When I was in high school, a friend of mine would skip class to pick up extra shifts. Her boss told her that she had to "grow up" and prioritize work over school any time she asked for flexibility around her hours. She would always beg to copy my homework because she never had time to finish it herself. She thought she would save the couple extra hundred bucks for tuition. Once she got to university, she realized she was behind.

In the meanwhile, her classmates were studying and some got $10,000+ entrance scholarships. Others used the communication skills gained from class to negotiate big raises or pass the interview process to get into prestigious apprenticeship trades programs. Education really is a long-term investment that can pay off financially.

In high school, it's true that you can have immediate expenses to cover that your classmates don't. But a good workplace should follow the Employment Standards Act and work around your school schedule to give you shifts after school, on the weekends, or during your breaks while you're under 16. If a job doesn't have enough shifts that suit you, you can get a second part-time job or talk to a guidance counsellor about a coop program during school hours.