Dropping out of High School.
Buffalo, NY · Member since 2017 · 64 posts · 85 votes
Dropping out of High School.
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Rental Property Investor · Brooklyn NY · Member since 2018 · 263 posts · 469 votes
7yShort answer. Do not drop out of high school. PERIOD.
210 Replies
- Buffalo, NY · Member since 2017 · 64 posts · 85 votes7y
@Jim K. For me 90 is quality. I work and stress at school. Do I want better? Yes of course i do. In the first quarter my grade was a 83% it got each quarter, and i am very great full for that. I know valedictorians, I know what they had to miss out on, and the stress they put on themselves. Valedictorian is great until you meet the people who get them, and you see the toll it had on them in most cases. That being said, that does not mean that I dont strive for those types of grades, I do. Hopefully other people look back in at this thread that are thinking the way i was, and i hope they learn I did. Thank you for your responses Jim.
- 7yMorgan PorterBusiness MemberProperty Manager · Richmond, VA · Member since 2018 · 36 posts · 19 votes
@John Moorhouse finish up and get your diploma.
- Real Estate Agent · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2018 · 416 posts · 396 votes7y
@John Moorhouse dude, school sucks. I get it. But highschool is pretty much a necessity to finish. This isn’t the 50s where you can stop school at 6th grade and still get work with a reputable company. The majority of legit construction places won’t even hire you until you’re 18 anyway. If you do get hired, you’ll get hired by some scumbag who will take advantage of you because you’re a young kid still trying to learn how’s to make it work.
If you want to make moves, join a real estate investor association, network, FINISH HIGHSCHOOL then jump into the world full force. That highschool diploma, no matter how minor it seems, removes some obstacles. And if you join the real estate investor association, you’ll have more connections than you know what to do with by the time you’re done school.
If you’re so concerned about saving money, get a job bussing tables, or start a small business and sell something. I taught martial arts after school so I could make and save money as a kid.
- Tampa, FL · Member since 2019 · 39 posts · 4 votes7y
I feel you, I just graduated High School last week and let me tell you, I did not learn s*** from those classes. I spent more of my time taking 20 minute bathroom breaks during english class to go talk to my architecture teacher who has been investing in RE for 30+ years. It is what you make out of it. Drop that 90 down to an 80 for the sacrifice of not doing so much BS, truly useless, homework, and just spend time studying real estate, and reading RE/Business books in class. Even if your teachers start to get PO'd at you, it is definitely worth it to do what you want and still get a Diploma. Which is pretty much the bare minimum to fall back on, but is good to have... Value your time, even if your teachers and the education system as a whole doesn't.
- Buffalo, NY · Member since 2017 · 64 posts · 85 votes7y
@Keith Mack after reading all of these amazing responses I am going to force myself through the rest of high school. Im finishing up Rich Dad Poor Dad right now, and i just ordered three more books off of amazon. Thank you for your response Keith
- Investor · Houston, TX · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 871 votes7y
The world is jam-packed with irrelevant garbage that you have sort through to get what you want. You are experiencing this now in HS. Unfortunately, no matter where you go, no matter what you do, you are going to have to deal with it. Learn to 'find something you like about it' and deal with it and get through it. Then it's over and behind you. And then you've proven to yourself and everybody that you are a finisher, not a quitter.
BTW no matter what road you choose, it will be hard and it will suck. There will be parts you like and parts you hate. Embrace it, and overcome.
Plus you need that HS diploma for so many things. You obviously like to learn, so don't let that become an obstacle for yourself later.
- Investor · Boston, MA · Member since 2018 · 61 posts · 46 votes7y@John Moorhouse 90% of the people here hated high school. DO. NOT. DROP. OUT. You need money for real estate investing. Moreso-you need income. There are very few places where paying with cash is better than borrowing from a bank. Banks want to lend to people who will pay them back. That means income. To have income, you need a job. Look at all the jobs that will accept a 10th grade education. Now look at what they pay. Find me any job with a 10th grade education requirement that will make a bank comfortable enough to loan you money. If you really are serious, spend your summers interning and learning about investing. Get through the last two years-we all did. That way, by the time you’re ready to invest, you’ll have the income to do it. There’s no situation where 30 year old you doesn’t regret this.
- 7yAndy RouschPro MemberInvestor · Mt. Arlington NJ · Member since 2018 · 251 posts · 143 votes
When I was 16 I dropped out of regular high school and went to an adult high school (that offered real diplomas not just GED). I was also more into money and felt school had me trapped. I’m now a year away from my masters degree and have two rental properties. I wouldn’t suggest not getting your high school diploma at all, but if your area offers an alternative like night school it could be an option. I get where you coming from where school feels like a waste of time, but the diploma is important to keep the door open for other careers. After your diploma trade school may be a better alternative if you enjoy working with your hands
Also keep in mind I did feel very left out when my friends where all making plans at the lunch table or getting ready for graduation and I was at work, but at this point of my life it doesn’t make a difference.
- Accountant · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes7y
Get your high school degree and then start work full time. If you decide you want to put college on the back burner and maybe go later, so be it.
It's 2019. Most people 25-40 now have at least a bachelor's degree, that should tell you something.
Do not drop out, you will only hamstring yourself later in life. Are your parents okay with you dropping out?
If you are 16, I don't see any reason why you can't start working part-time now as long as your grades don't suffer.
- Rental Property Investor · Canton, OH · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes7y
@John Moorhouse
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo....SQUIRREL...Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
- Rental Property Investor · Lehi, UT (Lehi) · Member since 2018 · 91 posts · 99 votes7y
I didn’t read what others have said but please do not drop out of high school. I know you didn’t list it as something you want to do but you can’t even become a real estate agent without a ged. Please stick it out for 2 more years and finish high school. It may be worthless but you gotta have at least that. Now if you don’t want to go to college that’s a different story. But high school got to finish that my man.
- Real Estate Broker · Ardmore, OK · Member since 2019 · 17 posts · 27 votes7y
I vote for finishing high school, but learning as much as you possibly can about real estate at the same time. Find a mentor in the industry, if possible. If I had everything to do over though, I wouldn’t have gone to college. You’re so young, you have so much time to build your life. Your mindset will give you a huge advantage. I didn’t start thinking like that until after college. You’ll surprise yourself how far you can get in just 5 years. Make sure you get all of the crazy out of your system before you start investing. We all make dumb mistakes when we are young, just try not to make a crippling financial one. Start small and learn as you go.
- Lititz, PA · Member since 2013 · 595 posts · 272 votes7y
Originally posted by @Nick Rutkowski:
@John Moorhouse
I see the cons of college being a good reason not to go but dropping out of high school is a bad idea. How many contractors would you hire without a high school diploma?
Who has ever asked a contractor for a diploma?
To the OP: Regardless of the type of degree you get (or do not get), you will have to develop a knowledge base for the subject you are pursuing. You seem like the type of person that will never stop learning and improving, so that should not be a problem.
It also helps to have good "soft skills" and write and speak well. Best of luck to you!
- Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes7y
Originally posted by @John Moorhouse:
@Jim K. For me 90 is quality. I work and stress at school. Do I want better? Yes of course i do. In the first quarter my grade was a 83% it got each quarter, and i am very great full for that. I know valedictorians, I know what they had to miss out on, and the stress they put on themselves. Valedictorian is great until you meet the people who get them, and you see the toll it had on them in most cases. That being said, that does not mean that I dont strive for those types of grades, I do. Hopefully other people look back in at this thread that are thinking the way i was, and i hope they learn I did. Thank you for your responses Jim.
John, as you note, people make sacrifices to get good grades. In my opinion, those sacrifices are usually greatly overrated and not worth it from a financial perspective for the overwhelming majority of them. But I respect the sacrifices they choose to make. I respect the toll they're paying.
It's been stated many times by many highly successful people that the heart and soul of getting anywhere from nothing in any field of endeavor is making sacrifices. That's what allows you to swim against the tide of mediocrity. You choose to do things others choose not to do. Those sacrifices are usually significantly more difficult than those a high-school valedictorian makes. There are dues/a toll to be paid for making it in America.
Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, once said: “People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully."
The valedictorian's sacrifices are practice for paying those dues/that toll, for saying no to all the other things out there to do and experience. So are the many extra hours the ungifted athlete who stays on the varsity team puts in. The senior who schedules all classes to leave early to go work every weekday evening shift and pull doubles on the weekends at a crummy job? That person is practicing, too.
How are you practicing? What are you saying no to? How are you preparing to pay the price that will be asked of you?
Here are three other quotes about this that I think are valuable.
"People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents." Andrew Carnegie, Gilded Age robber baron"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." Calvin Coolidge, 30th US president
""The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare." Juma Ikangaa, marathoner
- Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes7y
Originally posted by @William Coet:
Originally posted by @Nick Rutkowski:
@John Moorhouse
I see the cons of college being a good reason not to go but dropping out of high school is a bad idea. How many contractors would you hire without a high school diploma?
Who has ever asked a contractor for a diploma?
To the OP: Regardless of the type of degree you get (or do not get), you will have to develop a knowledge base for the subject you are pursuing. You seem like the type of person that will never stop learning and improving, so that should not be a problem.
It also helps to have good "soft skills" and write and speak well. Best of luck to you!
I complete disagree. He seems like the type of person who gives up.
- Specialist · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2017 · 26 posts · 17 votes7y
@John Moorhouse Don't do the negative by dropping out of high school, instead as an investor find a solution and see if you can graduate early it is possible
- Contractor · Dover, NH · Member since 2019 · 28 posts · 11 votes7y
@John
I felt the same in high school. I left in 9th grade and completed my schooling on nights and weekends while working for a small frame to finish crew.
I did graduate.
I started working for myself doing residential renovations for landlords.
I was able to purchase a house when I was 20.
I got married, joined a company as an employee. Now I’m getting back into real Estate as a residential investor.
My advice would be to analyze deals and show them and discuss them with everyone that will listen.
Contact a realtor and see if you can tag along for a showing.
Get on a realtors email list for the kind of properties you’re interested in.
Interview with a few contractors if that’s something you’re interested in.
Listen to the podcasts and watch the YouTube videos.
There is alternative methods to getting a high school education that may require less time, but your parents would more than likely have to be on board.
Research those options and present those ideas.
What you have is a few different problems.
The entrepreneur finds good solutions for everyone involved and presents them.
It also seems like you have a handful of different things going on with this firefighter, contractor/investor thing.
I don’t see that any one or all three of those pursuits would mean that you wouldn’t have to have an incomplete high school education.
I don’t believe that the high school education is the most important thing in your life right now, but I do believe it would be healthy for you to do the mundane while pursuing your ambitious passions.
TL;DR= finish school AND work your butt off doing the stuff you want to do!!!
- Oakland CA · Member since 2019 · 9 posts · 0 votes7y
The fact that you're thinking of your future at such a young age is mind blowing, but dropping out is not necessary. It is going to fly by trust me. Just continue learning everything you can about real estate. I know you feel like you are being left out but trust me you're not. It's never too late to invest.
- Contractor · Portland, OR · Member since 2019 · 3 posts · 1 vote7y
@John Moorhouse the benefit is the piece of paper and what it represents. It represents commitment and follow thru. No one likes to see someone who got close to the finish line and then just quit. You're young. If it's what you really want, work on what you can in your free time and when you graduate, hit the ground running with your knowledg and network like a mad man! Hope this helps.
- Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes7y
A high school dropout today goes through life with a sign on his back that says he can't function steadily for extended periods of time at the most basic level in the easiest possible environment to sail through. His lack of a diploma signifies that he's a quitter to anyone thinking about hiring him and to anyone thinking about partnering with him.
Is that a stereotype? Of course! But bigotry does not make negative perceptions any less of a handicap in this world.
And how bad is the dropout stereotype going to be in 2030, when our OP here is in his late 20s? How much weight is it reasonably likely to load on his back as he tries to get important things in his life done?
As far as the contracting-with-no-diploma thing goes..come on. Here we go again with Bigger Pockets's extensive white-collar bias and disinterest in the actual facts of life of the blue-collared.
In the 2010s, successful American-born contractor-without-HS diploma is a non-starter, even a sideshow. I do not know a single young US-native-born tradesman who proves to himself he can do the work who doesn't eventually figure things out and go back to school for at least an associates degree. It's free or reduced-price training in all kinds of stuff.
My wife came to this country and never even bothered to translate and register her diploma and four-year-degree. She has more than enough credits lined up for her second associates degree now, and they gave her an equivalency diploma along the way. By the time she's done I'm pretty sure she'll have a hood in something.
There's a bare living in the trades for everyone with a halfway-decent brain, but there's a ton of money for the aware.
- Saratoga, CA · Member since 2018 · 36 posts · 10 votes7y
That is how I felt when I was in high school, many ppl told me that I should at least finish college..okay then I followed their advice, and I am in law school right now. I feel like I didn't learn anything useful at all. I learnt everything from books I read after school and mentors I met. So why I'm still in law school? cuz I met my partner in this law school and I just want to be with this person..
- 7yMatthew Irish-JonesBusiness MemberReal Estate Agent · Buffalo, NY · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votesIf your super ambitious you can graduate HS and start your business, or learn business. Many HS students work, play on a sports team and graduate. You are far better off getting a part time job working in a RE office, working for a PM company or working in construction AND graduating HS. I do hiring for several different companies, not graduation HS is a huge red flag. Build your business, or business expertise and graduate.
Irish Jones Realty4.947 Reviews - Rental Property Investor · New York City · Member since 2019 · 703 posts · 538 votes7y
Don't drop out of high school. School isn't for everyone but at bare minimum stick it out!!
Why shoot for being a laborer??? Learn a skilled trade!! Then, save some money and get into real estate little by little.
- Investor · FL · Member since 2019 · 76 posts · 37 votes7y
@John Moorhouse
Stay in school and take advantage of the options it can bring instead of the ones it does not. Finish and move on, education brings knowledge and knowledge brings power. There are plenty of work study programs in high schools and alternatives, do not Quit.
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