What to do after my GED?

Well, let me start by saying that I’m 42 years old with a G.E.D. I got about 2 years after dropping out of highschool. I,ve had jobs that made from as little as $7,000 a year to my highest paid year of $116,000. My problem is that like many kids your age, I knew everything, and yet knew very little. Over the years, I found many buisnesses frown upon a GED over an actual diploma. That’s even truer today. Most employers require a degree from college, and believe it or not, a highschool diploma. A GED in most cases result from a drop out with a better idea, or needed it to get a job. EMPLOYERS KNOW THIS!! It’s like saying to them, “I’m lazy and don’t finish anything.” At my age, with real experience, I’ve found myself wishing I could go back and do it all over, THE RIGHT WAY! Finish something, work hard, go to college, get a degree, be a success. ^ Income isn’t success for me, it’s just being lucky. We can’t all be lucky. In todays world, you have to be more than lucky. More than just good. You have to stand out and show potential employers that you are the stand out above the rest. I listened to no one and I’ve paid dearly. My son dropped out with good ideas and with the thought that dad did it, so why can’t I ? I’ve come to regret my decision to leave school so much that I am currently trying to get a real diploma from the high school I attended, so I can actually finish what I started. Then I’ll persue a college degree. Do it right, finish what you start. You’ll never live to regret it. Don’t listen to your peers, listen to someone who’s lived it.

You don’t need the high school experience if you don’t want it. If you are going to trade school sometime afterward, then a GED is just as good as a diploma. Even if you are going to a small local college or junior college, a GED is just as good as a diploma. You can even get into a better college after 2 years at a smaller college. Do what YOU know is right for YOU, no one can live YOUR life better than You can. Good luck and have fun~

Hey, high school is an experience that you’ll treasure for a lifetime. Please rethink this important step in your life.

If you skip high school and go straight to college, you will not have anybody your age there, where as high school does, which is important to your growth of who you are.

I’ll pray for you to do what God wants you to do. Blessings

I am 29 years old and just got my ged , I am so happy I got it . I have two kids , and I feel so much better now that I was able to get my ged . Its just as good as a deploma. I already have a job , they gave me a cash bonus for geting my ged . theres is nothing wrong with it , and I plan to go to our local community college. its just like going to highschool then college . 93% of all colleges accept the ged. If you are having a hard time in highschool - get your ged , you can be just as successfull, if not more so .

Since you are foregoing the traditional route, your options should still be generally the same. If you want to go to college, you might have to start at a community college, as you will not have enough credits (yes, those high school classes do matter) to get into a state or private university. Also, you need SAT or ACT scores to be assessed for entrance.

Another school option is a career college – and these are plentiful. Please investigate carefully. The bar is low for entrance, but these are profit hungry schools that rely primarily on your ability to get student loans and they are EXPENSIVE. The credits that you earn are generally not transferable if you wish to continue your education elsewhere and you will probably end up paying $40,000 for an AA degree you could have gotten at a community college for $5,000.

If you don’t want to go to school, your options are limited. Start working on the lower rung (fast food, mail room, call center rep.) for minimum wage. With lots of hard work and LUCK – you might be promoted and after 15-20 years, who knows, you might join the management team. Unless you totally love what you are doing and are driven, you won’t be successful.

Education is the key to most opportunities (NOT ALL – some people do just fine without it).

Think through your decision before acting on it. 2 of my children (a junior and sophomore) took their GED tests and passed with flying colors. They both will be attending community college and pursuing their educational goals. As a parent I am very proud of them. Some of the teaching staff at the high school were really upset at our family for the decision, but hey, if it works- go for it! Just don’t drop out of school and stay there. Do something with your life.

I think I will be better for you to take up a trade. I’m in ged school as we speak and that’s what I’m planning on doing when I get done. You just have to find the right career that fits you and go from there.

Jackiema 17

Ok I got my GED, I also took my SATs ACTs and AP classes during. I then took two years of community college in one semester,(im a fast learner) I am now 15. I got into all the ivy leagues. HAHAHA EVERYONE WHO THINKS IT IS A BAD IDEA!!

go for it.

This is probably irrelevant now because this thread is a year old but I dropped out and got my GED exactly as Rave described.

I’m currently working as a Software Engineer and let me tell you that dropping out of High School had no negative impact on my education, though it did affect me socially.

High School is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I think everyone should endure, if you don’t like it because you don’t fit in or whatever you need to get off your high horse and just be yourself, you will enjoy High School a lot more.

The decision is yours, you could be like me and drop out and make some decent cash because you don’t have to pay rent/bills, and if you do have to pay it’s nothing compared to the real amount, or continue onto High School.

Patience is a virtue, taking the shortcut isn’t always the smart thing to do.

Well what do you like to do? I dropped out and got my GED, and I never regretted it for a second. I like making movies, and that’s probably what I’m going to pursue, and no one can tell me otherwise. A GED is just as good as a high school diploma. You can still get into tons of colleges if you want to. At the moment I don’t want to go to college, and I don’t have to. It’s about what you want to do, not what other people want you to do.

I just..I don’t see why I need it. I know people with diplomas that do absolutely nothing with their lives, it’s like they wasted their time.

Please tell me the advantages of a diploma over a GED.

-David

Bad plan…stay in school, get your diploma. A lot of doors will open up for you after graduation. Ultimately, the decision is up to you, but this is a decision that will haunt you for the rest of your life. A GED is okay if someone NEEDS to get one…but if you have the choice, getting your diploma is something you will never regret.

sg1967 hit the nail on the head!!! I worked for an employer who, after collecting applications, had me go through them and throw away the ones that listed a GED instead of a high school diploma. I asked her why and she said that the ones with a GED showed that they couldn’t stick with something to the end and she didn’t want someone like that working for her. Was this fair? Maybe, maybe not…but, it was reality.