While many high schoolers rush home to get ready for a long night of studying, others rush to meet the boss. 

In the state of Kentucky, teenagers ages 16 and 17 are allowed to work 6 hours a day for a total of 30 hours a week. There are various reasons why teenagers will choose to take on working a job next to their full 6 hour school day. 

“I felt like I was of an age where I needed to make my own money because I started driving,” HC Junior and Signature Country Club employee Elliott Blanche said. “So I have to pay for gas and other expenses, such as food, when I’m out with my friends.” 

“I chose to work at Chick-fil-A because it seemed like a good environment to work in,” HC Junior Glenn Griggs said. 

Adding a work schedule to a long school day leaves many teenagers’ needing to adjust to new time management skills. This can affect their school work and free time in a negative way. 

“Most of the time, when I work on a school day I’ll start at 4 and I always work till close,” HC Junior and Hobby Lobby employee Mary-Anne Olaleye said. “I get home at [around] 9-10. There’s not really homework time.”

“My job affects [my school work] a lot,” HC Junior and Skyline Chili employee Miguel Perez said. “I’m not doing too hot in a lot of my classes because I don’t have time to do my work since I’m so focused on making money.” 

Many jobs available for teenagers right now add additional pressure and stress to their everyday lives and push them to the limits. 

“The job stresses me out a lot,” HC Junior and Graeter’s employee Gracie Harrison said. “I don’t like working 8 hours while having old people yell at me when I get their sundae wrong.” 

“I feel like I have problems with my social battery [when working],” HC Junior and Aerie employee Kylie Blank said. “Having to go to work and not being able to cancel is hard because you’re just being drained without wanting to be.” 

Many teenagers have high standards set for themselves. Thus creating the momentum to stay up late and do what needs to be done. 

“I really have to push myself to make sure I keep up with everything,” Olaleye said. “To stay motivated I think about the benefits of gaining more job experience for the future.”