By Staff
There are many debates on if high school should be mandatory. I believe that it should be mandatory, and here’s why. School is a place to learn and help develop skills like speaking in front of a class, writing a 2 page essay, teamwork, etc. But, it can be very hard, especially with AP classes. Many people experience high school differently and have different paths and it is understandable if a person wants to drop out of high school but I believe that finishing high school will have many benefits.
High school has many benefits for students. For example, many high schools have many variations of classes. Many students take advantage of classes like getting honors, AP’s, classes that support their career choice, fun classes, or classes that are interesting to them. Get Schooled states “Staying in school is a great way to develop essential skills that can benefit you in college, in the workplace, and even in your personal life. This can include study habits, time management skills, interpersonal skills, critical thinking, communication skills, and more. Learning these skills in high school can help you achieve success as you graduate and enter the ‘real world’.” (Get Schooled). Taking classes from high school tells college admissions officers what you learned and what you did during high school. This means that whatever you do and take matters. School also has many career opportunities and paths you could take like, for example, paths in medical, engineering, etc.
Every school has events, clubs, and sports! High school is a time to make memories outside and inside high school. For example, high schools have many events like prom, homecoming, dances, spirit weeks, rallies, senior pranks, senior skip day, movie night, etc. It is a way to have fun and to take a break from all your classes and homework. High school has many clubs, sports, and activities too. Clubs, sports, and activities help students with many types of skills like time management, responsibility, strength, teamwork, communication, competition, etc. Many students sign up for many clubs, sports, and activities before school, during school, and after school. It also helps colleges to see what type of person you are and what type of activities you are interested in. Another thing is that schools provide scholarships. According to the University of South Alabama, scholarships are “a grant or payment made to support a student’s education, awarded on the basis of academic or other achievement.” (UOSA). It is financial support to a student based on their achievements at school like maintaining good grades, excellent at a subject or sport, etc. Scholarships are important because it helps students pay off debt for their college degree, have better education, pay off school related things, and help build up your resume.
Graduating high school also has many benefits. As explained by Careeronestop, “With a diploma, you’re likely to earn 40% more income than someone without one.” and “Your chances of being employed rise by 33% when you finish high school.” (Careeronestop). Admissions would look at what type of experience, skills, you did during high school and outside of high school. It is important for jobs to have an educated individual who is persistent to always learn instead of someone who is idle. Another thing is that California Community Colleges stated that “California community colleges are required to admit any California resident possessing a high school diploma or the equivalent.” (CCC). In California, if you want to attend college, you would need to finish high school. If you graduate from high school and you don’t want to go to college but later on changed your mind, in the USA, you could go to college anytime and any age which is awesome!
If you think about it, only elementary school and middle school are mandatory but high school isn’t. So, when is the right time to drop out of high school? If you drop out of high school during freshman year and sophomore year, (Why would you do that?), you would only have the education from elementary and middle school; and if you drop out of high school in your junior or senior year, you are close to graduating and it would be unreasonable to drop out. My answer is just go through high school to the best you can and get your diploma. Whatever you decide to do in high school, education is important. Being productive is important. Always try to find ways to learn and educate yourself whenever you can and be productive with your life whether it’s going to the gym, working jobs, or even going to school.
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