A high school diploma is becoming more and more important in today's working world as a necessary step towards achieving success. In fact, according the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average high school graduate in 2002 earned approximately $717 per month more than the average person who has not completed high school. And that gap is widening: in 1979, a typical high school graduate could expect to earn an average of $444 per month more than someone without a high school diploma.
You can see the value of a high school diploma, looking at job listings today, many of which require a minimum of completion of high school. In 2004, high school graduates were 70% more likely to be employed than those without a high school diploma (BLS). Naturally, no educational program can guarantee a future salary or employment upon completion; however, having a high school diploma opens up plenty of new employment opportunities that are closed to those without a high school diploma.
What's the difference between a high school diploma and a GED? The GED is an exam comprising five areas: writing skills, social studies, science, interpreting literature, and mathematics. Completion does not give you a high school diploma; you are a "GED holder". Completion of an accredited high school program, including meeting credit requirements, results in the granting of a high school diploma; you are a "high school graduate".
What's best, completing the requirements for a high school diploma is easier than ever. Online programs can offer you the convenience of taking courses through the Internet, at your convenience, and from home. Of course, it's important to verify the accreditation of any school you're considering, to make sure your new high school diploma is worth all the work you've put into it.
You can see the value of a high school diploma, looking at job listings today, many of which require a minimum of completion of high school. In 2004, high school graduates were 70% more likely to be employed than those without a high school diploma (BLS). Naturally, no educational program can guarantee a future salary or employment upon completion; however, having a high school diploma opens up plenty of new employment opportunities that are closed to those without a high school diploma.
What's the difference between a high school diploma and a GED? The GED is an exam comprising five areas: writing skills, social studies, science, interpreting literature, and mathematics. Completion does not give you a high school diploma; you are a "GED holder". Completion of an accredited high school program, including meeting credit requirements, results in the granting of a high school diploma; you are a "high school graduate".
What's best, completing the requirements for a high school diploma is easier than ever. Online programs can offer you the convenience of taking courses through the Internet, at your convenience, and from home. Of course, it's important to verify the accreditation of any school you're considering, to make sure your new high school diploma is worth all the work you've put into it.
Day by day …
By Amena Jafri
THERE’S a myth amongst university students that every year, each student is entitled to at least five “days”. What the “day” actually comprises is known to vary significantly but let’s just say it’s not that great.
It’s supposed to be a day that no student wants to see, nevertheless has no choice. It’s also funny how in retrospect the “day” usually happens to be one of the most vivid memories of one’s university times. It’s also amusing to note how despite its generic nature; it seems to cloud the minds of students that it only happens to them and no one else.
As I get out of bed in the morning, I just know it’s going to be a bad day. There’s this feeling in the pit of my stomach that can’t be described in any way other than being peculiar. But well, I ignore it and reprimand myself for being too superstitious.
That’s when I realise the time on my alarm clock is wrong! I’ve woken up 30 minutes later than I intended to. And seeing how every single minute of the early morning before reaching class is calculated to exact perfection in order to allow me those few extra minutes of sleep, this blatantly spells DISASTER! But, I resolutely decide, I’ll be calm and everything will work out! I’ll just substitute all my morning activities with less time-consuming alternatives of each. Simple! Now this is where the problem starts. I can’t just put on any clothes and dash out the door today. Today, of all days, I have to make a presentation in my first class which is due to start in exactly 40 minutes out of which 20 need to be devoted to my traveling time.
I manage to find some respectable attire and make myself look presentable. Lamentably, there’s no time to straighten the hair so the audience will just have to bear with the mass on my head and assume it to be a height of fashion.
So far I’m still managing to keep up with time. As I rush outside and call for the elevator, I muse how much faster it’d be if I was living on the first floor instead of the 13th! And lo behold! The elevator gets stuck on the fifth floor. Knowing the depths of the functioning of the maintenance people’s efficiency, I brace myself to climb down the five flights. With my heels [courtesy the professional presentation look] in hand, I race down as fast as I can with my laptop in hand and humungous bag on the shoulder.
Seeing how my luck is supremely lacking today, I brace myself for the impending traffic jam that I’ll undoubtedly be stuck in. But guess what, there’s none! So I happily, zoom into university completely oblivious to what fate has in store for me next.
As I head to class, I’m confident that everything will be alright and I’ll ace my presentation. All I need to do is get to class within the next three minutes otherwise I’ll be marked late and denied the chance to give my presentation. But given how fast our university elevators work, getting to the seventh floor shouldn’t take long. Unless, as I’m to later find out, on that particular day, the elevator is broken! Yes, so once again I race up seven flights to get to class before the course instructor can pass his verdict on my tardiness.
And of all the things to happen, I break my shoe as I ascend the last step. Finally, as I drag my feet to the class, I’m informed that the course instructor has taken ill suddenly and is not expected to come for another week. Hence no presentation today! It’s just been 60 minutes since I’ve woken up and I’m already exhausted. What sort of a day is this? That’s when a realisation starts to dawn; is it possible? But no, it’s just supposed to be myth. It can’t be true. The “day” is not a real concept, is it?
But as the day progresses, I begin to recognise all the signs that I had heard about and slowly the realisation settles in. It is happening. And it’s happening to me! I am having my first ever “day” today! Now, three years later, as I head closer to graduation, I still wonder whether the “day” is actually something that could be true, or is it something that we have embedded in our minds and use as an excuse for the times when we run out of luck?
But one thing is for sure; at the end of every such pressing time, I have seen myself grow in ways that I hadn’t imagined before. As we fight against obstacles, be it time, people, situations or even a bad flu at an inconvenient time, we learn. We learn to deal with our realities, not to rely on consistency of any effecting factors and to make our own destiny rather that depending on fate to take charge.
While the few years of university education hoard our brains with knowledge and information required to excel in our respective fields, there’s another force at play as well.
This force prepares us to face the challenges of life that no book prepares us for, no course can teach us about. It makes us ready to face life and spar with the challenges that will undoubtedly come our way. And I am forever thankful to it.
It’s supposed to be a day that no student wants to see, nevertheless has no choice. It’s also funny how in retrospect the “day” usually happens to be one of the most vivid memories of one’s university times. It’s also amusing to note how despite its generic nature; it seems to cloud the minds of students that it only happens to them and no one else.
As I get out of bed in the morning, I just know it’s going to be a bad day. There’s this feeling in the pit of my stomach that can’t be described in any way other than being peculiar. But well, I ignore it and reprimand myself for being too superstitious.
That’s when I realise the time on my alarm clock is wrong! I’ve woken up 30 minutes later than I intended to. And seeing how every single minute of the early morning before reaching class is calculated to exact perfection in order to allow me those few extra minutes of sleep, this blatantly spells DISASTER! But, I resolutely decide, I’ll be calm and everything will work out! I’ll just substitute all my morning activities with less time-consuming alternatives of each. Simple! Now this is where the problem starts. I can’t just put on any clothes and dash out the door today. Today, of all days, I have to make a presentation in my first class which is due to start in exactly 40 minutes out of which 20 need to be devoted to my traveling time.
I manage to find some respectable attire and make myself look presentable. Lamentably, there’s no time to straighten the hair so the audience will just have to bear with the mass on my head and assume it to be a height of fashion.
So far I’m still managing to keep up with time. As I rush outside and call for the elevator, I muse how much faster it’d be if I was living on the first floor instead of the 13th! And lo behold! The elevator gets stuck on the fifth floor. Knowing the depths of the functioning of the maintenance people’s efficiency, I brace myself to climb down the five flights. With my heels [courtesy the professional presentation look] in hand, I race down as fast as I can with my laptop in hand and humungous bag on the shoulder.
Seeing how my luck is supremely lacking today, I brace myself for the impending traffic jam that I’ll undoubtedly be stuck in. But guess what, there’s none! So I happily, zoom into university completely oblivious to what fate has in store for me next.
As I head to class, I’m confident that everything will be alright and I’ll ace my presentation. All I need to do is get to class within the next three minutes otherwise I’ll be marked late and denied the chance to give my presentation. But given how fast our university elevators work, getting to the seventh floor shouldn’t take long. Unless, as I’m to later find out, on that particular day, the elevator is broken! Yes, so once again I race up seven flights to get to class before the course instructor can pass his verdict on my tardiness.
And of all the things to happen, I break my shoe as I ascend the last step. Finally, as I drag my feet to the class, I’m informed that the course instructor has taken ill suddenly and is not expected to come for another week. Hence no presentation today! It’s just been 60 minutes since I’ve woken up and I’m already exhausted. What sort of a day is this? That’s when a realisation starts to dawn; is it possible? But no, it’s just supposed to be myth. It can’t be true. The “day” is not a real concept, is it?
But as the day progresses, I begin to recognise all the signs that I had heard about and slowly the realisation settles in. It is happening. And it’s happening to me! I am having my first ever “day” today! Now, three years later, as I head closer to graduation, I still wonder whether the “day” is actually something that could be true, or is it something that we have embedded in our minds and use as an excuse for the times when we run out of luck?
But one thing is for sure; at the end of every such pressing time, I have seen myself grow in ways that I hadn’t imagined before. As we fight against obstacles, be it time, people, situations or even a bad flu at an inconvenient time, we learn. We learn to deal with our realities, not to rely on consistency of any effecting factors and to make our own destiny rather that depending on fate to take charge.
While the few years of university education hoard our brains with knowledge and information required to excel in our respective fields, there’s another force at play as well.
This force prepares us to face the challenges of life that no book prepares us for, no course can teach us about. It makes us ready to face life and spar with the challenges that will undoubtedly come our way. And I am forever thankful to it.
