[US] Considering Dropping Out to Seek Higher Education

[PerpetualImperfexion]

Some background information: I'm an incoming sophomore in high school, I just turned 16. I go to a parochial school and do very well academically. I'm not involved in music, sports, or any other conventional clubs. I'm in an AJROTC program (leadership training class taught by army instructors), and I'm involved in a lot of the extracurricular activites they provide. That being said it is a blow off class and I only did it in the beginning to get out of PE. The only reason I "enjoy" doing it is because it provokes a sense of belonging. Otherwise it's useless to my future and it would certainly be a faulty reason to stay if it was the only reason. I don't really have friends. I have mutual aquaintences that make my life easier durng the school day and I text a few people, but I basically have no meaningful, physical relationships with any of my peers. I resent the hell out of that.

So considering all of that it has occurred to me that the only reason I'm there is for academic reasons and frankly I feel like I'm being held back in that respect. I'm not moving at the pace I would like to be at all.

So where do I go from here?

[LouBerry]

Well, I'm not sure how different things are where you live from Arkansas, but I know that here it's a horrible idea to drop out. I'd tell you the same thing. You're sixteen, and you've made it this far. Two more years isn't that much longer. I guess it depends on what you mean by higher education. If you mean dropping out and getting your GED,it really just comes down to what you want to do. Dropping out and getting your GED isn't a bad option, even if you plan on going to college, it just puts you at more of a disadvantage. Having a high school diploma looks better. It looks better to jobs, colleges, and especially organizations granting scholarships.

That being said, you need to do what's best for you. If, in the long run, dropping out is a better option for you, you need to do that. You just need to really look into all of your options.

[TheN3rdyOutcast]

Perhaps you should step up to some Honours and AP classes (if you haven't already), they move alot faster. if not that, you could try for some dual enrollment in a local college. Dropping out is one of the worst things one could do nowadays.