Chickn
Posts:3
 | | 01/07/2008 1:49 PM |
 Alert | A senior girl in my family recently disclosed her desire to drop out of high school and join the military. Now, I'm all for helping out country, but I know this child. Thats not her real intention at all.
My concern is with the fact she's even thought about not graduating. I'm 24 and remember graduation as being this huge accomplishment when I was in high school. Whats the deal? Any ideas on how to get her back on the right track, I honestly don't know where to start. | | | |
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AzSandSlinger
Posts:591
| | 01/07/2008 2:10 PM |
Alert | she's got a .1% chance of getting into the military without a HS diploma.... I don't know if the "other" services have lowered their standards (I doubt it).. but the Marine Corps will not take you without a Diploma.. even with a GED, she'd need 16 college credit hours to go with it..
Tell her to go ahead and chat with a recruiter.. Unless the recruiter is a scumbag, they'll tell her she needs to graduate as well..
-Shane | |
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"There are only two kinds of people that understand Marines: Marines and the enemy. Everyone else has a second-hand opinion."
Gen. William Thornson, U.S. Army | |
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Fritzydoodle
Posts:980
| | 01/07/2008 2:13 PM |
Alert | Yeah - she needs to have an honest talk with the recruiter. The military does not accept recruits, age 17/18 without a high school diploma, and only a limited quota (if at all) with a GED. The lack of a diploma shows the lack of follow-thru. While the military needs soldiers, they need soldiers with some degree of maturity and education. It isn't a babysitting service for dropouts.
Civilian employers are just as picky. Unless she is planning a career working in fast food, she needs a diploma. As a senior, it's only a few months more. Suck it up and finish. At bare minimum, check out the alternative schools that allow HS credit based on syllabus completion vs real time class seat-time. | |
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goldy
Posts:71
| | 01/07/2008 2:14 PM |
Alert | | Well, I do know in order to join the military one must have a high school diploma or a GED. I would just stress how important it is to have that diploma and how important graduating is. It is a huge thing. I know it's hard when they lose interest in school. I went through that with my child but he stayed in school and is doing very good. I just talked to him about the future and future jobs, college and what jobs he could expect to get without a diploma or GED. I know talking to my child in depth about school and what was causing him to want to drop out and addressing those issues really helped, and that he needs a diploma to get a good paying job and get into college and he stuck with it. I wish you luck, I would try talking to her in depth about what it is that is making her feel like dropping out and try to address what ever it is that is making her feel that way. I would also stress to her how important an education is and she can't get in the military or even a decent paying job without a diploma or GED. Good luck to you, I hope she changes her mind and sticks with it :o) | | | |
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stinkerbell2
Posts:0
| | 01/07/2008 5:27 PM |
Alert | I had a friend who did this (dropped out of HS 3 months from graduation-she turned 18 and thought she was an "adult and can do whatever she wanted!) She spent then next 10 years getting married, starting a family yadda yadda yadda. It wasnt until she decided to become a nurse that she realized she needed that diploma she was 3 months away from getting! She had to spend the next few years getting her GED (due to "life" getting in her way!) and FINALLY at 35 she became a nurse!! Could have saved herself a whole bunch of time if she had just graduated!!
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kenmoreguy72
Posts:204
| | 01/07/2008 5:35 PM |
Alert |
Live and learn. Good luck telling this to a teenager.
A bit off subject but.......
I think people have lowered their standards. When I graduated high school, I had a small party with family. We had cake and I was told to get moving with my next move.
It was not a big deal. It was something that I was supposed to do! I have noticed in Arizona that many kids view this as a HUGE accomplishment. Sure, it may be for them. Maybe they are the first in their family to do so. However, I think we need to expect more out of kids. Stressing college or post-secondary training is key throughout formative years. | | | |
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GilaGuy
Posts:789
| | 01/07/2008 7:20 PM |
Alert | <div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By Chickn on 01/07/2008 1:49 PM
A senior girl in my family recently disclosed her desire to drop out of high school and join the military.</div>
My goodness, she'll be done with her senior year in a few short months. Can she not hold out that long? It'll all be over soon enough, at which point she can do whatever she likes. ;-) | | | |
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Cruzin
Posts:136
| | 01/07/2008 7:41 PM |
Alert | | When I joined, the Army had programs that allowed juniors and seniors to participate in the reserves and do monthly drills and hold off on basic and AIT until summer. I would suggest talking to a recruiter and taking the ASVAB test and see what happens. She also needs to decide if she is going to let a recruiter decide for her what type of job she wants to do or if she is going to work hard and decide what she wants to be. Recruiters are much like used car salesmen and the eager generally get less. I got the MOS I wanted but no money. For me MP was more important at the time, but years later and with more knowlege of recruiters I wish I had done things differently. Also, as a female, actual service is much different than you think it will be. If she needs someone to talk to about the decision you can pm me. | | | |
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Devil Dog
Posts:411
| | 01/08/2008 12:41 AM |
Alert | Just like the ARMY they will take any "body" that is warm - "Go Army Strong".
MP? Is that a boy scott with a badge.
You Army guys are OK - For fire watch.
Just kidding. | |
"Always Moving Forward" | |
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hastings1066
Posts:883
| | 01/08/2008 9:51 PM |
Alert | | Jarheads are ok,at least they aren't squids.<img src='http://www.85239.com/desktopmodules/ntforums/images/emoticons/biggrin.gif' height='20' width='20' border='0' title='Big Grin' align='absmiddle'> | | | |
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Bionicbunny
Posts:597
| | 01/09/2008 11:18 AM |
Alert | <div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By kenmoreguy72 on 01/07/2008 5:35 PM
Live and learn. Good luck telling this to a teenager.
A bit off subject but.......
I think people have lowered their standards. When I graduated high school, I had a small party with family. We had cake and I was told to get moving with my next move.
It was not a big deal. It was something that I was supposed to do! I have noticed in Arizona that many kids view this as a HUGE accomplishment. Sure, it may be for them. Maybe they are the first in their family to do so. However, I think we need to expect more out of kids. Stressing college or post-secondary training is key throughout formative years.</div>
I couldn't agree with you more kenmoreguy, we don't expect enough out of kids today. Kids need to know that there are consequences to every decision that they make. The important decisions, like finishing school, need to be given a little more thought than what your going to eat for breakfast. Graduating high school is great but it just isn't enough in todays world.
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CaliGurl~n~Copa
Posts:323
| | 01/10/2008 1:11 PM |
Alert | <div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By hastings1066 on 01/08/2008 9:51 PM
Jarheads are ok,at least they aren't squids.<img src='http://www.85239.com/desktopmodules/ntforums/images/emoticons/biggrin.gif' height='20' width='20' border='0' title='Big Grin' align='absmiddle'></div>
Hey now... just remember the "jarheads" are a department of the Navy"... lol..
Anyhow, there is a way for the youngster you are talking about to join the military without a diploma, it is a waiver. It is not given out very often but they can do it. But... as someone mentioned before, definitely have her talk to a recruiter, take the practice ASVAB, and if she can at least score high enough on the practice one, then that would probably give her more of a chance to get a job that can help her in the future. She can also go check out the ASVAB study guide at the library or someone can buy it for her to help encourage her at least to get a decent score. The higher your score, the more job possibilities, the more likely hood of them offering bonuses, college ed funds, etc, etc. If you know anyone who is prior military, I would suggest they go with her to see the recruiter, so they can tell her what's said is b.s. or not. On a positive note, at least she is aiming for something that will in the end benifit her. The military will teach her some great work ethics, respect, and yada, yada, yada. | |
"Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent."
-Marilyn vos Savant | |
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goldy
Posts:71
| | 01/10/2008 3:58 PM |
Alert | | I had a family member join the army recently who did not have a diploma or a GED and he had to complete that before they would even think about accepting him. Once that was done they accepted him but it took a few months for him to complete the GED program. When I was young I had a party or maybe a car for graduating and back then you really didn't need a diploma or GED to get good jobs. It was a really big deal to graduate high school. Now days I do think standards have been lowered but I don't let that effect what I expect out of my child and that is a high school diploma. Now days you need that perscious diploma to get into the military or go to college or get a good paying job. I look forward to the day when I will get to attend that graduation ceremony :o) | | | |
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hastings1066
Posts:883
| | 01/10/2008 4:10 PM |
Alert | | If she can’t tough out a few months of school, how does she expect to deal with basic training? I remember 18 year olds crying in their bunks because the drill sergeant was “mean” to them. She needs to suck it up and get the job done. Graduate. | | | |
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just a girl
Posts:213
| | 01/10/2008 5:42 PM |
Alert | | It's so close! There must be an underlying issue that she isn't talking about. why does she want to drop out? work to hard? other kids mean to her? she won't have the means to go to college? Find out the WHYs and go from there. But keep her in school. She will never regret finishing school | | | |
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TheBoymaker
Posts:793
| | 01/10/2008 9:34 PM |
Alert | As of a few years ago, AZ had the highest percentage of HS dropouts in the nation after Louisiana. We are consistently tied with, or jockeying, that swampy state with for the worst schools in the nation.
I would offer to send your neice to live with a relative so that she an complete her last year in another school. There could be issues of boredom, bullying, depression, etc. and a change may help her. | |
Poster formerly known as Sassafrass. | |
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thiskiss
Posts:334
| | 01/10/2008 10:14 PM |
Alert | I'm with just a girl. There has to be another reason why she wants to drop out and join the army.
Just in case you guys were aware of this.... there is an alternative high school. It is for anybody in the state of arizona under like age 22 I think. Its all online and you do everything at your own pace. She could have the comfort of sitting at home at like midnight doing her school work. If she goes on vacation across the country she can still do homework. The classes are super super easy. Her diploma won't look as good as from an "actual" high school but atleast she will have one if she changes her mind and decides she wants to go to college someday. I would definately have her check out the website.
www.pin-ed.com
(sorry I can't do the links on here) | | | |
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goldy
Posts:71
| | 01/11/2008 2:08 PM |
Alert | | That's good to know about the alternative school. Maybe that would be a better thing for her rather than dropping out. I hope she changes her mind about dropping out, with such little time to go and graduating will make all the difference in the world in the future. | | | |
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caveman
Posts:1081
| | 01/14/2008 8:44 PM |
Alert | | At least she isn't knocked up by a deadbeat dad... | | | |
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DIRTY BIRDIE
Posts:342
| | 01/15/2008 12:30 PM |
Alert | Hang in there..High school's almost over.
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