Frequently spoken about through students’ time in high school is what they will do once they graduate. This could be furthering their education at college, going into the trades, enlisting in the military, or going straight to the workforce. Many options are spoken of, but none of those support the idea of what if someone doesn’t want to finish high school?

     When speaking of dropping out, many people believe one is ruining their chances of having a successful future. However, being in classrooms all day long isn’t always the best option for certain people, and there are many reasons students feel the need to drop out. The National Dropout Prevention Center researched some push and pull factors in school, family, and employment-related cases for why students drop out. Some of these include: they got a job, had to support their family, were expelled, didn’t feel safe, didn’t feel they belonged there, did not like school, were getting bad grades, and many other reasons contribute to the choice. It’s important to realize why students feel the best option is to quit schooling and find the best accommodations for each situation that will help them best in the future.

     While dropping out of high school shouldn’t always be the first choice when struggling with going to school every day, it can still be an option. There may be other accommodations that can be made such as switching to homeschooling, going online, or being dual enrolled. These are some options that can help if someone wishes to drop out, but they don’t always help people who feel they just can’t keep going on with school, and dropping out can help lessen that burden on someone. If someone does end up making the step and quitting high school, there are still many choices for them to continue on in their future. Just because one doesn’t receive an official diploma,  doesn’t mean they have officially ruined their chances for success.

     While, in some cases, it can become difficult to find a career when one hasn’t finished high school, that’s not always true. There are many options career-wise for those who don’t graduate. The website CareerAddict gives options for high-paying jobs that one doesn’t need a diploma for. Some of these include entrepreneurship, construction manager, mechanic, sales representative, food service manager, and many others. While some of these jobs may need lots of training or an apprenticeship, they don’t require one to have finished high school. If one feels regret for not having their diploma because they want it for a certain job, there are still options for them too.

     If one were to ever want to continue their education after dropping out, there is the option of getting a GED, which stands for general education development test. To pass this test, one must pass the five subjects including math, writing, reading, social studies, and science. Receiving this could help towards future goals if one felt they needed a diploma. GED.com said, “Because the GED is equivalent to a high school diploma, in addition to using it to register for college, [one] can also use it to apply for a job.” Most colleges and jobs will accept these when one didn’t finish high school, so there are still many options for them if they choose this route.

     For some people, school is just not the place for them, and they should have options other than being stuck in classes all day. There are many contributing factors as to why students dropout of high school, and just because one decides to not finish school, doesn’t mean they are ruining their chances at having a successful future. As some may grow to regret this choice though, there are still options for them and for their future.