Do you have a son or daughter who is struggling in high school and wants to quit?

What problems do high school dropouts face, anyway?

As you are guiding your young adult, you might want to keep the following in mind.

– Employment Challenges

Most people understand the difficulties of locating a job that can provide a living wage. Add to that basic challenge the lack of a good education and high school dropouts quite simply stack the deck against themselves.

Without a high school diploma or its equivalent, many ex-students find themselves chasing jobs rather than holding them. Especially in the current uncertain economic times, a high school dropout can find himself competing for jobs alongside degreed applicants.

The foundational qualities of a good education cannot be overstated. Communicating this profound truth to your son or daughter may be extremely difficult, however.

Consider browsing through a career website or classified jobs section of your local paper with your teen. Ask what careers interest him and why. Then talk about what qualifications those positions require – and why! For example, does your teen want a dental hygienist who dropped out of school working on his teeth? Why not?

– Poverty

It’s no surprise that without a competent education, many high school dropouts face the problem and pain of poverty. The real problem here is not their lack of funds, since many college students and new graduates also face living on the cheap while they get established in their new positions.

The real issue here is that a high-school dropout quite possibly is looking at a lifetime of poverty. There are exceptions, of course. As an example, the ex-student who recognizes the difficulties in front of her, can make an about-face and enter the world of entrepreneurism without much of a formal education.

This scenario can and does occur, but is rare. In most instances, it is much easier to lay a strong foundation of education down first and build on that then to exclusively attend the school of hard knocks. However, both ways do work!

– Added frustrations

Young adults who drop out of high school face more than just financial and career hurdles in the real world. Their lack of education can reveal itself in other ways, too.

For example, these young adults often hinder their own judgment and perspective when they severely limit their education. A good education is not just about academics; a large portion of it is in learning about oneself and the surrounding world. About how we can reasonably take our place and be contributing.

Some ex-students have a perception that “the world” is standing in their way. They get angry and frustrated at their seeming lack of options. Sometimes this can lead to depression, or even alcohol or drug abuse. Teens who get to this point often find it increasingly difficult to muster up the courage, tenacity and discipline necessary to turn around such a downward cycle.

– The rest of the picture

Thankfully, there are alternatives to these dismal scenarios. The ex-student who can take an honest look at herself and consider the following can make the changes needed to turn her life around.

* Why did she drop out of high school? The real reason and not the socially acceptable one she’s been telling her friends.

* Does she have an untapped drive or ambition (nearly always the case) that was simply not being developed in a traditional school setting?

* Has she taken an honest look at the way the real world works? Not the fleeting, flashy and image-based world of the media, but the real and every day world of history, faith and community?

The problems of many high school dropouts are real and potentially severe. However, these challenges do not have to be life-limiting. One of the best parts of being an adult is that you can choose a new path.

A new way of doing things.

Starting today.

Consider introducing the young adult in your life to a new way of looking at their future.