The tardy bell has rung and students roam to their lockers and walk into class five minutes late not really thinking too much about it. Maybe their teacher does not mark them tardy or they are confident mom will call in excusing them. This kind of behavior may fly in high school, however, in the real word if a person continues to arrive late for a job that could be the end of their employment.

Students need to have a job in order to teach them skills they will need to succeed. Once employed, students will learn the importance of arriving on time if they want to receive their paycheck. According to an article on The Daily Muse, being on time demonstrates an employee can be trusted to get the job done and is responsible, qualities that are important in today’s competitive job market.

In addition to teaching students the importance of being punctual, a job also teaches them time management. Juggling school, work, and other extra-curricular activities can be difficult, however I have a job, am involved in sports, and take advanced classes and I manage to get it done successfully. The ability to manage time will be useful for students with college assignments seeing as professors are not going to remind students when the essay is due and even farther into the future when they raise a family and have a full-time job.

Being employed helps students understand the importance of saving money and spending it wisely as well. Putting money in a bank account and being responsible for gas money in their car is preparation for a student’s future. Once in college, the student debt will begin to cumulate and with money saved in the bank that amount could be significantly less.

Perhaps, most importantly, students who work in high school are more likely to get a college degree and with that degree means better jobs and higher income. A recent study from the University of Minnesota revealed that in a sample of 1,000 students, a higher proportion of those who worked during high school earned a college degree.

While some may say that managing a job, school and other curricular activities is too much to handle and these skills can be acquired elsewhere, nothing compares to a real work experience and a paycheck. Working with adults will help students mature and be accountable for responsibilities that high school doesn’t provide. With aids in the hallways asking for planners and permission required to go to the bathroom, high school teachers and administrators treat students as children, which is why they need work experience to help them be successful in the real world.