Dropping out of School vs Not Dropping out of School
Education remains the only means an individual may attain his life goals and also better his/her life in the present day society. It not only allows one to get a better job but also enables individuals to become respectable members of their societies based on their academic and professional attainments. Living a better life has been linked to educational achievements. Thus, as commodity prices rise, one requires money to meet his/her family’s daily needs and this may be attained through completion of high school and college, as well as having the pertinent qualifications to get into the job market (Blake 1). Though it has been said often that school is not for everyone, it is vital that one completes school as it acts as a gateway to a number of opportunities that one may not access without high school or college degree.
One of the notable reasons often given for dropping out of school is the lack of tuition fees. At present, several learners with poor backgrounds are unable to afford high school and college education given that the families earn minimum salaries. However, there are various ways through which one may be able to pay for high school and college. For instance, one might join a community college that charge lower fees compared to universities and other educational institutions. Moreover, various types of scholarships are also offered by colleges and universities to poor students. Further, for learners who have attained 18 years and above, it is also recommended that one seeks a part time job and use the earnings in paying the school fees. In such instances, one might apply for the scholarships. These opportunities may assist one to get better education.
The other notable reason given for dropping out of school regards the success stories of individuals believed to have dropped out and later attained success. In such cases, successful entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg have been used as examples. Nevertheless, individuals who often give such examples often fail to take into consideration that such individuals have always returned to their institutions to complete their degrees. Because Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged the importance of education, they made the decision to complete their college degrees and have all graduated. For that reason, the equation of financial gains to success tend to be wrong given that a proper education and college degree enables one to gain the necessary insight that one needs in order to attain success in various spheres of life.
With regards to employment and employability of school dropouts, it can be noted that very few high school dropout succeed in getting employed in good positions. Nevertheless, compared to individuals who have completed college degrees and graduated, high school dropouts earn less in terms of wages and salaries compared to their counterparts (Campbell 1). This, in turn, makes them incapable of meeting all their financial needs and those of their families, and as a result, most of them end up partaking in criminal activities to make ends meet. Further, it has also been disclosed that a larger proportion of individuals serving time in jails are high school dropouts as they are more vulnerable to commit crimes compared to their college graduate counterparts. Owing to these observations, I believe that dropping out of school without any considerable reason is one of the worst mistake an individual can make.