Benefits of a High School Diploma

School is tough...no matter what they say...it is. I remember adults saying, "you're so lucky to be in high school and not have any responsibilities." What? No responsibilities...they didn't have a clue...there were tests, reports, essays, projects, the ACT/SAT, and choosing a college just to name a few of the responsibilities that face a student. There were days when I thought that "dropping out" was the answer to all of my problems. Now, a few years later (ok...a lot of years later) I'm glad that I got my high school diploma because the benefits of that piece of paper make all of the hard work worthwhile.

Reality is that to get a job or to go to college you will need a high school diploma. Sure, there are people working who don't have a diploma, but if they did they would find many more doors open to them.

Here are 5 Benefits of Receiving a High School Diploma, compiled by eHow.com:

1. Salaries. A high school diploma recipient earns an average of $8,400 a year more than a high school dropout. If you work until the age of 65 that will amount to $394,800...Wow!
2. Significance. A study by the Economics Center for Education and Research in Ohio found that high school diplomas benefit taxpayers and state economies as well. High school graduates contribute more to a state's economy and require less state assistance than high school dropouts.
3. Potential. The Ohio study found that high school graduates can realize a net lifetime benefit of more than $470,000. For state tax payers, the contributions by high school graduates far outweigh the costs of education.
4. Misconceptions. A General Educational Development, or GED, is widely perceived as a high school equivalency certificate. However, studies have shown that high school graduates earn more on average than GED recipients. In addition, not all colleges accept a GED as equivalent to a high school diploma.
5. Considerations. High school dropouts, in contrast to graduates, face uncertain futures. Dropouts are more likely to be incarcerated or require public assistance than high school graduates.

Some fields that are seeing huge growth and only require a high school diploma include: home health aides, physical therapist aides, medical assistants, pharmacy technicians and medical secretaries.

So, the next time that you start feeling like you just can't go to class another hour...think about where you want to be and what you would like to be doing...and just maybe getting your high school diploma will help you get there.