Is it bad to drop out at 16 years old?

Question

i go to school in michigan and law states you can drop out of high school at the age of 16 is this a good idea

Answer 1

At your age you are probably used to hearing no, and no again, and again, and again. I think your question is something most of us ask ourselves at some point during our schooling years. The major reason people recommend staying in school is for work reasons. It is true that at least a high-school diploma is needed to get some sort of employment, albeit at terrible wages, yet many people go onto college and begin jobs or careers that they are disinterested in or simply hate. I think the question in your case concerns one where you need to look at what you would like to see in the future for yourself. Education is not simply about getting that good-paying job. I can have a great paying job but hate my work.

At 16 life is really just beginning to open its doors to you, and there are many things out there available for you to experience and participate in which you may not realize yet. These doors of opportunity become more obvious to you as you make certain choices, meaning that in a short span of time you will see how some of your choices have closed possible doors that you would have liked to experience, and that happens firstly when you lose out in education. I don't like to use cliches, but 16 is a time when it is very difficult to see the big picture. Life rotates around home, school, hanging out with friends, and maybe some part-time work.

My advice is not just finish high-school but to aim to move on in your education. I don't necessarily fear you would become a loser stuck in a loser's job but I fear you would miss out on some of the most important life experiences and opportunities available to you. I have friends that have dropped out and they still remain in my old home town doing the same old things. They are not bad people but they closed all the doors for a better chance to meet their potential. And I'm not talking a few years here, this is15yrs and running after high-school. It would be a grave injustice to yourself to lose out on the ability to grow as a person. Give yourself that chance to explore greater realities.

Answer 2

NO!!! I dropped out when I was 15 -- although I took to hitchhiking around the country, which gave me so much life experience, I would never suggest anyone else drop out. First off, whether you believe it or not, you'll eventually regret not crossing the stage at graduation. You won't be able to get some of the same jobs or schools with a GED or HSED. However, I have heard of some people who basically homeschool themselves by continuing their education on their own, but you would have to be very determined and self-disciplined for it to actually work.

Answer 3

It is only a good idea if you are at least as smart as Bill Gates. Even if you have good grades, get your GED, and go on to college it will always look "bad" having a GED instead of a diploma on your record. A lot of pple will dissagree with me saying if you are smart and go to college a GED doesn't matter, but the truth of the matter is that it does. A high school diploma will always look better. You are creating an obsticle for yourself to overcome... don't make life any harder than it already is!

Answer 4

Dropping out is definitely a dumb idea. Why do you want to screw up the rest of your life just because you don't like school? I hated school...my high school years were miserable...but I hung in there and got the diploma. If you drop out, you won't have a chance in the job market (unless you want to work at a fast-food joint the rest of your life or unless you really like to wash dishes and push a broom). Stick it out for the next two years and get your diploma.

You might be surprised. Your future might be so bright, you need to wear shades!!

Answer 5

I don't think so. Unless you can get into college with the education you have so far. I've learned how hard it is to make good money without a college education. A couple of my coworkers are quite a bit older than myself and did not finish high school and really wish they would have 'cause they are stuck in the type of work they don't want to be. Not much they can do without going to college or finishing high school.

Answer 6

no its not. I am sorry to tell you that but if you drop out right now you might not have other career options. Even if you dont want to go to university or college, a high school diploma can get you small office jobs which are nowadays in demand.
If you have other interests like sports, etc, you should still get high school diploma as you never know how it might be useful in future.
Best of luck!

Answer 7

I dropped out during my junior year, got my GED with nice high scores, and started college a year early. In hindsight, I could have used a bit more high school, particularly in math. In my situation, I tested really well but didn't do well in class. I later learned better study habits. (Take lots of notes - for me writing down an outline of the lecture as I listened worked wonders, even if I didn't have time to study it later.) But even if I didn't have any chance of getting into college with my HS GPA, I still could have dropped late in my senior year and had the benefit of another year and a half of free education. My best course of action, though, would have been to use good study habits in HS and see it through to its maximum potential, and that's what I recommend for you.

Answer 8

You could go to the court house and find out how to become an emancipated teen. Since your 16, I think that if you do this, then you are viewed as an adult. Otherwise there is becoming a ward of the court (foster care), finding a friend to stay with or staying with other members of family.

Answer 9

Absolutely, Postively do not drop out of school. It is so hard to get a job with just a diploma these days let alone a GED. Stay in school no matter how hard it is, you won't be sorry.

Answer 10

You've already been through 11 years of hell. Stick it out for two more years and get your diploma. Believe me. As soon as I started high school, I considered dropping out every single day. But I finished and got my diploma, and it was definitely worth it. I wouldn't recommend dropping out, unless it was a really extreme situation.