My son who is a Senior in H.S. is asking why should he get his diploma, can anyone give me a list of reasons ?

Question

He is learning disabled and school has been difficult for him since kindergarten. But I try to explain, why go to school for 13 years and then give up 2 months before graduation. He has severe depression and I'm trying to find several reason why his diploma will improve his life.

Answer 1

Education is free, but it is the most valuable thing you will ever own. Once you have it, no one can take it away from you. If you don't take advantage of this free resource, you will regret it for the rest of your life. Having a diploma is the only official documentation for those 13 years of education. No one will just take your word for how much you know. Knowledge is one of the most important assett you will have. It relates directly to what your income can be. Trying to get a job without a diploma is almost impossible.

Answer 2

I left high school not to long ago and unfortunately I quit 2 months before graduation. I thought I was wasting the teachers time and my own. I had switched schools for senior year and had pretty much no friends. It was tough. The only thing I had going for myself was good grades- but I only cared about the courses I needed for college. High school is tough, the reason I switched schools was because of rumours and rude people who were making my life hell. So the issue here might not be what you think it is.
Is he being bullied? High school kids are cruel.
Is he scared to move on past high school? college is scary- I know because I'm starting next month.
You need to find out what's really bothering him.
I personally do not have a high school diploma. The only reason I'm starting college is because the marks I had in the courses needed blew away my competition and I apply to college as a mature student (over 19). I wish I had a high school diploma. I'll look pretty silly having a college certif and no high school diploma.

You should talk to your son though- see why he's stressed/depressed. See if he is being teased at school and depending where you live- if in Canada he can finish high school through correspondence (my brother is doing that) or adult ed- which can be classes at night or during the day (some are at the high school some are at actual adult ed schools). That way he'll still get his diploma without actually going to a "high school".

Tell him you know a girl (me!) who didn't get her grade 12 diploma and regrets it now.
I do regret it. I was weak not to stick it out for 2 more months- plus I missed prom.

Answer 3

Well, this seems like a tough sitatuion.

I'm a senior in Highschool, too. I have thought about just dropping out and not getting my deploma. I think, 'why bother. Im done dealing with the pricks at school.'
But then I think, if I don't get a diploma, and they do, they have a big advantage. Without a diploma, it's alot harder to get jobs. And I want to be as succesful as possible, so that when the time for highschool reunions come around, and can go and say, "Ha. I made something of myself. Put that in your pipe and smoke it." and just laugh. (I'm the slacker kid in the back of the classroom that just doodles in her notebook and daydreams. School has never really been my thing. I'd much rather just go out and start working, and get into the real world.)
So, whenever I think about dropping out (which is every other day), i think about how getting a diploma will help me get into a good collage, and get better jobs, so that I'll be more succesful.
Then I think about proving everyone wrong.
Then I go back to school.



I hope I helped your situation.
And I hope everything works out.
= )

Answer 4

First and foremost it is a great accomplishment on his part. It shows that he didn't give up even tho at times it was tough going ...that in itself shows that he has a strong personality that doesn't accept defeat. A diploma opens doors for him to be anything he wants to be...offering him the chance to attend College or University and pursue an education in any field he is interested in. If he doesn't want to pursue the higher learning...that diploma still opens doors to higher paying jobs. Diplomas (graduating) are almost always required...employers look upon a graduate student as someone who will be dependable and intelligent enough to follow directions given.

Quiting now after this long haul isn't something that he will look back upon and be proud of...at some point in the future he's going to look back on the decision to drop it all and think...why was I so quick to do that. Now I have to spend another period of time trying to catch up and finally obtain that diploma.

Two months away...that's a period of time that he can never make up later on in life...get him to a doctor for the depression...he will possibly have to go on medication and may balk at that but he's got a great future ahead of him and he doesn't really want to stop now...he won't ever regret finishing this...but will always regret not doing so.

Good luck to you both...he sounds like a great kid who has worked very hard...for that alone, he deserves that diploma and the presentation with the gown and all. He can do it, he's already proven that ... two more months and he's free to do anything...hope he stays with it, he definitely deserves it!

Answer 5

Ask him "what do you want to be when you grow up?" Unless his dream job is flipping burgers for the REST OF HIS LIFE, he will need, at the very least, a high school diploma to do just about anything. And it will be easier to get it NOW than to wait 10 years and come to the realization that he needs to get his GED.

Ask him to make a list of jobs he might be interested in. Then, do a little research. Find out the education requirements of each of those jobs and SHOW him the benefit of having a diploma.

It doesn't sound like he wants to go to college...yet. But he doesn't have to go now. Many colleges offer programs for adults and try really hard to work with the returning adult student's schedule. If he is feeling too pressured about leaving HS and then going straight to college, he may be better off taking a break after high school and just going out into the workforce to get some real-life, hands-on experience (which, in some cases, can be turned into college credit if he decides to go to college later).

Answer 6

Students with a diploma make more money over the course of their life than students who do not earn their diploma.

Employers look at whether or not a person is able to complete things they start. Showing that you have completed school is something that you can use to show that you have resolve and are able to finish what you have started.

Remind him of a time when he completed something that was difficult for him. Ask him to talk about how he felt. Try to get him to really feel the exhilaration and happiness that he felt when he completed something. Tell him that the more difficult something is, the greater the joy and exhilaration for having completed it. So take the joy from that one experience, and double, triple it...and that's how great he will feel if he accomplishes this.

Answer 7

My son went through the same thing. He was an A student. He would actually. go to class just to learn what he was interested in and not do any homework. He also traveled with the Blue Devils band and has been around the world. Now that he is aging out of drum line. He can see how important the HS diploma was. Thankfully he is enrolled back on college. His counselor told him if he plans on not going on to higher education, then he should get his HD. If he planned on pursuing higher education then it might not be necessary. I just think they miss out on a lot of things when they don't finish what they started. after all, you;you've come this far why not finish? you will be glad you did.

Answer 8

He is feeling very pressured because he is at the end of the line. I am two semesters away from getting my bachelor's degree and sometimes I'm so close to giving up because I'm getting tired of the increasing stress.

In a way you are adding to the pressure because he wants to give up this stress, but doesn't want to become a dissapointment to you. Let him go at his own pace...if he can't graduate this year, he still can next year.

It is important to get a HS diploma because many jobs require it. You cannot make an easy living without a HS diploma, plain and simple.

Answer 9

When my husband was a baby, he caught spinal meningitis and was in a coma for 6 days. He woke up with his left arm paralyzed, and it gave him a learning disability. He still isn't big on reading anything other than the newspaper. But he managed, with the help and support of his parents, to get his master's degree, and now he is a special education teacher, helping other kids like him. If my husband can do it, your son can, too.

And as far as why he should finish, well, you can tell him what my mom always told me. "Sure, you don't have to finish high school. You can also get out of my house and enjoy supporting yourself on your McDonald's salary, and don't think I'm helping you." I opted for finishing school.

Good luck. Be strong, and firm. You may have to help your son with his assignments more than you would another child. It's ok, he'll benefit in the long run.

Answer 10

Well I agree with you that he only has a couple of months left he may as well finish....Personally I dont see a reason for finishing in most situations. The only reason to finish is if you are going to a University. If he is going to do a trade he can always go to trade school. All you need is a GED. A friend of mine didnt finish, went to trade school to be a computer administrator, no makes $68k per year. Another didnt finish, went to school to be a nurse. Now makes $26.00 per hour. So it all depends on the situation. I think you are giving him the right advice by telling him to stay since he is almost done. My advice is to possibly, seek a therepist that will see if he needs to leave school because of his depression. The school system may let him finish school at home..... Also you could home school him for the next couple of months.