Sports, drama, and a variety of organizations keep students busy during high school. Where do they find the money to do these things? No, not everyone gets it from Mommy and Daddy. Most have to work for at least some of the money to pay for these activities. Some adults question if high school students should have jobs but I say yes, they undoubtedly should.
Some people worry that teens with after-school jobs will struggle to1 find time for homework. Actually, the responsibility of having a job helps teens prioritize2 their time. Many jobs are only a couple of hour shifts3 on weeknights. According to an article, 86 percent of high school students have an after-school, weekend or summer job and“students who work between 10 and 20 hours per week during the school year have statistically higher grade-point averages4 than those who do not work at all. Those who work in high school are more likely to5 work in college, and financing their college education is a top reason for undergraduates to look for employment.” Instead of considering jobs a hindrance6, employment should be looked at as realworld education.
Other people think that work adds too much stress, which may be somewhat true, but regardless of having a job or not, there is always going to be stress. Better to learn how to cope with7 busy schedules in a controlled environment like high school than to be out on your own and alone, experiencing stress for the first time. I personally would be more concerned for the teenager who has to become independent without having any familiarity with working.
The biggest reason teens should be allowed to work is that it is a healthy way of earning money. There are many things teens need to pay for and they cannot do it out of their own pockets if they don’t have a job. Not all parents can pay for these activities. My dad told me,“Having a job is a good way to save up for things you are going to need or want to do. You get a lot more out of things if you are financially responsible for them.” Kids need the freedom to choose how to spend their money. The sooner they have an income, the sooner they can learn how to use money wisely. If they are not allowed to work in high school, they may be handicapped8 in the future. Teens should, without a doubt, be allowed to work on school nights.
单词卡片
1. struggle to: 努力做，挣扎着做。
2. prioritize: 整理先后次序，按重点先后排列。
3. shift: 轮班。
4. grade-point average: 〈美〉（学生各科成绩的）平均积分点。
5. be more likely to: 更有可能。
6. hindrance: 妨碍。
7. cope with: 处理，应对。
8. handicap: 妨碍，阻碍，使不利。
中学时，体育运动、戏剧演出，还有各种社团组织让学生们感到忙碌。他们参加这些活动的钱是哪儿来的呢？其实，并非所有人都向爸妈要钱。大多数学生会去做兼职，至少赚出一部分钱来参加这些活动。一些成年人质疑中学生是否该兼职，而我的观点是他们确实应该去做兼职。
有人担心，放学后还要兼职的学生会没有时间做家庭作业。事实上，承担一份兼职的责任会帮助青少年更优化他们的时间安排。很多兼职都只需平日晚上轮班几小时而已。根据一篇文章报道，86%的中学生在放学后，周末或暑假期间都有兼职，“据统计，一学期内每周兼职10至20小时的学生的平均分要比完全不兼职的学生高。中学时就兼职的学生在大学期间也很可能兼职，赚学费是大学生们兼职的最主要原因。”兼职工作不应被视为有碍学习之物，而应被看作一种现实（生活的）教育。
还有一些人认为兼职会给学生带来太大的压力，这也可以说是事实。但不管兼职与否，人总会有压力的。在中学这种可控环境中学会如何去应对繁忙的日程安排总比在社会上靠自己一个人初次经历压力要好得多。我个人倒是更担心那些没有任何工作经验却不得不学会独立的青少年。
青少年应该在课余时间兼职的最主要原因是：它是一种健康的赚钱方式。需要学生们付费的东西有很多，而不兼职他们就付不起。并不是所有家长都付得起这些活动的费用。我爸爸就曾告诉我：“做你需要做的事或是去买想要的东西的话，兼职是一种攒钱做这些的好方法。如果你在经济上对某样事物负责了，那么你将会学到很多额外的东西。”孩子们应该享有选择如何消费的自由，一旦他们有了收入，他们就可以学会如何明智地花自己的钱。中学时不允许他们兼职，将会阻碍他们的未来发展。毫无疑问，应该允许青少年们在课余时间做一些兼职。