Hayley Johnson
Commentary Editor

         &nbspEven as sophomore starting fresh on the first day, every student faces many problems. For instance, where to eat lunch, where your next class is, and how long it's going to take in one class to do your homework for the next one. However, one of the major problems that almost all high-school students face is the problem of money... or the lack there of.
         &nbspNow, everyone knws that there are a few of you out there who won't ever have to worry about working, who still get an allowance, and who's parents dont mind suporting you monetarily until you retire. Hey, more power to you. However, I feel that most students are like myself, paying for lunch everyday with the left-over quarters and nickels from the previous day. And even aside from the regular lunch, all kinds of other expenses pop up during the school year, like school dances, t-shirts, and elevator passes. Money becomes somewhat of a requisite.
         &nbspHowever, in order to solve this problem, many students decide to go out and get after school jobs at local stores and restruants to support themselves. I myself, after a yearlong stint with the elegant and refined Taco Vill my junior year, am now employed as a prep-cook at a local restraunt. Not the most glamorous jobs, but, hey, beggars can't be choosers. During these two years of working while in school, I've learned that there is only one thing that keeps your sanity in tact: Time Management. When you're going strait from an eight hour stressful day at school to a night shift at an even more stressful job, there tends to be little time in between for homework. It's during these times that every student learns the definition of "pulling an all-nighter".
         &nbspHowever, every student can avoid these situations. I've found that doing your homework for Mondays and Tuesdays over the weekend really help. As horribly ardous as that sounds, it really helps a lot. You don't have to sit at a desk all cooped up in your bedroom. Sit somewhere relaxing, eat something, listen to music, build a pillow fortress and read your book there. Whatever will help you to relax and be efficient. Doing homework in any free time possible is good not only for your classes, but it can also relax you a little when you're on the job.
         &nbspAs far as picking a nice, relaxing job.... there's no such thing. Every job out there is going to be very demanding and stressful, and it's how a student handles themselves at school and their job that's the real test. The goal in looking for the right job is to find someone who will be patient with you and your schedule. Nobody wants to miss prom because they had to pull the grave-yard shift at K-Mart.
         &nbspSo my adive to any sophomores who think they want to jump right into the world of employment, give it some time. Get your feet wet in high school first. Then once you have an idea of what your load is going to be, go out and see what job is right for you.

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