In the midst of senior year at Frederick High School many students put in labor outside of their studies while working jobs on top of their schoolwork. Maintaining a job is sometimes a necessity for those kids saving for college or paying their next round of car insurance. We caught up with Nicole Howieson to talk about working upwards of 30 hours a week while keeping up her academics.

FREDERICK SCOUT: So explain a little bit about what you do and how long you’ve been at your job.

NICOLE HOWIESON: Well I work at Subway, and I’ve been working there since November of last year. Basically I do everything you’d expect from a person at Subway. [laughs] I make sandwiches, take out the trash, clean the bathrooms and all that kind of stuff. 

SCOUT: How would you describe completing a shift and then coming home to do a load of homework?

NH: I’m not going to lie, I am pretty exhausted when I get home from a shift; especially when I close at 10:30 at night sometimes. Usually when I get home from one of those it’s hard to reach for my backpack… or do anything. 

SCOUT: What kind of classes do you take at FHS? 

NH: Last year I had a pretty full schedule, including like three AP courses and a criminal justice class. Somehow this year feels even harder already… The work from my AP psych class is a little overwhelming.  [sighs]

SCOUT: Would you recommend other students taking on the task as well? 

NH: I know that working almost 30 hours a week isn’t going to work with everyone’s schedule, especially because I don’t participate in after school activities; but if you want to earn some money for shopping or college then I think having a good job and taking a heavy schedule can be manageable for sure. 

SCOUT: So are there any wise words you’d like to offer? 

NH: Basically just push yourself to not only schedule your work time, but also what time you’ll put into your classes. Believe me when I say I’m still figuring it out though. 

If you’re thinking of applying for a job on top of school, several local businesses are always looking for more helping hands. Talk with a counselor to decide if working is a right choice for you.