GED Stories

Name:      Watika
Age:      17
City and State:     Winchester, Virginia

When I first started High School as a Freshman, I was very overwhelmed and excited. Then as I grew older, and went to different grade levels, each year I started to slack. I thought I had made the biggest mistake ever, by slacking my Junior year, and not having enough credits to be a Senior and graduate with my class in 2009. But now, I’m working on getting my GED, and graduating on time with my Senior Class (:

Reason for Leaving School:  I left school my Junior year, and it was because I had to do what was best for me.

Reason to Get a GED:  I wanted to get my GED, not only because I was the only sibling out of my family that wouldn’t graduate, but because I wanted to make my parents happy. I wanted to fix my mistake, as best as I could and to show them that I have the potential, the right state of mind, and that I am smart enough to do it. My hopes with this whole GED thing, is that I can pass all the courses that I missed by a few points, and that I’ll be eligible to get through.

My goals are to get my GED and to go off to college and have a nice job and make good money. My dreams for the future are for me to make something of myself. I want to be able to say I graduated with a GED and I can still do as much as a normal High School graduate can. I want to show everybody else, that you don’t necessarily have to have a good job, a big house, a nice car, and to be living large, to make something of yourself. It’s possible to come from nothing and to be something, and I want to be one of those people!

One Thing I Need for My Dreams:  Working hard, staying focused, and doing what’s right!

Watika,

We see a lot of students who wait years and years to get their GED… and that makes it all the harder to go back, because they’ve forgotten a lot of things they learned. They’ve lost a lot of time in reaching for their dreams, too… the sooner you graduate, the better off you’ll be. Congratulations on taking steps to put your life on track!

A couple of things: You may have slacked off, but you likely learned a lot in high school. It’s still pretty fresh in your mind. Take a GED practice test to see if you can pass some of the tests right away. Likely, you can, and if you get passing scores in some subjects, it will help motivate you to study for the subjects that you need to brush up on. Get the easiest parts out of the way first, so you can concentrate on the harder parts. It’ll be easier to stay motivated, and it’ll also be easier to focus your studying.

Virginia has a fantastic GED website. Their “Race to the GED” program is designed to get GEDs for Virginia residents who need them. Visit their website at http://www.vaged.vcu.edu/ for information and help locally. And let us know when you pass!

The GED Academy