25 Reasons to Finish High School
by Lori Johnston
The massive number of dropouts in the U.S. is causing a national crisis – and why would you want to contribute to that problem? But if you’re losing interest in school, here are 25 reasons to finish. 1. You don’t want to become a stat, with nearly 6.2 million students dropping out of
high school
in 2007.2. You could avoid poverty, as those without a high school diploma earn about $400,000 less in a lifetime than those who graduate.
3. You won’t put the country further into debt. Each class of high school dropouts costs the U.S. more than $200 billion in lost wages and tax revenues, plus social support needs.
4. You don’t want to be a quitter. Annually, about 1 million students, or 30 percent, drop out before graduation.
5. You’ll reach a major personal accomplishment - and will have a diploma to show off.
6. You’ll do your parents proud.
7. You’re in school when it’s trendy, with the popularity of TV shows like “Glee” and “90210” and films like “High School Musical.”
8. You put yourself on the path to a fun next step – college.
9. You can beat the odds, as nearly one in five U.S. men between the ages of 16 and 24 were dropouts in 2007, nearly three of 10 Latinos were dropouts and more than one in five blacks dropped out of school in 2007.
10. You will miss out on not wearing anything under your graduation gown.
11. You can avoid the pressure of having to study for the GED after you’ve been away from the books, and even having to pay to take that exam.
12. You won’t have to battle the negative perception that dropouts face.
13. You might not have to do the time, with stats showing that the majority of inmates at state and federal prisons didn’t complete high school.
14. You could lose out on the chance to be prom king or queen. 15. You will have more Facebook friends. 16. Your lack of a diploma will equal fewer opportunities, as labor force participation rates were the lowest for those with less than a high school diploma.
17. You might miss out fulfilling an athletic dream, such as winning that district or state championship, or even getting a scholarship to play your sport in college.
18. You won’t be wasting the school tax money your parents are paying.
19. Your future kids won’t be able to say, “Well, you did it,” if they don’t want to finish high school.
20. You can use what you’re learning about wars in history or other classes such as math to beat your friends at Xbox or PlayStation 3 games.
21. You need a place to show off your new clothes.
22. You could find a lifelong mentor in a teacher or school counselor.
23. You won’t be able to participate in fun senior activities like graduation trips, senior nights and even the senior prank.
24. You could keep from having regrets later in life.
25. You might meet Edward Cullen.
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