I need help with a tough decision.

[63083]

So here's the deal. I am just about to be senior in high school and my life is not going well. My dad's work has just done their second huge layoff and things are extremely tight as it stands and if they do another layoff, my dad is next. I'm going to be 18 in just under a month. And just recently, a job at our local Staples (computer and office store) popped up. The job pays 16 dollars an hour and is full time and is more than double the child support and maintenance my mom receives. $2000 dollars a month after taxes. It's not even 2 miles away and the way things are now, it's a very tempting offer.

So here's my question. Do I drop out of high school and spring for the job I can support myself on, or stay in high school and risk my dad losing his job and having nowhere to live? What are your guys' input on this?

 

[01001010]

So here's my question. Do I drop out of high school and spring for the job I can support myself on, or stay in high school and risk my dad losing his job and having nowhere to live? What are your guys' input on this?

Without your high school education, you have an extremely small career path opportunity. Why would you do that to yourself?

 

[63083]

But if I have nowhere to live because of my dad losing his job, I wouldn't be going to school anyway.

 

[Teny]

You guys dont have some type of savings or back up plan that can last you a couple to a few months while your dad looks for another job?

If I was in your position, my parents would hate me if I dropped out of high school, even if I was going to help support the family.

Why are you only supporting yourself? are you being selfish and not going to support your dad when he loses his job?

Just stay in school, and see what happens. If you drop out, then you will always get an minimum waged job for the rest of your life (unless you get lucky somehow), and with minimum wage, you will have to make huge sacrifices on life, and might not be able to support yourself, along with not being able to get a job as fast.

Your dad can fill out this unemployment thing and turn it in to the government, and they will give you guys money until you guys get a job. My dad was eligible, but he found a job right away after getting laid off. He searched nonstop for a job on that 2 weeks he was laid off.

 

[rohan23]

Can't you work as many hours as possible until school is finished? I'm sure you could easily get in 40+ hours a week. Start work after school and work all day weekends. Summer is almost upon you. Work full time during your break and use that money to level out the field when school starts again.

 

[Fanatic4Christ]

ahh got to love the joys of independent studies.... its SWEET lol u go once a week (lunch or something) go to your school officials and ask if they offer it because you are in need of getting a job...

 

[root]

isn't there a way that you can get an evening job, or a weekend job and still stay in school?

you're talking about dropping out of high school, then what? you'll have absolutely no qualifications, and that will stop you getting some really basic jobs.

Jobs are tight at the moment, and they may get tighter still, you may find that if things do get really tight that you aren't even able to get a cash registers job because you don't have the qualifications of a basic education.

and Teny, I think that when he talks about getting a job to support himself, he means so that he won't be a drain on his family, not that he wants to be OK and everyone else doesn't matter.

 

[David Lindon]

I would say try and stay at school. Can't you work part time?

Maybe I'm missing something but if you dad is work full time at the moment and you said your mom is getting $2000+ welfare/month surely money cant be that tight?

 

[PokerDegenerate]

Yeah stay in school for sure. are you even sure that they will hire you without your high school diploma or atleast a GED? I really am having a hard time believing they will even hire someone without a diploma to a job paying 16 bucks an hour at a staples when there are so many more people who would take that job in a heart beat and have a diploma.

Another thing is that may be all well and good for you to help your dad out now but what about your future? are you just going to work there the rest of your life?

Bad choice to drop out of school in that situation. Your dad will get unemployment if he is laid off. So im pretty sure everything will work out.

 

[Rubber314Chicken]

Why doesn't your dad just work at staples then?