As high school students, we all always have about a million things to do—having to balance school, homework, and extracurricular activities that we feel are necessary to do in order to get into college can be so overwhelming that at times that it feels like you’re going absolutely insane. Even the thought of adding a job on top of that sounds like a fever dream, something that is so impossible. A job is a real responsibility, you have to act professionally, act like an adult, and can’t do the things that we are able to get away with at school like turning in work late or asking a teacher for extra credit. When you have a job, either you perform and perform well, or you’re fired, it’s as simple as that. All this can seem crazy to add onto a busy schedule. But I’m here to tell you, as a student in the Law and Public Service magnet program that does multiple clubs, extracurriculars, and has a job, that it really is not the worst thing in the world. In fact, I love my job. For me, it acts as an escape from all my schoolwork and everything else that I feel I have to do. I work as a tutor, so personally, being able to teach people something that they did not previously know is a relief, and it helps me center myself and take a break from everything else. As for managing everything, I found that if I do not remain productive, it can get crazy. For me, the best way to balance everything was to set a schedule for myself, where I give myself time to relax but also set certain times that I have to do my schoolwork and have to dedicate to after school activities. This way, I get everything done and have left over time to spend on myself. In this way, I find that I’m able to get the most out of every day and still actually enjoy my life and not constantly be working. A job really is not the scariest thing in the world, and can be a really rewarding experience that helps you realize what you want to do with your life. Although I know I do not want to be a teacher when I am older, I realized through my job that I love helping people, and that will be a skill and knowledge that I carry with me throughout my life.