VCE And Part Time Job - What Do You Think?

DSD is about to go into Year 11 to start VCE.

She just got a shocking school report - mostly fails for not handing in homework.

For this and a few other reasons, we have told her that there will be no pocket money until her next school report.

DP has been giving her money here and there for train fares into the city, coffees etc.

I have gone nuts at him and said, "no money means no money."

Anyhow, DP and I do generally agree that she should get a job. This is not to punish her but to make her manage her time better. You don't need seven hours a night to do homework but she thinks she's got all the time in the world, fluffs around and it doesn't get done.

She thinks this is unfair and that if she's going to improve at school that she can't have the distraction of a part-time job.

My other theory is that if she's doing that badly at school, she won't even finish VCE and a solid job history will stand her in good stead.

So ... my question is:

1. Do your teens who are in the crunch years at school have a part-time job? or for those without teens
2. Did you have a part-time job as a teen?

When i was 15, i wanted a job, i wanted my own money so i didn't have to ask for it. I was only allowed to work if my school work didn't suffer too much. I worked every weekend and school holidays from when i was 15 until i finished uni. In all honesty i think my school work did suffer a little, employers never were really that sympathetic to me needing time off at exam time! (oh and i did party a little too much, that probably had something to do with it as well. ;) ) I did well in VCE, but i could have done better if i wasn't working and had applied myself a little.

I'm not sure work is a good thing if someone else is forcing her to do it iykwim? If she has no access to money and therefore wants to work to earn money then i think perhaps, you will have a more positive outcome.

On the other hand, if she doesn't want to work, as it will interfere with her school work then perhaps you could strike a deal. She gets pocket money, but only if she is putting in at school and getting the grades she is capable of. Otherwise she will need to go and earn her own money.

:dunno: i think it really depends on the person.....

Personally I think it would be a bad idea to force her to get a job. Working should be something she wants to do, to gain indipendance, become a responsible adult etc. I can understand your reasons (job references, experience etc) but if she doesn't want to be there, it sounds like ot could be more detrimental, kwim? If she isn't turning up for work or has an attitude her references might not be so good. Year 11 does need a bit of study time, year 12 even more so. If she wants and can handle getting a job at this stage I think it's a great thing, but I think you'd be overloading her by making her get one.

well i got my job right at the end of yr 12 and i think it did stuff up my schooling but that was because i had a boyfriend and got lazy i rekon if i had the job earlier i would have been a lot better at using my time

Nope, get a job. Yr 11 isn't the crunch year at all, but you might want to watch she doesn't use it for an excuse for more crappy reports.

Ya gotta pay your way, sooner they learn the better for everyone....

I had a part time job from year 9 through to the end of year 12 and I managed to do that and all of my school work - I did my degree at Melbourne Uni so I got a good result at the end of it. It really taught me how to manage time, study, work and my budget. I say that year 11 is a perfect time for her to start learning how to balance her work and study.

I had a job from Year 9 to Year 12 and I think it was a positive thing - you can always plan in advance to take some time off around exams or due dates if you need to, but I think it was useful for time managment and also to be in a work environment before you leave school.

However, I'm not sure how you're going to make her get a job if she doesn't want one - just withold the money?, because won't she just sabotage the interview process?

GL!
Good luck!

I had a part time job since before I was legally allowed to, lol. I worked part time from year 9 till the end of VCE, then picked up a second part time job through most of my Uni. Still managed to get my Bachelor of Science degree with first class honours (3 majors and 2 minors). Good grades are definitely possible while holding down a part time job :)

I agree that good grades are possible combined with work - not sure how you go with the motivation to get that tho....certainly a desire for $$ may be the only way. IMO it is a really important lesson - gotta work hard to get good results/lifestyle etc. Good luck - let us know how you go 'cos I am SURE we will be in the same spot down the track....

p.s. I'm currently about to start year 12, although did year 11 last year through adult education courses, (dropped out in year 10 to work overseas, went back last year yada yada yada). I did that all with a part-time job, paying rent, bills, groceries, my own books, everything. I still passed year 11 with all of that, so I'm sure your DSD will be able to do it too if she wants to. I think it was Lulu who said year 11 isn't as much of a big deal; so true! I reckon withhold all $$, and once she realises there isn't any money coming in from you or her dad to buy all he things she wants, she might start enjoying the idea of a PT job more and more ;)

I think my job saved me from insanity in year 12. BUT I did not have a social life. I went to school, studied my BUTT off and I worked to have my time out of the house.

From the 'employer' POV - If she doesn't want a job she won't appear employable. And she will not apply herself at her job and she probably won't get a shiny reference either. So when it comes to that side of things, I don't see the point. Personally I wouldn't hire someone that did not want to work. *disclaimer* this is only my personal experience in my workplace that does not mean other workplaces will have the same hiring system etc.

OK, I think we'll stick with what we're doing - withhold all pocket money, not FORCE her to get a job but just wait until she gets sick of having no money. We HAVE told her that she's getting no money until at least her first school report so this is not a surprise to her.

Her pocket money was meant to cover all her expenses - clothes and going out so basically no pocket money means we don't buy her anything. At all.

I think she's sponging off her friends at the moment. I'm sure that will wear a bit thin with them. Most of them work :D

If most of her friends work, and she's sponging off of them, then they will definitely be getting sick of that quite soon...they'll probably tell her to go get a job :lol: Might be a fantastic motivator, good luck :hug:

i worked from the end of year 9, part time untill year 12 exams finished, then went full time in the same job.

i find it helped me to manage my time, on the odd occasion, i'd call in 'sick' because i had too much homework. i liked having my own money, my parents couldnt afford to give me money all the time, so i knew i had to work if i wanted to buy things for myself.

I got a job at 14yrs and 9mts (the earliest you could back then). My parents told me they would still support me BUT only the necessities! They would buy me a basic school bag but if I wanted one from the surf shop I had to buy my own. They covered books, uniforms and basic stationery but I had to pay for anything else. This definitely taught me good budgeting skills from a young age and I still get asked by friends now to help them do a budget!!!

As long as you're aware of the hours she's working and keep them reasonable then she should be fine and there shouldn't be any excuses.

Good luck!

I got a part time job as soon as I was legally able to, and worked every afternoon 3pm-6pm then I'd come home, cook dinner, clean, do my home work and then go to bed. I didn't live with my parents from the age of 15, I was living on my own. And when I went through Uni I continued to do this, as well as a have a job as a nightfiller.

I worked from age 15. Mum was a single parent, so didn't have alot of cash. I blew most of it, but also paid for my formal dress with my own money, which I was very proud of. I find it hard to understand kids who don't want to earn their own money.

RE: Year 11 & study - I think it's different for different kids. I found the transition to Year 11 hard, but that was me. Up to them I'd been cruising, getting good grades without working hard. I really had to work harder in Year 11, but I hadn't learnt good studying behaviour (homework always late etc) and in the end, my Year 12 grades suffered. I still got into uni, but only with 2nd round offers. Looking back, I've wondered if a year off between Year 11 and 12 may have helped, if I'd been a bit more mature or had more discipline if I'd taken a break and gone back a year older. Also, I've since learnt I have ADD, which affects study behviour.

Does she know what she wants to do with her life? I think it's hard to focus on school/work etc if you don't know why you're doing it. I don't think she should be free-loading, but maybe she needs career counselling or to do work experience.

Hmm a toughie. I think you're doing the right thing in not forcing her. I wonder if a job would be the answer though, if she's struggling to apply herself? Maybe it'd just put schooling further off the agenda?

I had a part-time job during VCE and it put me under a lot of stress and pressure. I would have done a lot better in school had I had more spare time. I would sleep in and take days off school just to catch a rest (worked sat & sun). In year 10 it was fine and year 11 of little consequence, but my year 12 really suffered.

At the end of the day, her first job will teach her time management, responsibility, the value of money, etc, whether she starts it at 16 or 18, yanno? If she's not getting the most out of her education now, she'll get even less if she has to work, IMO. If she's sticking with school, she may as well get the most out of it.

I had a part time job as a check out chick while I did Year 11 and 12. I passed well and it really did help with my organisation. Plus I loved having some money to spend on myself.

I had a job while doing my A-Levels. I'd rather have not done that, but my parents insisted. In hindsight, it didn't damage me any.

TBH, a check-out chick job in a quiet-ish local shop meant that I could take my revision notes in and go through those on the quiet parts of the afternoon. It meant that I could also chat about the "scary" biochemical pathway pictures to interested customers, which was great for my revision (put it like this, over 10 years on I can still picture some of this, and I've not used it since my A-levels).

I actaully dont see the difference in giving her no money at all, and forcing her to get a job - same end different means, at least til her next report.

My experience was the opposite - I was not allowed to get a part time job while I was at high school, my parents thought it would be too much or a distraction from studying - which did take 5-7 hours some nights but I was studying an overloaded timetable in year twelve with additional subjects.

When I went to uni, the course I did paid a stipend. My parents expected me to save half of this, and still not get a part time job ( they were paying my uni fees ). I didnt though I lived off all of it. In hindsight I probably could have saved a bit but half was a bit of an ask.

Anyway my point is, when I finished my degree and was applying for jobs, I had no work history at all, and I reckon 90% of the others in my course had worked or were working. I had wanted to work so I felt mightily ripped off.

Im not sure whether its changed but some of the bigger employers (coles, woollies) had limits on the number of hours and the timing of shifts for students, esp in VCE so it would be worth looking in to.

FWIW my closest friend at high school, was dux and she worked at maccas since she was legally old enough to, and continued to through her law/arts degree.

Neither of my parents finished high school and weren't overly supportive of my education beyond 'you should do homework because you just should'. I had no idea what I wanted to do after school. My parents didn't give me any pocket money and I only really wore second hand clothes (my parents didn't have heaps of money to spare) except for a pair of runners and school shoes each year. I was doing ok at school...and was involved in a few extra-curricular things but my results/reports didn't dazzle anyone.

When I was 14y9m my parents forced me to get a job...to the point where my mum dragged me to the local IGA and asked them to give me a job. I did not want a job. At all. In fact, I was mortified. But, I did start work and actually really enjoyed it - the pay was rubbish (well below award wage - I wish my mum chose somewhere where I wouldn't get ripped off!) but it was still good to have some of my own money. My dad encouraged me to put a little bit away each week in a savings account.

I really grew up - I became a lot more mature a lot more often. All of a sudden, I had to be organised and responsible for stuff - show up at work on time, do my job, let the boss know in advance if I had something on and wasn't going to be available. I started thinking about what I wanted to do after school.

I started doing really well at school. I ended up taking on an extra job in year 12 - I set up my own tutoring 'business' which I did 2 days a week after school, plus 2 nights waitressing. I did lots of extra-curricular stuff...in fact, it was rare that I was home during the week before 6pm. I used to try and make sure I had my weekends free and mostly I did, to socialise a bit and do some study. I was busy - and liked it. Exam time would get stressful sometimes but I could always take a few days off work to relax or focus on school if I need to (most employers understand this).

I ended up with really good results - in the top 1% of my state - and gained university entry with a scholarship to a competitive course at a prestigious Uni. I had money saved because I'd been consistently putting some aside and was able to buy all my own books, buy things that I liked and covered most of my expenses to move interstate.

This is just my experience - I'm really grateful that my parents encouraged (well, forced) me to have a casual job - when some of my friends that had never worked moved out of home they found it really hard to find a job because they had -no- experience or skills whatsoever. Having said that, I would have found it really helpful if my parents sat down with me and asked me what my goals were, what inspired me, what I thought I might like to do and helped me to work out ways of achieving that. Your daughter might want to be a hairdresser, in which case looking at pre-app courses might be the best option for her...or she might want to be a lawyer in which case you'll need to help her structure her time so she starts putting some more effort into academics! Having said that, if my parents asked me before the age of 17 I would have had no idea.

I think it can be really beneficial - most employers are understanding of young people who are studying and are accommodating of that.