jeenyus

Im pretty much a failure when it comes done to academics. So I'm thinking about dropping out and going into construction. Anyone else feel the same way?

HaloLauren

At least get your GED before you leave academia.

ReggErving

Are you talking about high school or college?

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far2bored

How long do you want to work in construction? Do you really want that to be your only option in life?
Grit your teeth, make an effort, and slug your way through. You'll never regret graduating. Nobody likes highschool, just think of it as swimming lessons before you're shoved into a very deep, cold pool.

FastShark85

Stay in, whether it's high school or college. Finish it.

I had this debate with a friend back in high school. She had just been promoted to manager of a Burger King. She opted to skip college and go that route instead. Big regrets now.

If you go into construction, make damn sure you've gotten enough education to be able to open your own business.

Slims

EVERYONE I know who has dropped out of high school is miserable. They can get a construction job, but they can't get any sort of promotion and will be making 7.00 per hour for the rest of their lives.

Of all my friends who have dropped out of college, only two are happy. One is in the military, and the other is a ski bum. Many more are working dead end jobs and are trying to earn enough money to get back to school.

If you drop out, you will regret it, and will probably waste a couple years before you go back anyway.

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viveleroi0

I agree... I know two guys who dropped out and one is 24 still living with his Mother, because he can't get a job that pays enough to afford rent. I passed high school, am in college, and am only 21 and I supported him living with my girlfriend and I for a year.

The other guy had to move to california and sell all of his stuff because he couldn't get a good paying job.

Keyword: $$

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ozracn2

I dropped out of college. I am having the time of my life right now.


I also have plans to go back to a college. It won't be the same one I was at nor will it be for the same thing I was doing. But once I get my private life together I will be going back.

My serious advice. If you can't hack it, don't keep doing it. At the same time, don't leave without a plan. Before I dropped out (for personal reasons, mainly emotional problems) I was at least set in the fact that I would return. I wasn't going to let the education get the best of me and that's what I would tell you. You can do anything you want to, just takes time, effort, and a little creativity. Don't just drop out, make yourself a plan. I hope that plan includes a return to the tables.

FastShark85

Once you drop out, it'll be harder to motivate yourself to go back.

Then again, working construction in 90+ degree heat ought to provide some motivation....but then everyone in school with you will be younger than you. It just won't be the same.

Fibrosa

I suggest you stay in school, apply yourself a little better and just make it through. Some of my friends are drop outs and their lives are very tough. It's hard to get a job now-a-days without a highschool education, it's going to be even harder in the future.

rockzilla

The key is finding something you enjoy enough that you won't mind going to school for. I aced most of my college courses when I was taking an HR management program, but I dropped out because I hated every second of it, I despised my desk job and couldn't bear to fill out meaningless forms for the rest of my life, the best part of the job was when they finally laid me off, which gave me the chance to go back to school for my real passion, cooking.
If traditional academia isn't for you, learn a trade, there are tons of unemployed techies out there, but there's always good paying work for a skilled labourer. You'll have to go to college or trade school for it, but if you enjoy what you're doing, your classes won't seem too hard.
But as a few other have said, if you're in high school, finish that or you'll be closing almost every single door out there.

chaosedge23

If you to quit college, then quit. Once you're out and you get a real job (since i'm assuming you don't have much experience i'm assuming it won't be that great), you'll realize that college isn't so bad after all. It might even light a fire under you that you haven't enjoyed before. Btw, jobs like electrician, nursing, and plumbing is actually becoming better paid nowadays. Suggest you check those out.

Stare At The Sun

Someones gotta wash my car, make my food at subway, and polish my shoes, so, yeah! drop out. best decision you'll ever make.

Thank god for people that dont care about education.


In otherwords NO. Don't do it. Seriously, either go into the military or grit your teeth, and get through it.

badflsh

if its HS, then do what you have to in order to get through it. If its college, it is probably easier now than it ever will be again but if you think you really need a break then try out the real world for awhile and go back later.

MikeyChalupa

Do NOT drop out of high school. If there's one thing in this life that you just need to suck it up and do it, it's high school. You start your real life with a major handicap without that diploma.

I'm not going to tell you not to drop out of college, since I did (they say kicked out, I say dropped out) but I joined the military and my life is much better now than it probably would have been if I had graduated with the English degree I was working on at Buffalo. If you do leave college, you should have a plan in place before you go, and it should be more than a vague "going into construction."

If you want info on the military, PM me and I'll tell you all about it, particularly the Navy. If you'd prefer a different service, I can help you find the info. I'm not a recruiter, I don't get points or money or credit for signing you up, but honestly, some recruiters out there DO deserve their bad reputation, and the sailors they put in do more harm than good after they realize they've been lied to. I've been in for just about 8 years, I'm knocking on the door to E-7 and never made a better decision in my life. But even the military will close some doors to you if you don't finish high school, you'll need at least the Good Enough Diploma (GED).

-Mikey

mtsgsd

I dropped out of college because my dad had forced me into a mickey mouse junior college that just sucked. Granted, I seemed to have really bad luck as far as choosing teachers but come on. I made it through classes without cracking a book or taking notes untill it was time for tests. You call that college?

I'm now a database admininistrator and making 70K a year.

Now the bad news.
That was mostly just being in the right place in the right time. If I had stayed with it and got a degree, I'd have been making that kind of money a long time ago. I'm 42 now. My company is closing and the platform I work on is going the way of the dinosaur. This means that I don't have experience in the right area AND no degree. Guess how much luck I'm having finding a job now?

Stick with it. It's amazing to me, but there are a lot of places out there that want a degree no matter what it's in, or how much REAL experience you have. I consider most public schools to be a waste of time and money, but that's the system and you're going to have to live with it.

Moonduck

I have two good friends that dropped out of high school.

The first dropped out because his life was untenable. Father left when he was very young. Mother died of a drug overdose when he was 12. Stuff like that. He worked construction for years with no way out. I had him in my car one day and decided to strong-arm him into the Adult Education office. He has a deep-seated fear of tests and hadn't gotten his GED as a result. I told him, dead serious, that I would break his right arm if he didn't show up to the test (broken right arm meant that he couldn't swing a hammer and thus couldn't work). I was serious, he knew it, and I would've broken his arm. He went into the Army, got some training, got out, and is making good money as tech support for a major banking firm.

The second is the more common story. He did it to move to Argentina with his dad and work supporting major music tours. He came back, got his GED, and is thoroughly, miserably stuck in an unending series of jobs that are going nowhere. He delivers pizza and is about to be booted onto the street.

The first story is a great success story. The second story is the more common version of what will happen. No matter what you decide, get your GED if you do drop out.

Oh, and if it is college that you're thinking of dropping out of, stop wasting your parent's (or your) money.

lurkette

Why not stick it out - you'd be trading at most a few years of unpleasantness for a degree that does mean something in terms of your future earning ability and flexibility - so many more things will be open to you if you stick it out instead of leaving. At the very least, try out the construction thing for a while before you commit to leaving school to do it full time. There's nothing as depressing as burning your bridges only to find out you don't like the other side of the river.

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tikki

Don't be a fool. Stay in school.

Seriously though, tough it out, because you won't regret it once you are done with it all. I hate school more than anyone on earth, but i manage only because I know whats past it.

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tenchi069

understand what dropping out and getting into construction is before you make the choice. keep in mind you will be 50 years old and still swinging a hammer, running a saw, or on your belly running electrical wire. all this, with an aching body, for money that just barely pays the bills. i'm not saying it can't be done. my dad raised 3 kids and supported himself and wife doing construction. you may also be able to buy a brand new truck ( barely ). you will never be driving a nice sportscar because your money will be going towards your truck or tools. just something to keep in mind. im not telling you what to do, but dropping out of high school is not the wine and roses it seems to be to a 16-18 year old

thedrake

at LEAST get a GED it will come in handy later on

Cynthetiq

I dropped out of college...and had a plan to return... i still plan on returning... it's been 13 years now... I'm kidding myself if I think I will honestly go back.

I however had some mad skillz in business and computers...I make more than most of my friends with 4 year degrees and am just trailing my friends who have MBAs.

Do what works for you, but be honest with yourself.

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Nizzle

I took my GED and dropped out of college in my first year, and I make good money. I don't think that's a typical result though. A comination of luck, knowing the right people, and good tech skills got me where I am.

Dropping out to "do contruction" is not likely to be very fruitful. If anything, you can still finish and do contruction without any loss.

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Pennington

Dropping out is never helpful. I know some people who quit high school and got their GED, and they insist that it isn't as good. Employers always ask why they dropped out and it shows very bad work ethic to quit in the middle of something like that. No matter how hard it seems, a little studying and work and you can pass. Take the easy classes, get to know the teachers and try your best. I have never known a student to fail while trying their best.

zephog

Stay in school as long as you can, working for a living sucks

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numberfive

Make some good friends in school and the next 4 or so years will fly by. I've never met anyone that didn't regret graduating college and I don't think I ever will.

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Cynthetiq

I did... many people who are not able to pay their student loans and their other living bills, and they aren't even working in anything that is whatever degree they got.

as far as dropping out... ask yourself this...how will I finance the lifestyle I want to live all the things in my life that I want to do? whatever your answer is.. is what you should do.

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m0ntyblack

Don't drop out...I dropped out of college 4 years ago, all my friends are graduating this year, and I'm working for less money than ever

The worst thing is that going into college, I had a 3.9gpa unweighted and 1510 on the SAT, with all the bells and whistles that come with being academically gifted in a rich school district.

I'm finally getting my life in order enough to save up to go BACK to school, but that's a good year away, and by then, my friends will be gone, and I'll be a damn old student.

Don't drop out...you'll regret it very much.


MB

Kaos

Make sure you ask me if I want fries with that when I come to McDonalds.

Seriously though...get through it, and then major in a specific area of construction like plumbing, or woodwork, or electrical, etc in a post-secondary school.

You will make even more money that way.

ratbastid

Don't do something you hate. You won't do it with your whole heart anyway.

Just have a plan to do (or move toward) something you love. Do you love construction? No? Then don't do that. Love fast food? No? Don't <i>do</i> that!

I suspect when you look, you'll find that there's something you love available to you at school, and it's just a matter of doing <i>that</i>.

yournamehere

Words of wisdom - heed them.

It took me 16 years to get back - I went back to college at age 36, and had to work two jobs while I did it - when I got my degree at age 40, I was competing with 23-year-olds for the same jobs.

Better late than never, though

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unoaman

This is an old thread, but that never slows me down, so let me say this. If just one young person that is considering dropping out sees this recent post, and gives the situation second thoughts, then it's worth it.
Construction huh? Let me tell you a little story, my son worked for a construction company part time while in college, after graduation even though it wasn't his field, they asked him to stay on in management. Keep in mind that it was a good company, and he was probably making more than a new graduate would in his chosen field. He was single, and lived in several wonderful locations in the US, was flown anywhere in the country once a month all expenses paid. Company vehicle, company cell phone, complete benefit package. He stayed with them three years, then decided to persue a postgraduate degree, because construction wasn't what he really wanted to do. Now he's facing 3 more years of near starvation in order to get that degree.
The point is you gotta do what you really like and feel comfortable doing. If at this young age you aren't sure what that is, then STAY in school, and give yourself a chance to find out. I'm not belitting construction, the same could apply to any field, but whatever you decide to do upon quitting school, you better like damn well...cause you're going to be doing it the rest of your life!

samiam

If you are considering construction because you have not really thought through what you want to do with the rest of your life - STOP. Many people make reasonable livings in construction ans some make very good money in construction but they want to do it.
If you are in High School, stick it out, get help, look into the GED - anything to get a high school diploma. If you are in College, stop for a minute and try to visualize what you want to do with your life for the next five years. Would you be happy working in an office? Would you prefer to work outdoors? Do you like to create? Do you like to do repetitive tasks? The more you know about yourself, the bettter a decision you can make. If you have trouble with this idea, investigate vocational testing at an agency like the Y. A good counsellor can help you get the information you need to make a decision.
The main problem with just dropping out is that most people these days will not stay in one job or one occupation for the rest of their lives. Diplomas, experience etc. build up your resume for the next job. The more paper and experience you have, the more attractive you are to a potential employer.
If nothing else, consider how you would feel going back to school several years from now. If you would be comfortable doing it, consider taking a semester off to work at a job that might interest you. If that doesn't appeal to you, consider volunteering in a field that interests you or try to arrange job-shadowing in a job that you think you would like.
One of the nice things about being in school is that they usually have some vocational counselling to make decisions like this easier.

Kalnaur

Stay
In
School.

Three little words that couldn't be easier to say; heeding them however is another matter. Stay with it though, a little disappointment now is worth a real job later.

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Rdr4evr

Im in the same boat, I currently attend the Art Institute of Los Angeles which is an absolutely shit school. It was my fault for not doing a better job researching and going by word of mouth instead. This place is not nearly worth the 60,000 dollars of tuition, hell its not even worth $5,000. If I wasnt under contract I would drop out ASAP and use the money for something worthy, but unfortunately I am stuck as I have to pay that amount in full . Try taking that much money and putting it in a fire, thats how I feel, what a waste.

Nazggul

In the immortal words of....Oh, I forget his name.

"Well, the world needs ditch diggers too."

Seriously though. I would recommend sticking it out. Even if you do end up going into construction afterward anyway, you will have more opportunities down the road within the construction industry than you would without the degree. Gear your coursework toward subjects that will benefit you in that industry.

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Fremen

Nice advice everybody.

Did you guys notice the thread creator has been banned for months? And the guy under him, as well?

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crow_daw

Man, I know that exact same guy. I pity him, but then I feel like an asshole because he doesn't want pity. He's happy with his life and who he is, but that's because right now he doesn't know any better. He'll regret all of this later, and you can see foreshadowing of that when you have a conversation with him.

Don't drop out people.

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H12

I don't have to say anything else. This man speaks the truth.

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Laugh!

If you do feel that going into construction is right for you, then you must be determined enough to study while you're there and get a certification in whatever area you specialize in. I know someone with an Electrician's certification and he literally jumped from the $8/hr grunt work to being a $30/hr manager.

Studying and school will always be necessary, so if you don't think you can handle a certification exam (and they are really damn tough too - several years of studying), then you should seriously consider staying in school and studying now.