Chrisreyn

One aspect of this that hasnt been mentioned and I overlooked in my earlier post is the "other' areas of life where a GED is considered "second place" to a diploma...
Its not just in teh "getting a job"...
My friend( the Court Clerk?) she has had to deal with her daughter wanting to drop out and heard , "well if its so important, why didnt you finish HS"..
on everything from mortgage applications to credit card apps, and security clearance forms, auto insurance apps, your listing your educational background, and as mentioned there is a definite social stigma to NOT having a HS diploma, that can potentially be the difference between getting that homeloan, promotion or what ever...yes legally they cant discriminate, but it certainly can "slant" someones opinion and affect their decision...

The whole point I am trying to make is that this is a decision that she needs to realize can follow her for life and that she realy needs to make carefully.. that one year now wont mean a thing when she is thirty......or it could mean alot.....

04ctd

exactly

many people have overcome this.
but this world is increasingly becoming "spreadsheets and databases"
and a random "check in the block" is the deciding factor in SO MANY things.

spunbearing

A similar thing happened to me in 1985. My school changed the amount of credits necessary to graduate and made it 5 credits more. I was short a credit just like your daughter. I wrote an appeal letter to the Board of Education listing my achievements and detailing my situation. In my case I was one of the three people that were awarded the extra credits needed. Several hundred applied. It's worth a try. Most schools have a graduation committee. I actually went to my school counselor and my favorite teacher for help. Worked for me. Good luck.

I just rethought this. I knew in advance that I was short so I sent my appeal to the BOE graduation committee in April ( 2 months before graduation). Not sure that this will work for you but it is worth a try. If they hadn't changed the number of necessary credits I would have extra credits. As it turned out I graduated with honors and received a silver seal on my diploma for my high GPA.

jrs_dodge_diesel

Don't forget about us Coasties.

Spooler

04CTD, Good luck to your daughter. Not everyone makes the right decisions all the time, That's life. I did finish High School but I took longer than most to get it together. The Air Force was the best thing that happened to me. I wasn't lazy I just had my priorities mixed up like most young people do. Before my 4yrs in the service were up I was able to take one college class. That is when I decieded to go back and get a 4yr degree. It took me 7yrs to do it working full time and going to school but I did it. Just give your daughter all the support you can and a little shove in the right direction every now and then and she will be fine. Nothing wrong with going back to HS and getting that diploma. I would..... and then college. She is just going to have to suck it up and just do it. If she goes back you will see how bad she wants it..... It will take courage. Best of luck to her.

Colo_River_Ram

Yet another point of view..

Show up to the oilfields.. we don't care if you have a GED or diploma!

Stay off the booze and drugs, Be to work on time! I know of some 20 yr olds making 125 -150 K a year!

Yeah it's dirty, grimy and dangerous work. Invest your money and retire in 20 yrs.

Besides the oil that we produce is that much less oil that we have to buy from foreign soil...

MJDiesel

Hmmm, I have just earned a college degree and I am thinking about working at the coal mines in Wyoming. My goal in life is to farm-ranch and to also possibly to own my own business of some sort, not to work my way up in the corporate world. The coal mines pay better than most professional careers anyway, and I need to earn and save some money. Hopefully, my college education will give me a bit of an edge for a promotion.

gerry

Well in my case I went to public HS and transferred to Catholic HS in the 10th grade... Finished all the requirements for the State but since I missed 2 semesters of 9th grade Religion class I could not get my diploma from the catholic HS. I received a certificate of completion from the state (1 step up from GED).. When I graduated I went to a community college and took the required courses to receive my diploma.

OK so here is where I am going... she can do the last year of HS and then go to college and take a HS class there to get that 1 required credit.. then go back to the HS and pick up her diploma. (they print them and keep them at the HS).. this way she doesn't need to do an entire extra year just a semester in the evening to get the diploma. or what about summer school to make up the additional credit.??

Gerry

NEED_MORE_TORQU

I applaud your father. I wish more folks understood that anything is possible if you set your mind to it, anything. But, you have to have an entrepreneur's heart and work your tail off.

You don't HAVE to have a diploma, but it sure makes thing easier, as does a bachelors degree, masters, Phd. She could do sales (especially if shes hot, I'm not being rude, I'm being real), start an internet based company, learn the stock market, buy a lawn mower and cut yards, learn to be a mortgage broker, a waitress at an EXPENSIVE resteraunt, electrician, welder, plumber, heck pump crap tanks. It doesn't matter what you do, just live within your means, SAVE, invest in your company (for the crap tank pumpers, electricians, welders and such).

Most folks make between 35K-60K/yr working for someone. Your telling me you couldn't do that working at a Ruths Chris. Heck when/if she turns 21, be a bar tender. They make bank.

I hope all works well with the army.

Brock

I have seen people in Air Force with a GED...it all depends on their recruiting goals and how they are meeting them...it goes up and down like the tides. What is not accepted this year will be accepted next year as the Air Force cuts bodies in enlisted ranks and then plays catch up for 5 years when they lose all that entry level experience.
I did 22 years in Air Force and just retired two years ago....spent more time humping a ruck and firing an M-4 than most of my buddies in other branches....
I would agree though that if they are looking to the military as the EASY WAY to get out on their own......there are far easier and safer ways to do it than go through bootcamp...then again that is what some kids need to either prove to them how good they had it at home.....or to give them an attitude adjustment.
I can count on one hand though the number of troops that worked for me or I lead in combat...that had a GED that stayed in for a career and excelled at what they did. Most left after their commitment was over if they did not get kicked out first.... far far easier to quit when things get tough or impede on your lifestyle than it is to take the challenge and overcome those areas of stress.

Sounds like she already enlisted in Army but she can get out of that contract anytime before she leaves and it used to be within the first 10 days of bootcamp for an Administrative Separation.

I would highly recommend she finish her HS Diploma...my nephew did the same thing....but I convinced him to attend the night classes they offered that allowed him to get his HS Diploma in evening class without attending during day with other students. If he would have gone the route his "barracks lawyers" recommended he would have a GED and a much limited future.

My brother got his GED and now owns his own company and processes millions of dollars of sales per year.....but he is THE EXCEPTION from my experience as a supervisor, leader and father to other peoples kids and not just my own.

I wish her luck and Godspeed....


PS.....22 years in military and 21 years before that as son of Marine ...never once heard a recruiter say only stupid kids cant die for our country...I call ******** and if it is true I would go to that recruiters SNCO and have a talk with him myself...

Bark

Yup. Any branch of the service is great for any kid who doesn’t have a plan (or a clue like me). The majority of the kids (we are all in our early 50's now) that I went to school with still don’t seem to have their acts together. The Army was the worst-best 3yr's and 2mo's of my life. It lead to a job that resulted in me being able to retire a few years ago.