dropouts- what do they do after?

[diesel_test]

What do some of your classmates you went to hs with who dropped out/barely finished what do they do when they're 20 and over?

i know you can get into a gang deal some drugs have kids but can you really consistently make it year after year doing that or do they stop living after hs is over?

[fT-z33wor]

[bcrdukes]

I recently went to my high school reunion.

I'll keep it short and simple. The drop outs/drug dealers are still drug dealers and some have kids.

None of them have turned their lives around. Some things simply don't change. I'm sure there are exceptions, however.

[MarkyMark]

One guy I know became a longshoreman and clears over 100k a year now, he was never a book smart guy but it worked out for him.

[Gumby]

They hang out at the casino!

[Presto]

All my friends graduated. I said, "fuck it" to grade 12, and didn't finish it. I think I'm only a course or 2 from graduating, though. I humped the curb for a year, then did retail for 4 years, then got my MCSE, and got a job doing tech support in Richmond for 6 years, and I've been handling IT in Langley for the past 6 years, where I surf RS and RFD, all day long.

Figure out what your goal is, and then take the path that will get you there.

[murd0c]

You start working and making money.. It's funny how things work tho I'm 2 credits short from graduating HS, started working and having fun with my money. Been working at the same company for 7+ years with tons of opitions to move up and I make decent money.

I have a number of friends who went took post secondary education owe lots of money and can't even find a decent paying job. Schooling is a great thing but you don't need it to survive a lot of companys was good work ethic and not someone who thinks they now everything since they were in school for a long period of time.

[StylinRed]

hmmm lets see i went to a few high schools and it seems only the ones in ridge dropped out that i kept in loose contact with anyway



1, one is now a struggling realtor
2, a plumber
3, fisherman
4, cook
5, electrician x5 (this is weird)
6, carpenter x3
7, a guy flips properties
8, park ranger (actually runs the show)

some of them may have finished high school on time i cant recall but they didn't go on to university/college immediately after

[vafanculo]

If you don't know a trade, or aren't trade incline, or know how to work in a kitchend, I'd recommend finishing HS. Hell, I'd recommend finishing HS either way.

[Harvey Specter]

Originally Posted by MarkyMark

One guy I know became a longshoreman and clears over 100k a year now, he was never a book smart guy but it worked out for him.

I had 5 friends, barely finished grade 11 let alone graduate and their all longshoremen making crazy coin.

I had another friend who never graduated, he worked part time at the airport, saved his money up and bought a Subway when he was 24. He's now 31 and he owns 7 Subways so he did really good for himself. And I had friends who gradated, went straight to uni and now they're sitting at home unemployed with massive post secondary debt so I don't really know who's really worst off.

[Harvey Specter]

Originally Posted by Presto

All my friends graduated. I said, "fuck it" to grade 12, and didn't finish it. I think I'm only a course or 2 from graduating, though. I humped the curb for a year, then did retail for 4 years, then got my MCSE, and got a job doing tech support in Richmond for 6 years, and I've been handling IT in Langley for the past 6 years, where I surf RS and RFD, all day long.

Figure out what your goal is, and then take the path that will get you there.

Lol, haha omg are you my twin? Exact same thing with me, didn't care about graduating because I was too busy skipping and been a goof. Finally completed grade 12 in summer class because I was short 2 courses, went to BCIT 2 years later and did my MSCE. The issue with me is I can't sit in a classroom and learn, I learn at my own pace and on my own.

[Great68]

How old are you Diesel?

Because as you get older, you will realise that formal education does nothing more than provide opportunities. What one does with those opportunities is related to their ambition and motivation. There's no guarantee that some piece of paper will relate to being successful.

There are plenty of people who make their own opportunities and are extremely successful without "formal" education.

What I'm saying is, there's plenty of people with arts degrees that work at starbucks.

[FishTaco]

IMO, finishing highschool is for people who wish to attend university. I have never once been asked to show an employer my HS diploma, EVER. Let's see where dropping out got me:

Dropped out in grade 11 and worked for Culligan water making $14/hour.

Then worked for Shaw Cable on average $20/hour.

Then sold my car and backpacked through Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, for 6 months.

Then came back to Canada and bartended at a resort in Kelowna for $12/hour + tips.

Then joined the army for 3.5 years, did a 7 month combat tour in Afghanistan.

Then released from the army to travel more. Hawaii/Costa Rica/USA.

Then sold car parts for a while at one of RS's site sponsors.

Here's my current status: 27 years old, Army reservist and also work as a commissionaire. Shitty pay to be honest but I love what I do so that's all I care about.

0 debt ~ $25k cash ~ 4 cars paid off ~ chihuahua ~ no kids ~ LOTS of plans

[Hondaracer]

tell me who is better off

a guy who drops out and goes to work in the oil patch

a guy who grads HS, does 4 years and drops 50k on an art's degree

edit* thats asuming a drop out is smart enough to take that route, i find most people who have a hard time completing HS have a hard time completing anything

[belaud]

I barely finished highschool with an average 57%, I dropped out of college because I was losing interest, fast.

I put my mind to where I want to go, and here I am after 2 years of hardwork, I have the ability to fund my hobbies, and not be in financial stress

It all depends on who the person is, I was determined to do something about my failure of a life, I worked hard, and got where I am today.

On the other hand, if you're lazy, and just generally don't give a fuck, don't expect anything.

You don't need a degree to have fun in life, you just need to be smart about it.

[Ulic Qel-Droma]

it depends how smart they really were to begin with.

if you're gonna drop outta HS, you better be willing to be very open to new ideas and locations.

you move where opportunity is.

if you're not used to life changing all the time and adapting to new environments... dropping out is probably not a good idea.

[RRxtar]

Im 2 credits short (missed due to a technicality). Never went back to finish them. Got a job that paid not bad and figured Id figure it out from there.

At 25, I started my own company and in 3.5 years, I created 4 jobs and Im doing about 20k/month and my business is doubling or better every year.


I wouldn't classify myself with the 'drop outs' tho. Drop outs stereotipically speaking, are generally are the dumb kids or the 'bad' kids. I just didn't like school. Im a do-er, not a sit in a classroom guy.


That being said, most of the guys I know who dropped out all work on the rigs. And probably make 4 times as much money as the people who spent 4 years in college. And thats if the people who went to college are actually working in the field they studdied for.

[Harvey Specter]

The thing tho is education is always good, that doesn't mean you need to sit in a classroom and learn, you should always be learning new things and keeping up with the times. I know a lot of people who work their jobs and refuse to learn new things and further educate themselves, biggest mistake you can make in your life is sitting on the sidelines.

[freakshow]

While it's certainly possible to drop out and do very well, i hope it doesn't sound like dropping out is a good idea for most people. It *can* be a good idea, at the same time, if you have that drive and motivation, you could do at least as well if you actually go to school and get a degree/diploma.

[MindBomber]

The issue here is that people are taught to associate drop outs with high school drug dealers, and lazy goofs with no ambition or drive - people who will never succeed on any level, and that's simply not accurate.

I graduated, but my attendance record in high school?
It was uncommon for me to go to more than one class a day. All but a handful of my teachers hated me, and a few openly professed that I would never succeed in life, but despite that I was one of only a few people in my graduating class to get into UBC and actually won a few scholarships.

Performance in high school is less a reflection of intelligence or drive, than it is a reflection of how well you can adapt to that system. I did not fit the system, I adapted to make it work for me, but I was still a square block in a round hole. Once lots of drop outs move out into the real world, they find a system that works for them and excel. Simple as that.

[punkwax]

Barely gradded HS but thats because I never really gave a shit. Actually had to go clean clay machines to earn my fine arts credit lol. Averaged 65-70% and my parents had to sign a couple letters stating if I had done my homework, I'd be at 85-90% in some classes. Never really studied but did well on exams for the most part.

Worked my way up from the bottom into a management position with a Fortune 100 company in 7 years with a strong work ethic. Client poached me now I'm with that company learning a new side of the business, great salary with unlimited earning potential through commissions.

But no, I'm not bragging. If I could get the crystals to work in Uncle Rico's time machine I'd go back, apply myself and earn a scholarship. Without question.

[drunkrussian]

they can become succesful sales people clearing 80-100+ if have ambition

[pure.life]

They make accounts like diesel_test and post intelligent threads like this

[Matlock]

My foreman at work said he dropped out of school at age 16. His teacher said that he wouldn't amount to anything, so he punched him in the face and took every book he wanted out of the library before leaving high school. He finished his apprenticeship at age 19. A week later he saw all of those shitty school teachers and guidance counsellors at the bar and showed them his red seal.

[quasi]

The old adage is so true, it's all about who you know not what you know. You can have all the schooling you want but if you can't get your foot in the door good luck getting anywhere. Education is a good thing but building a network is so much more important to succeeding IMO. You can be that guy who goes to school and keeps his head in the books with no job and no life experience but when you finish you're more then likely going to be on the outside looking in.

Everyone I know works somewhere where they had an in. I got my job because of contacts I made, no chance in hell I would have got it if I didn't I was under qualified IMO. I faked it till I made it and now I can do the job well but that first 3-4 months was like what the fuck did I get myself into.

Education is great when it compliments something else but on its own it's really not that valuable. I went to University and graduated but what I do now has nothing to do with what I went to school for.