WOODBURY — “Start as soon as you’re old enough; don’t wait.” 

That’s the simple yet crucial advice given by Nonnewaug High School junior Tess Cuccia for NHS students looking to get a job or start their first.   

Many students at Nonnewaug are taking on their schoolwork, balancing jobs, sports, and even their own businesses.

Along with academic responsibilities, juggling shifts and studying, students face the challenge of managing their time and energy. As the pressure increases, they must find a way to balance these demands while also keeping up with their personal lives. For some, this balancing act comes at the cost of their social life. 

“I barely see my friends, [and] when I do see [them], it’s maybe like once every two weeks,” NHS senior Dan Coyle explains. “It’s the same with seeing my girlfriend, only once every two weeks. It just gets really demanding.”

Coyle, a student-athlete who also works as a polo groom, emphasizes that the job requires careful planning. 

“You have to kind of plan out your day beforehand,” Coyle said. “After school, I go to practice, but sometimes I have to leave early if there’s a match or if the horses need to be taken care of. Once I get home, no matter how late it is, I have to focus on my schoolwork.”

Although the demands can be exhausting, many students like Coyle believe the work teaches valuable life skills, particularly time management. 

“Balancing all of this has definitely helped me with time management,” he says, though he admits it often leaves him drained, running on “caffeine and dreams.” 

While some students find work a rewarding experience that builds valuable life skills, others may struggle to keep up with their schoolwork and maintain their grades. 

Some students find that their jobs offer lessons in responsibility and time management. Anna Melius, a Nonnewaug sophomore, who runs her own dog sitting business and works at a plant growing facility, feels she has learned crucial lessons through her job.

“Something that working has helped my life with is responsibility,” says Melius. “I am responsible for my own business, and at work I have to be able to manage multiple jobs at once.” 

This highlights how students learn to effectively handle both school and jobs, gaining skills that will serve them well after high school.

Balancing jobs can be even more complicated for student-athletes such as Nick Mancini, who finds that managing his time between sports, school, and a job requires careful planning. 

“You have to figure out how much time you’re going to have and what time certain things are happening,” Mancini says. “It’s difficult trying to make everyone happy, [You’ve] got to give everybody the same amount of time, as well as yourself.”

NHS faculty like Steve Bunovsky, wish to emphasize the importance of time management for students who are juggling multiple responsibilities.  

“Time management is a big part of that, which I think some kids can handle in high school, and other kids are just learning how to manage their time,” Bunovsky says. “So understand that if you’re going to work X amount of hours per week, you want to make sure that you set aside time for getting your homework done, and getting to bed at a reasonable hour.” 

Bunovsky emphasizes that students need to be regimented and ensure they’re not sacrificing important parts of their health, such as sleep. 

“Teenagers are incredibly sleep-deprived because they’re notoriously bad at time management,” Bunovsky explains. 

Bunovsky’s advice is for students to stay organized, plan their schedules carefully, and avoid the troubles of overworking themselves. However, he also sees great value in the work experience that students gain outside the classroom. 

“Students learn how to deal with people in real world situations, which can be difficult at times, especially if you’re representing a business,” Bunovsky says. “Dealing with irate customers or keeping the integrity of a business intact teaches them people skills that are hard to replicate in a classroom setting.”