Is getting a ged worth it?

Okay, I'm 17. With 12 credits in High School. I live in NYC, by the way. And here, you need 44 credits to graduate. I've messed up big time. What I want to know, is if I can still make it? I know I was supposed to graduate this year, its not going to happen. Should there be any shame in getting out later? I was considering getting my GED, but my friend finished telling me how he got his diploma and he's working a sh*t job that pays a sh*t check. And I thought to myself, Imagine with me and a GED? Should I just keep with the plan of getting my diploma and makeup for all the pointless cutting or should I just get the GED? I dont know...It's a decision I've been fighting for a while now.

I live in new york 2 and im staying on because I only got 20 credits and seen as though I aint academic im actually going to work hard this year il turn 18 in april so il be 19 graduating and I dont give a f**k I mean its better to gradute with credits and get a good job then to graduate with sh*t and have a wack job,ya know!

If you want to have a successful job I suggest working really hard for the remainder of the year. Then, go through again and try even harder. No pain no gain. NYC is a pretty big place where everyone has some pretty high standards. Just because, you only have 12 credits as of now doesn't mean you aren't able to reach this insane goal. Work your butt off, focus on school, make some sacrifices, and I guarantee you can do this.

If you don't want to work at McDonalds, then I suggest you do everything that I've mentioned, use a little perseverance, and you'll be on your way to college and a successful career in no time.

~ The Young And Hopeful

Well, you have two options. One is to stay in school and work on getting your GED. This process will take a while and requires focus and disciple on your part. The second choice is to try and enroll in a trade school. If you work with your guidance counselor and discuss some of the trade schools in your area you may qualify to enroll. Trades schools allow you to get a certificate and in some cases a degree within 1 1/2 to 2 years. These programs almost always have a department for getting you a job upon your graduation. By choosing a trade school your future options may be narrowed down a bit but this will still allow you to make a decent living.

Gratuating is a very important thing for your future. Just remember that anything good is worth working hard for. I know you feel like you have a very long way to go to getting all of your credits, and maybe you do, but just remember it will be so worth it in the end.
Hang in there
Lacey!

One thing to consider is that with a GED (or even maybe without one I guess, but I'm not totally sure) you can still attend community college for a while. On the other hand, though, this isn't always a great option. A friend of mine got his GED after dropping out, and when I talked to him about his experience in a community college he described how horrible a writing class was (he wants to go into writing) because the teacher and many of the students treated it like fifth grade english. So it's an option you can keep in mind, but obviously with the reservation that your educational and job oppurtunites might be limited if you did that. There are places better than comm. collges that will also take a GED, but I'm not sure how many of them would be good options either.

I would suggest you get your full diploma if at all possible. I know it's a pain, and probably embarrassing to think about being in school for an extra year or so, but getting a GED wouldn't be any better in that area. You may need a full diploma to really make a life for yourself. In the meantime, as others suggested, I would talk with your school guidance counselor, and also see if there are ways of speeding up the process of getting your credits (like community service, extra credit activities, ironically maybe even comm. college classes, etc.) so it doesn't have to take as long.

ii am in the same situation as you. I dropped out of highschool, because ii was getting into to much trouble over dumb stuff, and I was loosing my education over it, ii am currently gettin my ged, but ii don't know if it is the best idea because ii talk to people and when ii metion that ii am gettin my ged, they look at me like I am dumb and ii am not!!! BUT MY GED TEACHER SAID GED IS BASICALLY THE SAME THING AS A HIGHSCHOOL DIPLOMA. SO DO WHAT IN YOUR HEART NOT WHAT PEOPLE SAY... DO RESEARCH ON IT!!!

ALWAYS,
AMANDA

I got my GED at 16.You can still make it,just,after you get it go to a junior college and then to a university.It will be two years at the comm. college for the AA instead of the 4 for bachelor's which might be easier & cheaper.I'm going to graduate with an AA 2 years earlier than I would've...I'm supposed to still be in high school!Good-luck!

well I feel that only if you think its worth it. everyone has theyre own opinons on the matter. im 18 years old. this is my graduation year. I am in homeschooling and its beyond boring. so, im thinking about getting my GED. if you think that its worth it, then I say go for it!!!

G.E.D. is te same thing as a high school diploma, well basically. From what I've heard nobody has been held back or looked at differently because they got their g.e.d. it's something to be proud of it's a way of showing even though high school didn't cut it, your education is important. But I'd say as long as you still have a shot at getitng your diploma go for it!