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This was just a huge deal for him, you have to understand. This is my middle child, and he has struggled all his life with inferiority and problems. Been kicked out of four different schools, (not for misbehaving -- but for simply not doing anything -- passive resistance, they call it). Has dyslexia/dysgraphia, but he's very bright. However, rarely showed his brightness in school. He hated hated school. I homeschooled him for many semesters, off and on, between tries at public schools. But even I had given up on trying to give him any kind of "formal" education because he just would not put forth any effort.
So last year he suddenly decides, on his own, that he wants to take a G.E.D test, as a way of kinda of marking a "completion" of mandatory schooling and to prove a point. He goes through the required pre-GED courses, and then took his test.
And he did wondefully! Of the five sections, he got a perfect score (800) on two of them, and was in the 97% percentile on two others, with a total score of 3450 out of 4000. This is big deal for us because this is his first real "success" in the academic world. He had basically stopped "schooling" two years ago. This is the first thing to validate him -- the first thing he has followed through to completion and had something to show for it.
This mom has now breathed a sigh of relief.
Not only that, but now he is interested in maybe getting a little further education - by his choice, of course -- at a local trade school. We can only hope.
I had several friends who detested high school and did poorly all through -- and loved college, where they chose most of their classes and set their own pace and schedule.
Good luck to him, and good for you too! Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Currently, Jay, he is interested in property management, and real estate investing. He would like to get on as an apartment manager somewhere, and learn all about property maintenance and management, landlord/tenant laws, etc. That sort of thing.
Posts: 9538 | Registered: Aug 2003
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I have a question about the GED. I've seen people say negative things about the GED, implying that it's worthless, and suggesting that somebody get a "high-school equivalency test".
I thought that's what the GED was. What's the difference?
Posts: 751 | Registered: Apr 2005
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I know there is some negative stigma attached to the G.E.D., and I don't know all the reasons why. (I'm just happy he took ANYTHING!). However, I will say they totally revamped the GED test in 2002, and it is supposed to be much more difficult than prior. In addition, they actually GIVE the test to current high school seniors in some areas, as a way of calibrating the test.
By doing so, they can then tell you, when you take it that your score is within a certain percentage range of "high school seniors" - meaning public school seniors that they tested to calibrate the test.
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My cousin dropped out of school when he was 16, and just recently got his GED (he's about 22 now). He got either a perfect score, or really close (I can't remember which), and is taking classes at a tech college right now. He wants to be a mechanical engineer, focusing in welding. We're all very proud of him. He's really bright, he just hasn't really applied himself before.
Getting a GED is a big deal...congrats to your son! Posts: 4174 | Registered: Sep 2003
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Farmgirl, you want my advice on trades - number one I'd recommend apprenticing in is finish carpentry.
Finish carpenters can practically name their own prices these days.
Plumbers do well, we certainly have for years, granted running your own company is a major pain which is why we don't do it anymore.
Cabinetmaking, similar to finish carpentry but usually a different trade in itself - fantastic earning potential.
If he likes to work with his hands and can do figures in his head (tradespeople need a lot more math skills than people think) he can do well in just about any trade.
My husband and I have a theory that within the next decade or so the salaries earned by tradespeople will go way up, because so few people try to learn them anymore.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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