High school dropout

[Henry Jordan]

Hello everyone,

 

My name is Henry. I'm a construction worker at WQSeal company. I am not proud to tell about myself. Because, I'm a high school dropout. But I don't want to live my life being called a "high-school failure", so I have decided to get graduated. But, the shocking thing for you may be that I'm 34 years old. Will it suit me to pursue graduation at this age?

 

Thanks in advance.

[sarab]

Yes! Absolutely. If you have the time and resources needed to further your education, I recommend that you pursue that. It sounds like it's something you want to do, and it can definitely open new opportunities for you, and it can also give you new perspectives. Learning is great no matter what age!

 

I also dropped out of high school and got a GED, now I'm finishing my undergrad and I'm looking into graduate school.

Don't let that stop you! 

Good luck!

[nugget]

I would encourage you to do it while you still have the opportunity to do so. You don't want to look back on this moment when you retire and regret not going back to school when you had the chance.

 

I work with some people at a hospital who are in their forties and older and many of them have families too. They only have a grade 12 education so they ended up in jobs that require lots of lifting and physical labour. The work is boring, repetitive, stressful and generally very difficult to do. As their bodies get older, their jobs get harder. By the time they are 50 years old, they are ready to retire but they can't afford it because they have families to support. They also can't return to school because they lack the time, energy and money to do so. 

 

It's great that you want to go back to school and that you are able to do it. Go back so you won't become a 50 year old construction worker with chronic back pain and a difficult future ahead of you. You deserve something better.

Edited July 18, 2013 by jenste

[NavyMom]

Hello everyone,

 

My name is Henry. I'm a construction worker at WQSeal company. I am not proud to tell about myself. Because, I'm a high school dropout. But I don't want to live my life being called a "high-school failure", so I have decided to get graduated. But, the shocking thing for you may be that I'm 34 years old. Will it suit me to pursue graduation at this age?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

It is NEVER too late to learn.  There are people all over the world getting degrees and going back to school at an older age.  I am 38 years old, and I am just now finishing my bachelor's degree and looking into a master's program. 

In fact, I read an article not too long ago, in which a young man by the age of 80, just graduated with his bachelor's degree.   It happens all the time.

 

I say go for it.  You will gain more confidence in yourself, and it will open so many doors for you!!! Learning is fun, and you never know where your education will take you!

 

Good luck!

[danieleWrites]

I'm guessing that since WQ Seals makes seals, you're not what we'd call a construction worker (e.g. carpenter, plumber, electrician, HVAC), but rather a person on a line, a factory worker. Construction trades have unions that will advance your training, taking you from apprentice to journeyman to master. Factory trades also have unions, but they work a bit differently. For example, the guy on the paint line doesn't get training from the union and there is no journeyman or master card. If you're truly a construction worker and you like construction, get your GED and find out what the union has to offer you in terms of getting your journeyman card. Prevailing wage in many parts of the country is high. If you are a factory worker, still get your GED. It's getting to the point where no diploma, no job. If WQ Seals decides to move their operations to China, you're out of a job and you won't have skills to fix it. The assembly line is a great way to create product and to create jobs, but the person who is on a line that assembles cars can't fix the car, unless that person is also a mechanic.

 

Is it worth it for you to get the diploma? Yes. Adult continuing education programs can get you that diploma for little money around your schedule. You can get a GED. If you're interested in college or vo-tech, you can get into college with a GED, just not all of the colleges. Most community colleges, vo-techs, and a lot of 4-year universities will take a GED if you've got a high enough score. That cut off varies depending on the school. Is it worth it to pursue further education in a vo-tech, community college, or university? That depends on what you want to do with your career.

[MsDarjeeling]

I've always said that anytime is a good time for school because its not like its going to grow legs and run off lol.  Not everyone follows the traditional path and that is ok.  If now at the age of 34 you feel it is important to pursue/complete your education then go for it.  Anyone who tells you not to bother is not worth your time.