Is it important to finish High School?

Let me first say yes, it is important, but in my case, that is a "do as I say and not as I did" case. I dropped out of High School at the age of 16, the minimum age in my State. I never regretted leaving school, but most who leave surely do.

That's later, though. At the time of leaving, the dropout may feel nothing but great relief.

What mental image is in your mind right now? Is the dropout an inner city child with a poor vocabulary? A young man destined for a life of crime or a scared young girl who is pregnant?

What are you imagining about them? Are they less intelligent than you, are they dyslexic, the sad products of addiction?

Those could be accurate, but you'll also find highly intelligent people who are "dropouts".

Not everyone is a fit for traditional education. It's not only "losers" who drop out; many highly intelligent people are frustrated and angered by rigid curricula and glacial pace.

It is fair to say that both groups have learning disabilities. It doesn't really matter if dyslexia or boredom is the root cause - the result is the same.

Irrelevance

Irrelevance is often the reason given for leaving. The following quote is from "Dropout Prevention and Recovery" at The American Youth Policy Forum:

many report having left school because their school was not interesting or challenging. Likewise, a 1995 Oregon Department of Education study reported the most frequent reason high school students gave for leaving school was “irrelevant coursework.”  These same students also claimed their schools were at fault for fostering “teaching techniques that didn’t match their learning styles” and for a “lack of personal attention in class.”  

t's easy to say "stick it out", but for someone who is really struggling and who has been struggling throughout their entire educational career, the opportunity to escape the very real pain of school may be very hard to resist.

Perhaps we should rephrase the question: if you have to drop out, what should you expect?

Employment Difficulties

The lack of a High School diploma can be a barrier for some employment opportunities. In some cases, the applicant can simply lie and may not risk being checked. In others, the reality will be checked.

Many dropouts gravitate toward self employment for that reason. They may be quite successful at it, either because the learning disability that tormented them in school is not an impediment in their business or because it is actually an advantage.

Dropping out of school does not always mean that a diminished life follows. Some dropouts become quite successful and others are very well known names. But even some of those may harbor some regret.

Regrets

Many people end up regretting lost educational opportunities. They may rightfully feel that their lives could have been very different had they taken a different path.

Who can say if they are right or wrong? Your life will be filled with countless decisions, any one of which might cause drastic changes in your circumstances. The decision to leave or stay in school certainly is one of these, but there will be others.

Just an interruption

Dropping out doesn't have to be a final decision. Many young people drop out but either come back or get a degree through alternative means. I did go back to finish up my final year of High School.

Sometimes a little break can be enough to let someone get through.

Advice to the dropout

I don't know your specific circumstances. I don't know how bright you are, how emotionally stable. I don't know what difficulties you face, how hopeless you feel, how scared you are.

Only you really know, and only you really know if this is the right decision for you at this time.

That doesn't mean that you can't learn from others. True, some of the people who want to give you advice may not be very helpful because they won't really listen to you or understand the forces that are driving you. However, if you keep searching, you may find others who do understand and who can help.

They may not change your mind. That's OK - sometimes dropping out is the right choice. More often, it really isn't and talking to other people can help you understand why it may not be for you.

Whatever you decide, your life will be what you make it. I hope you make the right decision now and in the future.

If you do have to drop out, I hope you do well. Perhaps you will go on to eventually be added to one of the "Successful Dropouts" lists. That's not important, though.

You need to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and be proud of the life you led. That's what's really important: not degrees, not money, not fame. It's the face that looks back from that mirror and how you feel about it.

That's what I hope for you. A face in the mirror you can be proud of.

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