Living in a spot where people vacation can be a plus for not only experiencing the beach town year-round, but also having the opportunity to get a well-paying job.

Here at Stephen Decatur High School, a majority of students find themselves working full-time in the summer, ranging from retail to restaurants.

Grace Windon, a senior, works at Fractured Prune, a popular donut shop in which her family owns five in Ocean City, along with two locations in Delaware.

When asked about working in a busy environment, Windon said, “Working in a vacation spot definitely helps pay for funds. There’s a constant influx of customers who are willing to spend more since they’re on vacation.”

Tourists are usually more willing to spend the extra dollar when on vacation. Treating themselves to food, clothes, and other items also comes with them treating you with nice tips. No matter how annoying or traffic-causing they can be, their tips tend to make up for it.

Windon works 38-40 hours a week. She explains how it gets tiring about halfway through the week but only for a day.

Committing your time to working full-time during the summer comes with the downsides of exhaustion. Along with missing out on extra beach days, constantly being on your feet for continuous days is tiring, especially given the fact that tourists do not hold back on their annual Ocean City rage.

Working comes with dedication, commitment, and responsibility. It’s not easy waking up and going to a 9-to-5 knowing that your friends are out on the beach relaxing. Distinguishing wants and needs while realizing that the summertime is a perfect time to bring in big checks is a smart move to help you reach your financial goals.

“My schedule gets me off by 1:30 every day, unless I work nights at the Boardwalk, so I can enjoy the rest of the day without affection my summer too much,” Windon said.

Working early while still getting in your 40 hours is a great solution to having a big chunk of your day left to be on the beach or relaxing in general.

Saving for college, a car, car insurance, and any other sort of payment is not cheap. Starting work as a high schooler is a perfect way to ensure guaranteed money flow for your teenage years, putting yourself on the right track for financial stability.

Junior Gia Antimary also finds herself working long hours in the restaurant industry. Working at both FishTales and Atlantic Hotel, she tends to buss, host, and food run.

“I feel like I am really missing out on summer and my teenage years but if I don’t work, I can’t have as much fun because of money,” Antimary said.

In order to be able to experience fun outings and purchases, getting a job is almost a must. Antimary continues to say that the money is worth it, but if you don’t save, then your work was pointless. Her goals are to have a happy, good paying job that pays off and essentially feels good when you work for what you want.

Antimary touched on the fact that dealing with tourists can be difficult, while saying, “I have to deal with unhappy costumers sometimes with attitude to and rudeness, so the money is sometimes not worth it because I work myself too much.”

Working overtime and overall putting in too much work can be hard on employees physically and mentally. Knowing your limits in order to increase your balance while staying healthy is important to keep yourself in check and staying on top of your priorities.