Student Noah Nelson is on the football team, participates in clubs like BSU, Community Closet, and She Writes. And on top of that, he works as a retail associate at Foot Locker at the 3rd Street Promenade on the weekend.

He helps out in the stockroom before the store opens up, and he helps customers find the perfect shoe.

“I learned to better my communication skills, leadership, and organization skills because when working I have to make sure I communicate with my coworkers and have to make sure everything is organized not only at work but also in my day to day life,” he said.

There are more people like Nelson at Venice High. Students who manage to work full time, do a sport, are involved in clubs, have a lot to deal with.

All students have different reasons for working, but the struggles with juggling work, school, and personal life has become a common difficulty among many students. Managing all these things has become a great stress and has caused some students to feel drained and worn out.

Different tactics for managing their busy schedules may help other students who are feeling stressed out with learning how to balance all these things out. Planning your weekly schedule, making time for yourself, finding hobbies and much more can be the change to help reduce the stress you may be going through.

Nelson said planning out his schedule each week is the best trick to helping him manage his busy schedule.

“Time management is your best friend,” he said.
Psychiatric social worker Rosa Escobar said a common feeling among many working students is feeling drained and sleep deprived, which may be caused by being overworked. It’s important to get a routine.

“At first, it is very difficult, and if you’re able to get a routine, then that’s great, but one of the things that you shouldn’t forget about is yourself and taking care of yourself,” she said.

Finding self care practices is very important in order to help you keep good mental health. Escobar’s best advice is to give yourself a day off from both school and work.

“The most important thing to do is do something that you enjoy that makes you laugh, makes you have fun,” she said.

Work Experience Coordinator Robin Hunt, who also teaches a work experience class here at Venice High. He said that the purpose of the class is to teach students the laws of the workplace in California.

It also gives students the liberty of having a free sixth period to be able to work more hours. The class is taken as a zero period, and the students enrolled in the class meet every
Tuesday.

A perk of beginning to work during high school is getting work experience and developing different skills. Taking advantage of the opportunity to work won’t just positively impact your not income, Hunt said.

“It helps in everything you do—helps you deal with people, helps you deal with managers, helps you manage time, because you’ve got a lot going on,” he said. “And all the skills you’ve learned are only going to make you a better student, a better person, a better college student. It helps when you need a full time job.”

For those of you who are struggling with juggling so much, it is important to know that you are not alone and there are many resources to help you out with what you may be feeling.

From my experience trying to balance personal life, school, and work as a server, I think creating a routine is one of the most efficient ways to manage your busy schedule and make sure you make time for everything.

In many jobs, the stress you have to endure at the workplace adds too much to your life. It is in those moments in which you feel you have no peace that you must take time to evaluate your schedule and make changes accordingly.

It is important to take care of your physical and mental health in these situations, because it’s very common to start feeling drained because of how much you are trying to do. My best advice is to not forget to put yourself first.