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The idea of going to school is always appealing on some level. Whether it’s the idea of learning something new, feeling accomplished, or setting yourself for some level of professional success, there are undeniable pros to completing any level of schooling. 

That said, the reality of working through school can be a pretty difficult one. Everyone’s different, and circumstances lead some people to have an easier time completing school than others. Additionally, attitudes toward school and success are shifting, and the traditional model of going to college and getting a job right off of the bat is being questioned. 

We’re going to explore the idea of dropping out of school in this article, hopefully providing some compelling reasons to stick it out and complete your education.

Dropping out of School: Should You Do It?

Anyone who’s considering dropping out of school is likely to have a different reason for it. That said, there are some general trends in the reasons that people leave school to pursue other interests or to take care of other responsibilities. 

If there are serious issues that are keeping you from going to school, that is one thing. There are a lot of situations that require a person to leave school and take care of themselves or the people that are closest to them. Sometimes, those are impossible to avoid. 

On the other hand, some reasons for dropping out of school are purely logistical and have to do with a person’s prospects. Let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons that a person might drop out when they don’t absolutely need to.

1. They Don’t Think an Education Is Worth the Investment

The primary reason that people are dropping out or opting out of school is that they don’t think it’s worth the investment. This is a realistic consideration, as going to school is one of the largest investments a person might make in their lifetime. 

That said, how well the investment returns is entirely up to the student. Completing secondary and post-secondary schooling is one of the most effective ways that a person can ensure a higher income later in life. 

In other words, you won’t be making minimum wage. You’ll be making a lot more than minimum wage, in fact, and you’ll have a benefits package to complement your salary. While finances aren’t everything, having enough money to meet your needs and save a little bit will open up a myriad of other opportunities in your life. 

Further, having health insurance will safeguard you from impossible medical debts should you get injured without having it. From a strictly financial view, the odds that you’ll get a return on your investment are incredibly high. 

Those odds increase when you go to a vocational or technical school. Vocational schools give you specific knowledge that you can translate directly into the workplace. Additionally, students of these schools have significantly higher rates of getting a job right out of school than traditional university students. 

Finally, vocational schools offer you classes that pertain specifically to what your degree is. That means you don’t have to spend dozens of thousands of dollars extra on classes that you don’t necessarily want to take. 

2. They Want to Purse Other Interests

Pursuing the things that are important to you is imperative if you want to live a happy life. That said, there is almost objectively an avenue for you to pursue those dreams through schooling. 

Sure, there are some specialties where schooling isn’t necessary in all cases, but almost all specialties have degree options that improve your chances of success. 

If you’re in high school and you’re considering dropping out, consider how much you’ll be limiting yourself. You’ll be confined to a very limited number of career options that pose little to no opportunity for advancement. 

That means living on a very low wage. Pursuing passions is certainly one way to make a living, though. There are some people who have taken that risk and succeeded. 

Moving through school doesn’t restrict you from pursuing your interests, though. In fact, it opens up your opportunities to pursue diversified interests. 

Having a reliable means of income and stability will allow you to invest much more into personal projects and passions that you have. Those passions won’t go away if you don’t choose to pursue a degree in them. 

Our argument is that dropping out of school is an impediment to your interests that don’t even have to do with professional life. Educated people tend to have higher-paying jobs with more flexibility than individuals working in entry-level positions. 

That added freedom and comfortability will allow space for more engagement with the things you love.

3. It’s Too Difficult

It seems that the most common reason people have for dropping out of school is that it’s too difficult. The reason isn’t always expressed in those terms, though. 

Many people say that there isn’t a way to afford college, that transportation is a huge impediment, or that they’re just not smart enough to do it. There are reliable ways to combat each of these issues and more. 

If you’re considering dropping out of college because it’s too difficult, be sure to consider all of your options and think about how much more difficult it will be in the long-run. 

The options we’re referring to are both governmental and administrative assistance. Keep in mind that a college’s goal is to help students exceed. A college’s goal is not to rob students of their money. 

The better a school does, the more students come, and the better its reputation gets. Additionally, that success allows the school to provide more student resources and pay their professors more. The point is, that schools are poised to help students. 

It’s fundamental to the entire ethos of higher education. That means that there are resources available to you. Many people leave school for lack of help before they seek help in the first place. 

Asking for Help

The most difficult part of the help-seeking process is just starting. Whether it’s pride, confusion, or lack of awareness, we all have some kind of hiccup when it comes to admitting that we need a helping hand. 

Call your counselor, email an advisor, or just walk into an administrative building and tell them what you need. You’ll be directed to someone who will make your life a lot easier. 

Schools typically have the ability to provide counseling to students as well. School can be stressful, and getting out on your own for the first time can stir up feelings of inadequacy and fear. That said, working through those things with a counselor is a great way to move forward. 

The idea of asking for help even extends out to your professors. Professors are people just like you, and they have a conscience. While we’re meant to think that higher learning is a rigorous process with no room for error, this is not true. 

Professors want you to succeed, and if you come to their office hours with honest concerns about your ability to complete the work, they will work with you for a solution in most cases. 

That is if you’re trying your best and they can see that.

4. They Want to Take Some Time

Everyone who’s worked through a college degree has had a period of time when they thought they should stop going to classes for a while. It’s certainly enticing to drop out for a bit, work, save, then go back to classes. 

If this is one of the reasons you’re considering leaving classes, keep in mind that it’s very difficult to get back in. Depending on the amount of time you’re out, you may have to apply again. More importantly, your life will continue rolling on and more barriers to entry will arrive. 

Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you’ll move, maybe your job won’t allow you to go back into classes without getting fired. Primarily, you’ll be faced with the same struggle you’re facing now: whether or not it’s worth the effort to go to classes. 

It’s always going to seem more appealing to sit back and think things through while you’re working or spending time on yourself. You’ll be sitting back for so long that you would have graduated and found a job by the time you muster up the energy to apply again. 

The point is, it might be more viable to just stick it out, no matter the adversity. The harder you work, the more you will get out of the entire process, and the better off you’ll be in the long run. 

The nice thing is that people around you are willing to suggest resources, offer help, and get you on track to completing school as soon as you can. 

When you’re done, you’ll have accomplished something that you might not have thought was possible. 

Considering Your Educational Options?

The idea of dropping out of school is a tricky one, no matter how long you weigh the pros and cons. We’re here to help out, though. 

Explore our site for more educational information and resources to answer your questions and address your concerns.