Like many of you reading this, I am a student at Auburn University.
Unlike many of you, I don’t have a high school diploma.
I went to high school at a small, private school, but I didn’t feel like I was getting the most of my high school education.
After my junior year of high school, I dropped out of high school and applied for early admission to college. I obtained my GED certificate and enrolled at Central Alabama Community College.
Many people questioned my decision, which is definitely understandable. I was blessed to have the opportunity to attend a high school that many would have loved to attend, and it may have seemed to some that I was not thankful for that opportunity.
The reality is that I am thankful for the opportunity I have to get an education. Leaving high school was a calculated decision, as a decision of its importance should be. Ultimately, I felt staying in high school when I was no longer getting the most of it would be a disservice to my teachers, my fellow students and myself.
I attended CACC for my first two years of college and would not trade the experience I had there for anything. The time at a junior college gave me an opportunity to figure out how to best handle college while still living at home and staying in my comfort zone. It also gave me an opportunity to work more hours and save money for when I moved away from home.
Now that I am a student at Auburn, I see examples constantly of how my experience at junior college helps me today. I feel more organized, more responsible and better equipped to handle the college experience than I was when I left high school just over two years ago.
Maybe my last year of high school would have prepared me for college just as my experience at CACC did. Maybe I would have been woefully unprepared for college if I had stayed in high school for my last year. There is no way to know for sure.
What I can say for sure is that taking a leap of faith and doing something outside the norm when it comes to my education was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Dropping out of school is certainly not the best option for everyone, but there are other ways to get a variation of the normal educational experience.
Such variations might include taking a semester off, studying abroad or working through school.
I would encourage all students, high school or college, to explore all options when it comes to education. Become educated about the different opportunities your educational experience presents and take a chance on any opportunities that help you reach your goals, even if they sound crazy.
You never know, it might be the best thing you ever do.
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