Adolescence is a unique and questionable period in life. Children are old enough to earn money on their own, yet young enough that they still need to be under the care of their parents or caregivers. Teens find themselves finding after-school jobs for many reasons. Normal reasons include: spending money on going out with friends, money on gas, or the chance to get newly released technology. After-school jobs appear to help teens learn responsibility and appreciate the value of hard work and the money that comes with it. After school jobs can cause more problems than most people think. These jobs take away a lot of time that these teenagers should dedicate to education, their academic performance is decreasing and it is wearing out the teenagers physically and mentally. The only way an after-school job could be beneficial to a maturing young adult is if it is in the right dosage. Once you reach adulthood, money is needed for almost everything. It is needed for food, clothing, shelter, and everyone's favorite recreational activities. High school is a crucial time in a child's life. It is where the child slowly begins to become independent from his or her caregivers and where he or she finally begins to realize who he or she truly is. Adolescents spend most of their time in a school-like environment, typically for about eight hours a day. Likewise, adults also normally spend eight hours a day at work, normally forty hours a week. This school like environment for these teenagers is their job, they spend the same amount of time that adults spend at work, at school. These teenagers are already working full-time jobs, with some overtime added whenever homework is assigned, or when... in the middle of homework... at school and college. Their success in high school will be reflected in where they attend college, which will ultimately influence their success in the real world. There is a fine line on how much a student should work during a school year; to be successful you need to get as close to that line as possible, without crossing it. Works Cited ASCD. Dan Laitsch"The Effect of Employment on Student Achievement in High School and Beyond." Brief Research (2005): NPDundes, L., & Marx, J. (2006). Balancing Work and Academics in College: Why Do Students Who Work 1019 Hours a Week Excel? Journal of College Student Retention, 8(1) 107120.Hammond, Shawn. “Effects of Employment on Student Success.” Provo: BYU Employment Services, December 2006. 1-4. "Teenagers and after-school jobs." Health Encyclopedia. University of Rochester Medical Center. Nd web.