher will tell you, I am either always attempting to sleep on the couch in the back of the room, or nervously pacing around, hopped up on two cups of coffee and a Rockstar. My sleep cycle may be completely whack,  but I still manage to wake up at seven every morning and  make it to English IV by 8:30 a.m..

If you are thinking about getting a job, just make sure you aren’t sacrificing anything too important to you. Indeed, you will learn responsibility and life skills, and in future prospects it will look good on your resumé. Just remember two simple things: a) if your grades are going south, and I mean Antarctica south, then just quit and b) Coffee is lifeblood. If you stick to those rules, you probably won’t go completely bonkers.