[Tears]

Which is why I want others' opinions. This is a tough decision I'm making, and I need to know that I can live with it with as little regret as possible if I make the choice. I need others' thoughts on this so that I can have that final debate in my head: to drop or not to drop?

If you've not already guessed, I'm debating whether to drop out of high school or not. Please let me tell you, this is far from the whiny teenager-quitting-school-because-it-ain't-no-fair. It used to be, I'll admit, but it's become more serious than that. I'm starting to deteriorate in terms of mental health, and it's affecting everything: school, family, friends, etc. I cannot focus on school, and though I really do find it interesting, I just don't see what practical uses some of the stuff we learn can have. In short, I like learning, but not the stuff in school. I feel like I can teach myself more useful things, maybe some practical things. Because of that I spend most of my "homework time" researching and taking notes on non-academics related subjects. I also think that unless I can do a good job on a homework assignment, it's pointless to try. I want to "do it right, or don't do it at all".

I'm wasting my parents' money by continuing studies that I no longer want to be a part of. I go to a private school, relatively cheaper than some other schools here, but still rather expensive. It's even more so, because my parents have to support three kids who all go to that same school. They often complain that I'm just squandering money away as if it grew on trees or fell from the sky. I'm starting to see their point: Why bother with the expensive education when you don't even do anything? They've also made it an option themselves; if I really can't take the conventional learning path, I better find another one myself.

I do realize that if I drop out that society will not be kind. I'll have a hard time going back to school if I end up wanting to, and I'll have a hard time with jobs without the proper educational credentials to boost my resume. I do realize that strict schools are that way to prepare us for dealing with authority figures in life, and that people may ridicule me for being socially weak. This, among many other disadvantages, I realize, and I've been considering this whole time. They'll look down on a drop out, especially because she only had two and a half years of high school left.

I have many plans that I want to start early on. I want to do my own research projects, with my own time frames. I want to keep learning, but with my own schedule and interests in mind. Maybe I'll invest in some private lessons or a specialty school for this purpose, because I'm not liking the general ways. I feel like I can so much better in my fields of interest, but most of my attention and time goes into things that don't match up with what I wish to do. Call me an idealistic brat if you will, but I really do think I can pave my own path, given the opportunity and the time to do so.

So...I need some opinions on this. Be as gentle or as harsh as you want, because only real-life truths will help me in the making of this decision. It's a time limited one; my parents have given me only a month, til the end of this school semester, to decide. Yes, they support this dropping out business as long as I have my own plans, but only if it has to come down to it. Let's assume it already has.

[Espy]

Hm...Is there a way for you to go to a public high school? (I went to a private high; those things can be expensive as hell.) I'd really, really rather you not drop out; there is a hug difference between having a high school diploma and not having one.

Or what about taking a few courses at a community college for a change, just to get away from all the people you know for a while?

I'm not too sure how homeschooling works; it seems as if your parents might be too busy to homeschool you...

[Epic Rave Monster]

I feel the same.. You don't need to learn all these ways of doing math, and all this other crap. It's a waste of time. But if you don't finish school, even if you find other ways to learn, the places you want to work won't know what you've learned, or how much. They'll think that since you gave up on school, you'll quit the job pretty fast. Then you'll have to rely on people for money, and then the complaining will get worst.

I do Penn Foster. It's an online school. You pay. Get books in the mail. You don't need a teacher, but it's nice to have some help on it. Then you submit your answers online, after you've read them. It's like a GED, but easier. And you do still get a high school diploma..

I still want to quit school. But at least with this, you can do it at your own pace. The problem with doing it at your own pace is that it takes longer. If you don't have a push, it's easy to slack off.

[Tears]

@ Espy:

Not unless I move back to the States; all the public high schools here teach primarily in Chinese and i'm not particularly good at that language, especially for math and science terms as those get pretty complicated.

I've been working on researching community colleges in the area; no luck so far.

Yeah...my dad works and my mom manages my younger siblings, so homeschooling is not an option for them unless I find someone else to tutor me.


@ Epic Rave Monster:

Hmm...I've never really considered online schools as an option. Probably because most of the ones people take about don't give you credentials; they're just there to boost performance in regular, offline schools. I guess then those don't really count?
But since you mentioned it, I'm going to look into some online schools. The change of pace might work for me.

[Epic Rave Monster]

Originally Posted by Celeste

@ Espy:

Not unless I move back to the States; all the public high schools here teach primarily in Chinese and i'm not particularly good at that language, especially for math and science terms as those get pretty complicated.

I've been working on researching community colleges in the area; no luck so far.

Yeah...my dad works and my mom manages my younger siblings, so homeschooling is not an option for them unless I find someone else to tutor me.


@ Epic Rave Monster:

Hmm...I've never really considered online schools as an option. Probably because most of the ones people take about don't give you credentials; they're just there to boost performance in regular, offline schools. I guess then those don't really count?
But since you mentioned it, I'm going to look into some online schools. The change of pace might work for me.

Most of them do, actually. Maybe it's different where you live. I don't know.. o.o I hope you find something that works for you.

[littl3chocobo]

sweetheart, you can't get a job legally in this country without a highschool education, you can't go to collage or trade-school, you can't have a loan or anything else, they won't let you rent an apartment house trailer or loft you cannot do /anything/ without your parents....even if you feel you don't need it you cannot do anything without it

[Espy]

Choco, she's not currently living in the States.

[littl3chocobo]

oh, i missed that part but really that is all the more reason, america does not value intelligence nearly as much as any other country and she'd be pretty bad off here, i say if you want a life with as little regret as possible then take school, you can lament too much learning much easier than lamenting having to do everything all over and /still/ not liking it later

[Nexess]

High school sucks no matter where you are but it's a stepping stone you should probably do. You can go to an adult ed centre later on in life but really it's actually alot easier to learn this stuff now.

Though if it's really that bad the online choice is a really good option. Most offer a sort of freelance study, meaning you choose when to go to class, your not stuck on their schedule.
And you really can find some good online schools, you just need to find the ones linked with colleges or universities.

I'd suggest if you're really thinking of dropping out to talk to the school councilor and asking for information. They'll try to convince you to stay in school but in the end they will be able to help you more than Google will.

I'm not saying I agree with dropping out, but if it's a better option for you then you have to go with what works realistically.

[Ashy]

Yeah some people just don't do well at school, there are college programs that will let you get your equivalency. The issue for you might be finding one, you're probably going to have to stick it out until you can find somewhere. Have you tried asking a teacher or school counselor about finding one for you?

Also, possibly finding a part time job will help you out. That may work better for you and after having some time off school you can repeat the year if you decide to go back or continue working at the job maybe at increased hours.

As choco did say earlier most of the higher tier jobs require high school completion but if youre happy to stay in retail or hospitality you wont need that and you can work on getting your equivalency while working.

[Gaius]

I encourage you to finish high school. I can tell just from the way you speak that you're intelligent, so I'm sure incapability is not the problem. I know what it's like to have selective motivation like you do. I often find myself writing or creating a game when I should be working on something for a class. What are some of the things you're interested in, the projects you do in your spare time? It's possible that you could find a job doing those projects, and it's probable that if there is such a job, it will require at least a high school education. School seems pointless now, but if you look far ahead, you can think of it as a means to do what you really love. And if you decide not to finish, you should plan what you'll do instead and how you'll find work.

[Lucid:]

To be honest, high school is a lot more about learning how to work hard and perhaps even learning how to learn. Yes, the classes also provide a foundation for higher learning, but it is largely a hoop to jump through to show that you can dedicate yourself to doing it. That said, I believe that it is an essential hoop to jump through. These days, bachelors' degrees are quite commonplace, and not having a high school degree, let alone a college degree, will set you at a huge disadvantage. As I think you've realized, even if you can educate yourself in some other way, dropping out of high school is practically telling employers, lenders, and other professionals that you can't stick to something. Even if that's not true about you, that's the impression that comes off.

There have been success stories of people who drop out and start their own businesses or other successful personal pursuits, but those people are the exception, not the rule. Doing that is harsh, and requires literally all of your time devoted to working on your own projects. If you have a manic passion for something outside of school, then you may have the guts for entrepreneurship or something similar. However, if you just kinda want to do something different from the status quo, I suggest sticking with high school until you've graduated.

[Tears]

Thank you for the input, everyone. I really appreciate it.

I'll be speaking with one of the counselors at my school to find out more options, if there's any, and for advice on what to do about my motivation and attention issues. I haven't found as many online schools to look at as I'd like, so that option will have to wait til I find something and verify that it is genuine, reputable and accredited for high school education. In the mean time, I've decided to just try and finish this school year and figure everything else out during holiday breaks and summer vacation when there's actually time to mull over things like this.

Thanks again.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

I'd agree with the others about finishing high school sooner rather than later. My sister and I helped her husband get his diploma so he could go into trades and it really was more trouble than it was worth to do it later than it would have been to finish it in the first place.

That said, if you need to, see if you can take a break. I did everything in school because of my health. I redid a semester because of bad marks from missing so much and then I ended up taking a break for a year to recover from surgery and I found that it really helped me mentally to get my mind off school for a while.

See what your options are for returning to school or perhaps changing schools. It might just be a matter of bringing your credits from one school to another and seeing what you qualify for.