Ten things I know…

Yes.

Here are some more statistics on high school dropout.

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I will make this brief: a high school diploma is not a guarantee of honesty, punctuality, work ethic, or intelligence. Don’t dismiss a candidate out of hand just because he doesn’t bring a high school diploma with him.

I sincerely hope that the above question does not apply to dropouts who have obtained a GED. Going back to get your GED required dedication, motivation, and the ability to apply all the same skills a high school graduate needs.

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In short, yes, but you will not find as many opportunities as a person with a high school diploma or a more advanced degree. Please search this site for “dropout” and “high school” to find more information. I have covered this subject from many angles.

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Different states have different laws governing dropouts, which can have an effect on your ability to take the test immediately after leaving school. In general, the answer is, “Yes,” you will be able to take the GED very soon after you leave school. Be sure to check with your local department of education and adult education centers for details.

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Well, here are a few off the top of my head:

Al is married to Peggy Bundy, nee Wanker.
Al has a daughter, Kelly, and a son, Bud. Kelly is the older of the two children.
Al was a star halfback when he played high school football for Polk High in Chicago, Illinois. Al set a school record by scoring four touchdowns in a single game, and the team he played on (presumably his senior year) is the only undefeated team in Polk High history.
Al was courted by various colleges and may have played college ball, but he suffered both a leg injury and a shotgun wedding.
Al sells women’s shoes (or fails to sell women’s shoes) at Gary’s Shoes in the New Market Mall.
Al’s salary at Gary’s Shoes is $12,000 per year, which was revealed in an episode where he was offered a retirement buyout.
Al’s address is 9764 Jeopardy Lane or 9674 Jeopardy Lane, depending on the episode.
Al loves Motown music.
Al has a dog named Buck, who Al ignores or dotes on, depending on the episode.
Al’s dog, Buck, (who was supposed to be Bud’s dog), a French Briard, eventually dies and is replaced by Lucky, a Spaniel.
In nearly every episode, we first see Al when he comes through his home’s front door after work, usually with a story about a fat woman who came into the store that day. 

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Getting your GED will not immediately make you rich or turn your life into a 24-hour party, but it does have a lot to recommend it. Check out my “TTIK… Getting a GED” article to learn more.

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There are many, many jobs available for a person with a high school diploma. The problem is not the quantity of jobs available, it’s the quality of the available jobs. Most higher-paying positions, as well as most positions considered “professional,” require degrees or certifications beyond a high school diploma or GED.

Jobs you can get as a high school graduate include almost any labor job (construction, landscaping, demolition, mining, waste management, etc), most service industry and related jobs (retail clerk, sales, foodservice, assistant or lead manager in some foodservice and retail establishments, security guard, janitorial), various telephone jobs (surveys, customer service), and many decent civil service jobs (clerk at a government office, postal employee, clerical worker).

In addition to the fairly standard array of jobs listed above, there are always more unusual opportunities in less mainstream industries (dog walking, mobile car washes, specialized gardening services, freelance photography, and many others).

The opportunities are out there, but like almost everything else in life, the more prepared you are, the better off you are. Yes, you can find a very good job as a high school graduate, but you are much more likely to end up in an anonymous, mediocre job. With a BA or BS degree, your chances of a really good job go up; with an MS, MBA, or other advanced degree, your odds improve even more. Advanced schooling isn’t for everyone, though, so just be sure to do your research and know what is available in your area, or places you are willing to go, at various educational levels.

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Here are the latest questions on the Search Queries Answered Page:

“how is it like being out of high school”, “What is the definition of being homeless?”, “how old before drop out of high school”, “why do we know things that we never learn?”, “anyone ever drop out of school”

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The answer to this question varies depending on who asks it. Here is a condensed, one-size-fits-all answer, assuming you’re also out of your parents’ house:

You have more personal freedom to do what you want, when you want. Your possessions are truly your possessions, with no one to take away your TV or PlayStation when you do something wrong. If you want a pizza for dinner, you have a pizza for dinner. If you want to stay out all night, you stay out all night. If you want to be alone, you got to your house or apartment and shut the door.

You have a great deal more responsibility. When you want to go to a movie, you work a certain number of hours to earn the money necessary. When you leave a light on, you pay for it. When you screw up, you have only yourself to blame and you must face the consequences alone. When you make poor decisions, you suffer for them and you can’t just appeal to mommy or daddy to get you out of bad situations.

You pay your own way, you’re responsible for yourself, you make your own decisions, you live your life the way you want to within reason.

Being on your own is hard work, but so very worth it.

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Frankly, there isn’t a single answer to this question. To Paraphrase former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, “I know it when I see it.” Is a guy jumping from couch to couch, staying with friends, homeless? Not really, since he’s choosing this lifestyle and probably doesn’t have to worry about not having a place to stay on any given night. Is a girl staying in her friend’s attic without the friend’s parents’ consent homeless? Maybe, since she could be caught and evicted at any time, but maybe not because perhaps she has a home to go to but chooses not to.

The subject is complicated, but I would say these things are good indicators of homelessness:

• The situation is against the person’s will. This includes people who choose to leave home because of an unbearably abusive or dangerous situation there. People who choose to be homeless without any compelling reason, and have a place to go if they so choose, are not truly homeless in my opinion.
• Is the person’s living situation highly unstable? If the person in constantly being forced to change places of shelter and never has the opportunity to establish a permanent (stable and will be reliably available night after night) residence, the situation could be called homelessness.
• Can the person receive mail, bathe, be protected from the elements, and engage in other basic functions associated with having a home? A guy living under the same bridge or in the same burnt out building for two years would still be homeless in my opinion. Yeah, his situation may be fairly stable, but that doesn’t make his bridge a home.
• Is the person’s home, or shelter, available at all times? If you have a spot at an emergency mission, but they kick you out at 6:00am and you can’t be inside until 7:00pm, and you don’t have access to the building, or the showers, or the phone, and so on, then you’re still homeless, even though you technically have somewhere to get out of the rain at night.

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