GED Stories

Name: Jacqueline
Age: 16
City and State: Ft. Loramie, Ohio

What motivated you to get your GED? I am very mature for my age because I grew up around only adults, therefore I do a lot of adult things. I am currently home schooled and hold a part-time (almost full-time) job, and I want out of school for now so that I can do nothing but work because my mother is a mom of 3 and single and I would like to help her as much as possible. I just can’t seem to motivate myself to do my school work anymore. I’m very smart if I try hard enough and I think that getting a G.E.D will help in the long run. After 18 I want to go to college to be a nurse or a vet but as for the here and now I need all the work hours I can get. I don’t have time for school.

How have your friends and family helped you? My mom is my biggest support and also my best friend. She said that she would help me study only if it is what I really want to do. That means signing me out of school and passing my G.E.D. All my friends are of age and most of them disagree, but it will not stop me.

What problems have you faced? I just need to know if I’m smart enough to pass the G.E.D before I go and have my mom sign me out of school.

What do you hope to gain from getting your GED? Working and saving money for college to become a nurse or a vet.

Jacqueline,

The short answer to your core question is, you are smart enough to pass the GED. Still, you’ve got some other obstacles. You’ve got your mother’s support. That’s good. And a lot of students who have been home schooled go the GED route to their diplomas. Still, there are extra requirements in Ohio for people under 19 years old. In addition to your mother’s official approval (she’ll need to sign a parental consent form), you need a waiver from the Superintendent of your school or the school district where you live. You can find the information on the Ohio Department of Education webpage outlining GED age requirements: http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=684&ContentID=7271&Content=73217

To get back to your question, and give you the long answer, the issue isn’t really whether you’re smart enough. (You are!) The issue is how much preparation you’ll need. The first thing you should do to check your readiness is take a GED practice test. That’ll give you a good idea where you stand, and you can take your studying from there.

Best of luck!

The GED Academy