Resources
For Students
Are you struggling with your schoolwork? Do you feel "lost in the shuffle" at school? Do classes and homework seem hopelessly unrelated to your real life? Are there circumstances in your or your friends' lives that make dropping out seem like the only option?
On May 9th MTV News will premiere "The Dropout Chronicles," a stark portrait of three high school students facing unique obstacles and all on the brink of walking away from their high school diplomas. The new documentary depicts how young people from similar backgrounds make different choices about their education and how varied interventions by teachers, parents, friends and other factors impact the outcome of these choices.
As part of MTV's commitment to serve as a megaphone for its audience and offer young people a hand in solving America's dropout crisis, MTV also announced Jynell Harrison of Providence, Rhode Island as winner of thinkMTV's national "Be the Voice" essay competition. Jynell's experiences trying to graduate from high school and prepare for college or the workplace and her ideas for change are heartfelt and compelling.
"We were inspired by Jynell's determination in the face of adversity and felt a responsibility to offer her this platform—to share her unique perspective on what America's youth need to overcome the dropout crisis," said Christina Norman, President, MTV.
While dropping out of school may seem like the right decision, one that will ease your frustrations and make your life easier to manage, the reality is just the opposite. Life without a high school diploma is a struggle for those who drop out—a struggle for money, for jobs, for respect. The decision to leave school is one that has far-reaching consequences that can haunt you for the rest of your life. Studies show that students who drop out of school without graduating are much more likely to be unemployed, living in poverty, receiving public assistance, in prison, on death row, unhealthy, divorced, and single parents with children who themselves drop out of school. Consider these bleak facts:
- High school dropouts earn, on average, $9,200 less per year than high school graduates, and about $1 million less over a lifetime than college graduates
- High school dropouts are more than eight times more likely to be in jail or prison than those with at least a high school diploma
Seventy-four percent of dropouts surveyed said they would have stayed in school, knowing what they know today about the expectations of the world.
—The Silent Epidemic (PDF)
It's tough enough to get a job, take care of yourself and your family, and get ahead in life as a young adult. It's clear, however, that it's nearly impossible to do these things if you do not graduate. Not convinced? We recently conducted a survey of high school dropouts themselves about their thoughts, their experiences, and their regrets about dropping out. Here's what they told us:
- Forty-seven percent of those surveyed said not having a diploma makes it hard to find a good job;
- Seventy-four percent said they would have stayed in school, knowing what they know today about the expectations of the world; and,
- Seventy-six percent said they would definitely or probably re-enroll in a high school for people their own age at some point in the future
Do they regret their decision to drop out? You decide:
- "...I haven't finished high school. I don't have a diploma. I don't have a job. I am broke...You can't make it without that. You can't go anywhere, for real, on the legal side...If you go to school, get your diploma, you can do more things the right way. You might succeed."
- "It's important to get an education to do well in life."
- "I think it's one of the worst regrets of my life..."
- "I wouldn't make the same decision. I would stay in school..."
It's no joke. Dropping puts you on the fast track to nowhere. Staying in school, getting your diploma and finishing your education can make all the difference...not just for today but for the rest of your life.
