Dropping out of high school is a choice that can be driven by multiple reasons. Some see it as an opportunity to achieve their future goals, but others see it as a decision of whether to keep a roof over their head or get an education that is not relevant to what they want to pursue. A few of the main reasons students drop out is due to not liking school, being rebellious, or that they just do not believe they need an education. When asked about the fascination of dropping out, junior Adam Hansen, replied, “It just seems more exciting to be out of school, rather than to be stuck in a classroom and learning. And you don’t really realize immediate benefits with taking school. You realize it later on.” Around this age, adolescents do not like being told what to do, so they take any opportunity to being independent, including dropping out of school. Students typically do not understand that school is to prepare them for that independence they crave. There are also reasons that are domestic related, such as ones like financial and family based, not for fame like Youtubers. For reasons with these, adolescents believe they don’t have any other option but to drop out and work.

Many do not realize that there are other alternatives to dropping out. They could transfer to a different school, take online classes, or be homeschool. Without recognizing these other options students simply try to get a job, or make poor decisions that could have a negative outlook on their lives, such as jail time. Usually, jail is associated with minorities. When thinking of minorities in jail, gang activity is one of the first thoughts. Hansen replied, “Once they drop out of high school, they need somewhere to fit in. And they fit in with the gang, and do drugs for fun or to relax, and think about other things. Cause its not they’re just dropping out because they want to. They’re dropping out for a reason and they probably turn to drugs to escape that reason.” A majority of prisoners, whether federal or state, are made up of drop outs. Most people assume that the majority of dropouts are either African American or Hispanic, but surveys show that the highest ranking of dropouts are American Indian/Alaska Natives. Out of 54.7 %, Native Americans have a drop out rate of 15.7% compared to African Americans or Hispanics who have drop out rates below 11%.

When it comes to teens considering to drop out, you will notice little details. These include, not attending the classes regularly, lack of interest, focus, or concern, or maybe a change of attitude. When thinking about the choice, teens are mainly thinking about their independence and not having to deal with school, not the downsides. With the help of district boards, staff, or parents the desire to dropout in students will decrease. Sophomore Alex Charoenkul says, “I think through similar interests, I bet teachers bond with sports, or just something like that.” When students are not feeling supported or are not excelling in school, creating a bond between teachers and students could get them to open up and ask for help. Another influence is social media, mainly YouTube. Most of the stars that teens look up to, such as rappers or YouTubers, were dropouts. Therefore, people think they can be just as successful, not understanding that the chances of that are low. Freshman Viola Alatalo says, “Well, on YouTube. All the YouTubers drop out and they still make a lot of money. So I feel like people think that if they do drop out that it’s a good thing.” Senior Liam Cartwright says, “It depends, because some of the rappers are drop outs and they’re doing pretty good. So it makes it look likes they can still be successful, even with dropping out. But that’s like a really low percentage of people that drop out.” Without recognizing that if a student was to drop out, the main occupations that are open for them include truck driver, mechanic, electrician, or food service manager. Even though there is a slight chance of success, there is no guarantee.

Whether students should be allowed to drop out before 16 is a question provoking varied answers. Sophomore Sasha Shunko says, “Yea, I think they can if they have other goals, and they know what they’re gonna do. And not just dropping out because they don’t wanna deal with school.” Junior Adam Hansen says, “ No, it’s too early to make a decision. Unless they have a serious reason to or lots of financial trouble and they actually have to dropout of high school to work and support their family.” Senior Olivia Sharek says,“It depends on the circumstances, and why they’re dropping out. But I don’t think the option to drop out before 16 shouldn’t be allowed for everyone. Because then everyone would just drop out.”

Although there are multiple different opinions, most agree that when it comes to dropping out there are many different factors to consider. The main question students should ask themselves when dropping out is where do they see themselves in five years?