6 Steps To Managing School and Work the Healthy Way.

Be Happy:
Yes, im being serious. This is the most important key to having a successful work and school relationship. Get a job doing something you actually enjoy doing. It is possible to daydream about going to work while your in school (I do it all the time). If you enjoy what you are doing you have a higher chance of showing up on time everyday, not to mention possible pay raises for high performance efforts.  High School students tend to have extremely high turn over rates in the workplace. This is mainly because we usually just take what we can get. Try going against the grain and your nagging parents. Be a little picky and wait it out. An amazing opportunity might be just around the corner but you've already sold yourself short with a job at the local supermarket which you HATE.

It's Okay To Be Picky!

Chose Local:
Seriously guys, location, location, location! The word commute should mean nothing to a student. You will always dread going to work if you have to drive more than 10 minutes to get there (I have a 5 min ride to work as it is now with no turns or lights).As a student your schedule is very sporadic. Group projects and afterschool activities can seem to pop out of mid air. If you work close to school or at least close to home you can spend more time in the moment rather then watching a clock and calculating the fastest route to work. It's an amazing thing to be able to get off of work at 7 and be home by 7:10 the latest.

Less Than 10 Minutes Away!

Skip the Weekends/ Work Study:
Most students are going to work on the weekends which really limits the amount of jobs available for you. When an employee hears that a student is available for a weekday afternoon shift it almost doubles your chances of getting hired for small desk or storefront jobs. If you have the time, try and get a job during the weekdays either after school or during it with a work-study or work-education program! This way you're finished with your work day around 6, leaving you enough time to do your homework, have your weekends free and possibly make more money than the average high school student.

Go Against the Grain!

Work With People You Know:
I know as a high school student this is usually one of the things we try to avoid doing when looking for a job but trust me if you find a workplace that has also employs people you ENJOY knowing the work day will always be a little fun for you even when it gets stressful. Working for people you know can also mean more flexibility in your schedule. If you take a job under somebody you have known for years they are likely to be a little more forgiving about that last minute band concert rehearsal you missed work for the other day. They are also for the most part genuinely interested in your school and work day, your schedule and your likes and dislikes and will tend to treat you with more respect and trust right off the bat.

MAKE A SCHEDULE:
Most important on the list: make the schedule, know the schedule, live the schedule! I promise you guys make schedule/lists and plan for EVERYTHING! Keep that schedule on multiple different platforms weather it be an agenda, your phone, your hand or a calendar whiteboard. Become obsessed with that schedule and STICK TO IT! Make everyone around you aware of that schedule too! Especially your employer. My director/ mentor is even aware of my GYM schedule. It is important that they are almost never surprised by you need to leave early or take time off. Talk to your teachers about upcoming projects and schedule time out for meeting and clubs that can also harmonize with your work schedule and be sure to tell your employers about all of these and find a sub to cover your shift. 

Make the Schedule, Know the Schedule, Live the Schedule!

Live A Little
Last but not least, remember to have a life. I'm not joking, If it's your senior year you need to live it up and also remember to relax. Life is going to get very stressful many time throughout this year and you need to be prepared for that by not making work apart of that stress. Remember to plan ahead early so you can live in the moment. Focus on one task at a time. Don't think about work until that last bell rings and don't think about school until you clock out of work. Remember to enjoy yourself and fill the year with smiles and laughter, It will likely be the last year you see many faces you took for granted and it will go by fast no matter how slow it seems now.  Have fun, focus and make memories that will last a life time.