Well, since I have been on this great forum for almost 2 years, I guess I can reveal my most deepest, darkest secret.

I am.....














.............a High School dropout. I blame it on lack of help in school though, it was a decision I made, and it was a poor decision, and I regret it to this day. I dropped out my Junior year in February of 2006, after my acceptance to the local joint vocational school to become ASE Certified was denied due to poor grades. I always knew that I had a learning disability, but the teachers said I didn't and refused to get me tutors or testing to determine I had a disability, no matter how much I begged and pleaded. Even my parents told the school, and they simply disregarded it. My problems were that I could not comprehend certain things, therefore, I gave up on them, and failed many classes, I just simply could not do stuff correctly. Mind you, my IQ test I was given by the school was a astonishing 142, and that lead them to believe I was fine and didn't need help.

The reason for this posting is that I am finally sucking it up, and going to GED classes to get my GED. I cannot stand the lack of some type of education, and I am highly embarassed when I apply for jobs, as my applications have been simply ignored. It makes me feel like a total failure. :( So, I am sucking it up and going to classes. I intend to sign up next week and start a clean slate. I plan to get my GED, and go to the vocational school to become ASE Certified.

Good for you! You will see once you get that ged things will improve. Great decision

Good luck to you and congratulations on making a good decision to get that GED!

Thats a really good idea it seems like now that you gotta atleast finish high school to make it anywhere so to you GOOD JOB!!
and also good luck.

First of all, good for you! This is great step forward.

I strongly believe that our education system is incapable of handling the needs of every student. I'm not trying to lay blame, only say it just isn't conceivable that this would be possible given the diverse traits and needs of individuals. Some just don't fit the model designed to work for the majority. Often it requires special training to recognize those who have different requirements and all too often it seems that the individual is blamed for not putting in the effort. Some people just need different tools to get the job done.

I was another one who didn't do well in school. I (generally speaking) hated being there and although I had a few fanstastic teachers, most I did not see eye to eye with. I always felt like another widget in the system, just like the other 29 people in each of my classes. As a result, I never finished high school either. I was very fortunate because in years following, I was able to find institutes that provided a different approach that better suited my needs. It is crucial that a strong effort be put forward on BOTH sides with people who struggle in the traditional setting. Very good people can, and do, slip through the cracks and suffer a lifetime of struggles and hardship.

Don't give up

What Ddalder said is 100% true....he gave a great example and I have another one...my very own son. He'* a senior with only 4 months left to go...and just last week I found out he'* been skipping school so much than anymore and he won't be able to graduate. HIs situation is different, but the same...he did get into vocational school and gets 95-100 in Electronics/Electrical. But in Economics and History, he'* failing. Same reason, he can't do the "text book" learning ...but anything "hands-on" and he'* a natural at it.

HIs situation was made worse due to a head injury. He had this accident in October that he should have died in... http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...=87516&start=0
Instead he deals with head/neck pain and memory loss. He can't remember dates and facts and so forth... there'* no way he'll pass history regents test... he was about to give up too until his dad and I intervened.

Moral of all this....you are not alone. You are on the right track and must dog it out for the GED...don't be too hard on yourself, and understand that all decisions, even ones you feel were bad, are opportunities to learn....and to make better decisions in the future.

Congrats. Good move on getting the GED. I'm class of '07, and I had a LOT of friends drop out before graduation their SENIOR YEAR . They just kind of dropped off the face of the Earth and I never heard from them again.

You really need to get at least high school education to get anywhere in today'* society. With you becoming ASE certified, I believe that will line you up for great things in the future. That was my fallback (ASE). I went to votech during HS and got my state inspection license, and passed all of the state/national testing with flying colors, just in case college didn't cut it and I needed an out for a career.

Votech kind of screwed up my high school education and didn't allow me to get the classes I wanted to prepare for college, but it'll be ok.

You are not alone. I am diagnosed ADD/ADHD. I have at times, difficulty managing myself emotionally, also.. I was good at vocational school, and history, and anything else.

Mathematics was my weak point. I was made fun of alot for mostly my weight, and lack of friends in my entire time of school (thus far..) and there'* been times I've wanted to stop it completely, but something kept me going. I graduated last june.

Here'* a post I made awhile ago on here under my old username..
http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...ghlight=school

i wasn't in cuffs, but.. they did hold my arms behind me until i calmed down, is what i meant to say. i was seriously mad when i typed that out that one night so it wasn't gonna be perfect.

i face a lot of hardship in my day to day life.. so.. you're not alone bud.

To update that story, my senior year, I was placed into a different class, with different teachers. Things smoothed out, a LOT. Conflicts were tuned down to the rate of about twice a month I'd have a verbal altercation with someone.

Otherwise, things began looking up.. I made new friends, I changed myself as a whole , mostly.. There'* some qualities I still retain like the "old eric" but.. the last year of high school made me a better person, and I learned a lot.

Good luck on your GED

I've learned that between 17 and 21 your life completely transforms. It has for many of my friends, but I went through a pretty big transformation myself. I'm a lot more social, a lot better at school (went from a 2.6 graduating from high school, to a 3.7 as of now) and I know what I want to do with my life. If you want to change your life, now is the time. Almost anything'* possible. Once you start settling down with a job, there'* no turning back... Great choice, Will, now follow through with it...