Leaving school is an important decision, and many regret it as adults. The high school diploma is necessary for many jobs and to enroll in university. However, if you are sure that leaving school is the best choice to make, and it is not just an emotional reaction to a difficult time, you should be sure that you are following the correct procedure. However, it is preferable to weigh your options, and if necessary consult the right legal professionals. Read this article to find out how to properly leave school.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Understanding Your Motivation
Step 1. Evaluate the reason you want to drop out of school
Knowing why to stop going can help you decide if it's the right path for you and help you figure out what to do. Here are some common reasons for leaving it:
- Lack of intellectual stimuli. If you find high school too easy and you are bored, you may be tempted to leave to enroll in a professional training course or to start work.
- You feel unprepared and have fallen behind. If you think school is too difficult, you are absent often and you cannot catch up or no one supports you, you may be tempted to drop out and give up your education.
- You have other responsibilities. If you have unexpectedly become a parent, a family member is sick, or you need to work to support your family, you may think that leaving school is the only solution for you to have time to devote to your job.
Step 2. Ask for other opinions first
Talk to a trusted school counselor or teacher and explain the situation. There may be a solution to your problem that won't force you to leave school.
- If you are facing a lack of intellectual stimulation, you may want to further study on your own. Instead of reading the same chapters as your peers or doing the same exercises, challenge yourself more or buy college books. You may also be able to sign up for more difficult courses in your spare time. This gives you an edge ahead of college, as you will already have a good grasp of it when you start attending it.
- If you feel unprepared or behind, you will have to work hard to make up for lost time. The good news? There will likely be teachers at school who are willing to work with you and help you, especially if they know you are pondering the idea of quitting. Establish a plan for improvement with them, take afternoon remedial classes, hire a teacher to give you repetitions, and gradually get yourself back on track.
- If you have other responsibilities, talk to a school counselor. If you decide to drop out of school, you could take an evening class. In any case, also inquire about financial resources that could help you support yourself while you go to school. Grit your teeth, remember that a high school graduate's income is 50-100% higher than a person who has stopped studying, so dropping out of school may not be the best long-term solution for your family.
Step 3. Don't leave school for someone else
If another person, such as a relative, friend, or girlfriend, pressures you to stop studying, ignore them - it's up to you alone. This choice could have a huge impact on your life, so you need to feel confident in your beliefs.
Part 2 of 4: Deciding to Leave School
Step 1. Prepare a reasonable argument
Many times you will have to explain your decision to many different people. Before engaging in these conversations, make sure you can hold a well-thought-out and clear point of view so that they understand why you made this choice.
- Example: "This school system does me no benefit. It does not test me, I do not care. The subjects do not inspire me and the professors do not motivate me. fit my academic goals."
- Example: "I decided to drop out of school because I think I have no other choice. Due to work, I have been absent for so many days that I would have to go back to the lost year. My grades are so low that I would not be able to pass even if I devoted myself only to studying. I will be much better once I have left school, I will take a professional qualification and I will only think about work ".
- Example: "I decided to drop out of school to be able to work full time. While this decision may not make much sense to you, I know my needs and those of my family. Having enough money to feed it is more important than studying. topics that will probably never matter in my life."
Step 2. Learn about alternative high schools
In fact, there are many private or evening schools. In this way, you would have more flexible hours and would approach the experience with a different mindset. Students who enroll in these institutions are often mature working people.
- If your problem with school is essentially due to the environment and the students, such an institution might be for you.
- These schools often allow you to speed up your curriculum and finish earlier.
Step 3. Make a plan for the future
Before you actually leave school, you should know what you will be doing instead of studying. You will likely try to get a private education degree or through an evening course, or you will try to earn a professional qualification. It is important to do this as soon as possible, because you are still "fresh out of school".
- If you are planning to drop out of school to start a private education or vocational training program, make sure you are well informed. Also, think about future outlets.
- If you plan to work full time, first make sure you have a job available. Learn about working hours and the benefits you are entitled to as an employee, such as insurance.
Step 4. Predict the arguments of others
The best way to prepare yourself to answer questions and deal with the incredulous reactions you will likely encounter in adults around you is to anticipate doubts before they are expressed. Try to predict conversations before they happen, pack up arguments and answers that you will likely need to explain.
Step 5. Talk to your parents
While you are of legal age and legally capable of making decisions, it is preferable to tell the people who have been responsible for your life so far (best to do this before making it official). Explain your reasons, but don't necessarily expect them to agree immediately. It may take some time for the idea to assimilate, and they may never think it's the best for you. However, if you are clear and firm, they will likely respect your choice.
Make a contingency plan. In the worst case, your parents will ask you to leave if you have to leave school. If you think it's possible, try to have a place to stop (at least temporarily)
Step 6. Explain this to a school counselor
Make an appointment with this professional and tell him about your plans. Make sure you present them by clearly expressing your reasoning, ideas for the future, and your parents' response to the decision you made (even if it was not favorable).
Part 3 of 4: Learn about the Legal Requirements
Step 1. Determine the legal age to leave school
By law, compulsory education ends at the age of 16. A technical diploma can be obtained at the vocational institutes at the end of the third school year. This qualification allows access to the fifth supplementary year, should a person want to take the state exam and obtain a high school diploma to enroll in university. Those who obtain a qualification are not subject to the training obligation, which is instead a right / duty that affects young people up to the age of 18. Instead, they must finish high school, work as apprentices until they obtain a qualification or enroll in a three-year training course in order to obtain a professional title.
Talk to your parents about the different options based on your specific case
Step 2. Don't stop going to school overnight
Even if you have thought about it for some time, leaving school out of the blue without first consulting a legal expert can lead to problems that will affect you and your parents closely.
- Stopping going to school without warning leads to truancy. It can cause legal problems for both you and your family.
- Having problems with the law due to your school absenteeism can also cause you difficulties in following another study or professional path.
Step 3. If you have lost years and want to make up for them without going back to school, you can try the eligibility exams
They involve carrying out a certain number of tests depending on one's course of study and the amount of years to be recovered. If a student intends to make up several years, including the fifth of high school, he must take a preliminary exam by the month of May, which will allow him to access the final exam. In this way, the student becomes a private individual and can take the exam at a state, equal or in any case legally recognized school.
Step 4. Talk to the school secretary or principal to find out what documents to submit, if needed
You will be given all the relevant information and the forms you will need to fill out with your parents. Make sure you deliver everything requested by the set date.
The principal or other employees of the school may try to convince you not to leave. Be prepared to explain the reasons behind your decision and the confidence you have in that choice
Part 4 of 4: Considering Alternatives to School
Step 1. Evaluate e-learning and private education
If implemented with some commitment, these solutions will allow you to graduate, allowing you to do so at your own pace and without the social burden associated with high school.
Step 2. You can also enroll in a night school, so you can continue working during the day and not give up your diploma
After completing this school cycle, you may be able to enroll in a university course in a professional field that really interests you or continue with your employment. Not only will you complete your studies, you will also have more alternatives for the future.
Step 3. Consider a regional vocational training course, or choose a path such as IFTS (Higher Technical Education and Training) or ITS (Higher Technical Institutes)
Find out about the offers in the specific area where you live by searching on the internet or by contacting a specialized body.
Step 4. Think about the job you would like to do
If you've decided that theoretical subjects aren't exactly right for you, you may want to start considering a career in the technical field.
Step 5. Whatever decision you make, it would be preferable to graduate, as it will open many more doors for you
If you are not planning to attend any school or training institution, you can consider parental education; evaluate if your parents are willing to provide you with training.
In such a case, your parents are required to make a statement to the head teacher to prove that they have the financial and technical capacity to provide for your education; the manager can examine the veracity of what is stated. To be admitted to the following school year, you will be required to take an eligibility exam
Advice
- Talk to other people who have dropped out of school and look for statistics about it.
- As you study, you can try to combine school with employment that allows you to show off your skills, implement your work ethic, and get some satisfaction. Work in the afternoons or weekends, but try not to miss school and get good grades so you can graduate.
- If you drop out of school, try to get your private diploma so you can enroll in university in the future. It is always better to have a title, because one day you may decide to get back on the books.
- Consider both long-term and short-term solutions.
- Talk to people who have graduated and graduated to understand their experiences.
- Don't be afraid to change your mind and stay in school: you can graduate and enroll at university.
- After leaving school, you may want to sign up for a technical course to learn a trade.
