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Anyone here drop out of high school?
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Then f*** em' dude. You owe them nothing. You did what you had to do to make a better life for yourself and you are continuing to do so. Many people take your situation and use it as an excuse for all their problems when they have full control over how they handle it.
Kudos to you for not taking "the Springer way out"...:beer:
badmouse, you might want to look at this: http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/p23-210.pdf
It shows statistics on earnings by various education levels. Of course, there are outliers like apparently some of the people posting here. And money can't buy you happiness - though sometimes it makes a nice downpayment 😛
It shows statistics on earnings by various education levels. Of course, there are outliers like apparently some of the people posting here. And money can't buy you happiness - though sometimes it makes a nice downpayment 😛
I got bored with high school early in my junior year. Took the California HS prof exam and went to the local JC which was just like high school so I left there as well and went into the Navy at 17. Spent 10 yrs in the Navy, went to work for Hewlett-Packard, then M$ doing Win95 support for corporations, left there (too competitive for promotion) to work at the help desk at a company HQd in Portland, OR, a year later was the network administrator, then the IT manager, the company went public and now I'm the VP of IT. Last year I went back to school and I'm working on my BS of MIS and will follow on with an MBA.
I went to college and I'm not defending dropping out of high school, but that study is simply what the average person of each educational level makes.
That study does not guage "opportunity." If you are motivated you get almost anything you want in life no matter your education.
Most people who drop out of high school do so simply because they are losers. They are the people you see working at gas stations and fast food joints. They have no motivation, never have had any, and probably never will.
The incomes in the link you cited are not completely the result of lack of education, they are the result of lack of motivation and ability.
Motivation and ambition is what causes people to aquired a lot of education, not the other way around. Education isn't the first step, ambition is. People become successful lawyers, executives, or whatever because they are motivated, NOT because they have a lot of education (although in most cases education is required to gain the position), it's just that their motivation led them to aquire education in the first place.
I think what the OP is asking, is it possible for a motivated high school dropout to succeed.
LeadMagnet
Platinum Member
Wasn't Einstien a drop out?
Like I said, these are statistics, and there are outliers. The average H.S. dropout is not very succesful, at least economically. I think there are probably two primary classes of dropouts - motivated, disciplined, overachievers who have a plan and don't want to piss around in H.S., and lazy undisciplined unmotivated people who just don't want to go to school. The former have a shot at it, even though the odds are stacked against them. I suggest that they are the minority of dropouts and many will likely immediately get a GED, start junior college, join the military, etc. as some folks have posted here. The latter will be living in your basement for decades.
I suspect if you saw all the data from the statistics I posted that the distribution might be bimodal. A large peak for the losers, and another smaller one for the others. And of course, that holds for all levels of education - I've known some highly educated folks that I would consider to be failures in terms of their careers and economic situation. But on average more education = more success, at least economically.
Yeah, but what I'm saying is that people who have a lot of education only have it because they are motivated.
It's like the "chicken or the egg" thing. Education does not create motivation, motivation creates education.
And education is the by-product of motivation. Successful people with education got there because of their motivation, not their education, but they needed the education to get to that position (you cannot be a surgeon with no education). The ultimate driving force is motivation is what I'm saying.
Education itself does not work miracles. It's the motivation of the people who aquired the education. Education is just a tool to get where you need to be.
illusion88
Lifer
A buddy of mine dropped out senior year, finished up at an adult school. He is now a Su Chef at a good catering company.
lokiju
Lifer
I dropped out at the age of 16 when my family moved back to south FL from living in north GA, I didn't want to get to know a whole set of new friends again and start another school all over, I got my GED right away and then went to a local tech school. I don't have any regrets about my choice of dropping out. I'm making decent money now and have paid my own way without much issue.
imported_surferdude
Member
you must be a rePUBlican.
yes school can and will help most peeps its not for everyone.
i dropped out at 16,took my ged the next day and partied like a rock star for 6 years.
once my first son was born i settled down.
im now 36 i have 3 boys and my wife has 2 kids.(5 total)
my wife has her masters and makes about 5%-10% of what i make a year.
i own my own pool compnay.
we are buying our 3rd house(other 2 are rentals now)
so its not school that makes the person its how much someone wants something.
randomlinh
Lifer
The world has ended... I agree w/ JLGatsby on that comment.
PrinceofWands
Lifer
I spent 5 years in high school, only passed 1 class in that time. I left, went to the local community college and got my diploma there (state issued). I've lived comfortably most of the time, though it's had some tight spots. Now I'm working towards a Masters in Education to try high school from the other side.
There are two caveats:
First, there is NOTHING in my life that wouldn't have gone better if I'd just passed initially. Don't get me wrong, I'm not upset at the choices I made and wouldn't trade my life now. I just accept that it would have been easier if I'd done this all while I was younger. I would have missed a LOT of great living in exchange of course, but the last ten years would definitely have been easier.
Second, I'm not your 'normal' or 'average' person with regards to learning and knowledge. In early elementary school I was tested and placed in a government program for exceptionally bright kids. In fifth grade I was offered a one year preparatory program in lieu of three years of middle school before high school (ironically I said no because I wanted to stay with my friends...the same ones that later graduated and left ahead of me). I failed my classes because I didn't go, didn't do homework (busy work), and had numerous 'attitude conflicts' with teachers. It had nothing to do with what I learned or could do. In fact I had the second highest SAT's and other tests of the class. I point this out because only a small percentage of people who leave school already have the baseline of knowledge and critical reasoning necessary later in life.
People NEED a certain amount of education...they don't HAVE to receive that education in public high school, but it has to come from somewhere.
Out of curiosity, why do you ask?
There are two caveats:
First, there is NOTHING in my life that wouldn't have gone better if I'd just passed initially. Don't get me wrong, I'm not upset at the choices I made and wouldn't trade my life now. I just accept that it would have been easier if I'd done this all while I was younger. I would have missed a LOT of great living in exchange of course, but the last ten years would definitely have been easier.
Second, I'm not your 'normal' or 'average' person with regards to learning and knowledge. In early elementary school I was tested and placed in a government program for exceptionally bright kids. In fifth grade I was offered a one year preparatory program in lieu of three years of middle school before high school (ironically I said no because I wanted to stay with my friends...the same ones that later graduated and left ahead of me). I failed my classes because I didn't go, didn't do homework (busy work), and had numerous 'attitude conflicts' with teachers. It had nothing to do with what I learned or could do. In fact I had the second highest SAT's and other tests of the class. I point this out because only a small percentage of people who leave school already have the baseline of knowledge and critical reasoning necessary later in life.
People NEED a certain amount of education...they don't HAVE to receive that education in public high school, but it has to come from somewhere.
Out of curiosity, why do you ask?
PrinceofWands
Lifer
I just want to point out what a COMPLETE load of crap and waste of time 99% of 'motivational' products are.
Motivation and drive are largely personality related factors. Some people 'fit in' the workplace, some don't. Some people can succeed in their own businesses, some can't. There's also basic Maslow to consider.
The only way reading all that crap helps is if you're predisposed to it (and in a position to take advantage of it) anyway. If you are, then go for it because they'll probably help. Very, VERY few motivational people have any psychology background. Those that do openly admit what I say is basically true. You're either a motivated person, or you're not. No one else can 'give it to you'.
Books and information on ways to succeed if you're already motivated can be useful references however.
PrinceofWands
Lifer
I agree with your overall point completely...that it's the personal attitude and personality of the person WAY more than their education level. However, you are incorrect in one claim.
Education (if you're defining it as knowledge or intelligence) and motivation are not really connected. Academic success and drive can be, but not just knowledge or IQ. Also remember that education, knowledge, and intelligence are correlative, but not equivalent or causal. To say that motivated people ARE educated is incorrect, unless they are motivated to become educated. Motivated people will generally be more successful in processes and within frameworks (including school). This doesn't make them smart or knowledgable however, just successful. Plenty of super-geniuses with more knowledge than you and I together will never succeed in anything, including education.
I'm the most laid back, unmotivated, undriven person you're ever likely to encounter. I'm also smarter than about 99.999% - 99.9999% of the planet (and in my experience more generally knowledgable as well). Not crowing, just stating statistical fact backed by extensive testing. My knowledge and intelligence doesn't make me better, and it doesn't make me succeed...largely because of my personality and motivation (as you mentioned). I'm also not all that educated (don't even have a single grad degree yet, though I'm working on changing that). Most of my knowledge has come from self-study. Intelligence, of course, is a largely innate attribute of birth.
Just wanted to clear that up.
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