High School Diploma, More Than Just a Piece of Paper
Regardless of what people plan to do later on with their lives, everyone should still earn a high school diploma to keep their options open. A high school diploma represents that the diploma’s holder has received the proper academic education and training stipulated by the state to 1) continue to pursue higher education in college and earn a degree or 2) enter the workforce.
For those planning to attend a four-year college or university, a high school diploma is almost always required for admission. Community colleges and vocational schools are more lenient and will accept a GED as a replacement for a high school diploma, but high school diplomas generally give people a larger range of schools to choose from. It is possible to get into a four-year college by transferring in from a community college, but that process has been growing more competitive each year and is not always successful. In most cases, a high school diploma is also mandatory to earn a degree, even at community colleges.
If a person decides to jump straight into the workforce directly after college, a high school diploma will also signify to the employer that the diploma holder has the necessary academic background and integrity to handle certain tasks or assignments. Like the situation with college, a high school diploma makes the diploma holder qualified to apply for a much larger range of jobs compared the few choices he would have without a diploma. Of course, many of these jobs require on-the-job training or certain coursework to be completed, but an individual could potentially earn a job as a salesperson, pharmacy technician, medical assistant, or electrician. A better job also comes with a better pay; people with a high school diploma earn an average of seven thousand more dollars than people without a diploma.
No matter what a person plans to do after high school, having a high school diploma will undoubtedly come in use. After spending time working and gaining experience in different fields, many individuals decide to return to school with a much clearer career path in mind, and a high school diploma will ensure that they will be able to get the education they want. On the contrary, there are people who discover during college that college isn’t for them, and in those cases, a high school diploma will still give them access to a variety of entry-level jobs.