GED Stories

Name: Edward
Age: 17
City and State: Kansas City, Missouri

What motivated you to get your GED? Well, what motivated me to get my GED is people, because I see people always talking about it and always making me think about it because it seems to me like if they were to be talking about me, let’s say I feel like a nobody and I don’t want to be that person. I want to be the person people look up to. I want to be known as a SUCCESSFUL person. (more…)

Name: Andrew
Age: 17
City and State: Las Vegas, Nevada

What motivated you to get your GED? I dropped out of high school at the end of tenth grade, but you could say I dropped out the first day of the ninth grade. I didn’t have the motivation or anyone to push me to do my work, I would stay up all night playing video games and go to school tired and sleep during my classes. At 14 years old, I thought my life was great, I could do what I wanted, eat what I wanted, and stay up all night… Every kid’s fantasy, right? And I was living it. My motivation to obtain the GED is simple. I was 16 years old, no job.. couldn’t find a job and was going nowhere with my life. Other than financially, I still didn’t have parental guidance. Sure, my dad would buy me things, support me and pay for anything I needed, but he never gave me the emotional and moral support that I needed. Basically it comes down to, I wanted to go to college and the GED was my ticket there. (more…)

Name: John
Age: 45
City and State: Gloucester City, NJ

What motivated you to get your GED? What motivated me to get my GED is myself! 45 years old, was laid off. I left school in the beginning of 11th, I only went to 11th grade for 2 days. (more…)

Name: Jody
Age: 32
City and State: Haughton, Louisiana

What motivated you to get your GED? Court.

How have your friends and family helped you? They’re doing it.

What problems have you faced? I don’t know, have not yet tried to get the GED.

What do you hope to gain from getting your GED? Learn more and become a cop.

Jody,

You’re just starting out… and this is the hardest time on the way to your GED. You know that you want something better in your life, but you’re not sure exactly how to get there. It’s hard to start something new. A lot of people can’t take that first step. The most important thing is to make a commitment. Get focused on what the GED means to you: better skills, better job opportunities, a better future. You have the ability to make enormous, positive changes in your life. How do you get started? Make a commitment, to yourself, your family, and your life. This is something you want, so make it your priority. Find out what’s on the tests. Contact a local testing center. Start studying! You can get your GED, and we want to help. But you’re the one responsible for making it happen. So get started!

The GED Academy

Name: Joshua
Age: 17

What motivated you to get your GED? Dropped out in eighth grade, was fourteen years old. Working a piss poor job. Fast food. I looked around at myself, at my coworkers, my family and friends. They were all great people but losers. Pot smokers, alchies, lower class people who were stuck in the same endless job as I. Each check was a disappointment, we were all stuck but couldn’t get out. I don’t want to struggle, I don’t want to move from fast food job to fast food job. Continuing dissatisfaction with the job caused me to put my two weeks notice in, after seven months of employment there. I am moving to a different environment, in with my father who is far away. I am going to have to get another crap job, but while up there I’d like to study in my free time, earn a GED, and do my best to pursue higher education so as to try and make something of myself. (more…)

Name: Shannon
Age: 20
City and State: Manheim, Pennsylvania

What motivated you to get your GED? I had to end high school only having a 10th grade education due to mental health problems. I got pregnant a year after that and was unable to attend school. My daughter is 8 months old, and she deserves more from me than what I’ve settled for. She changed my life. She made me believe in myself, and now I need to give her more. I want to believe in myself as much as she does. (more…)

Name: Lavette
Age: 16
City and State: Baltimore, MD

What motivated you to get your GED? Well, because I know I’m a very smart young lady, and I love school and want to learn.

What problems have you faced? I get scared in school because the other kids used to tease me about me studying, and I left.

What do you hope to gain from getting your GED? I want to be a baby doctor.

Lavette,

We’re so pleased that you want to continue your education, and go on to become a doctor. Keep your goal in mind during your journey, so you remember what you’re working toward. We always encourage younger learners to try to finish their education at their traditional high school, so be sure you’re considering all your options. If the GED is your best alternative, Maryland  has a lot of information and resources online, so check out their website: http://www.gogedgo.org/

The GED Academy

Name: Martin
Age: 57
City and State: Kissimmee, Florida

What motivated you to get your GED? I intend to obtain the Master of Wine. To get that I have to get a Hospitality Degree first. I left school at 15 unable to read or write correctly and have taught myself to a decent level. This will be the first class at this level I have attended in 41 years.

How have your friends and family helped you? They have not, just the opposite.

What problems have you faced? I solved them myself, having been homeless for 18 months of my life, the Sally (Salvation..I’m English) Army. Having experienced people dying from meths, drugs and every other ailment, I’m still going. Embarrassment with your instructors is what scares me the most as coming across as a complete idiot. You have my word when I do sign up I’ll try my best, but Lord help me!

I’ve traveled the world, worked on cruise ships, trains, Royal Air Force, major hotels throughout Europe and African continent. Visited the Arctic, Russia twice, all along the Baltic. Lived and been with many beautiful women around the world which has been a godsend to where I am now. Several of them have encouraged me to go back to school. Yes! I am privileged to have had to date such a varied life style. Married, met my wife on a cruise ship 16 years ago when doing a wine lecture. She was in the audience. Perhaps all this is best summed up as: Those that tell you the grass is greener on the other side have still yet to figure out how high the wall is. See you in October, after my English class.

Wow, your story is amazing. You’ve done incredible things in your life, and you have a clear goal in mind. You know what you want and how to get there. You’ll be able to accomplish this. Based on your writing, you’re at a good starting point for a lot of the GED tests.

Embarrassment is a big problem for GED learners. But realize that you’re in the same boat with everyone else. If you’re attending GED classes in a traditional classroom, just realize that it doesn’t matter where you’re starting. Everyone working for the GED got left behind somehow, and there’s no embarrassment in having a few educational gaps to fill in. Still, we know that just saying not to be embarrassed doesn’t help. That’s why we provide online instruction, in the privacy of your own home, at your own pace.

Whether you study with traditional classes or online education, we know you’ll be getting your GED soon. Let us know when you pass!

The GED Academy

Name: Felicia
Age: 38
City and State: Pueblo, Colorado

What motivated you to get your GED? I finally got my kids in college and now I see that you really can get far in life with a higher education. I’m a CNA now, but now I want to be an RN. The only way for that is going to college, and I need a GED to go. That is why I want this. I tried once before in the past to take the GED test but failed and lost my courage. Now it’s time to try again. Can you help me get there?

How have your friends and family helped you? They help me by telling me I can do it.

What problems have you faced? My memory is very bad, so are my math skills. I haven’t found anything yet to help me.

What do you hope to gain from getting your GED? Being an RN or being a family counselor.

Felicia,

A lot of people think they have a bad memory, but learning some memory tricks and study techniques can help a lot. And there’s really not a lot to memorize for the GED. What’s more helpful is understanding, not memory. If you can apply ideas to your own life, think them through, and really get what they mean, you’ll understand, instead of memorizing. It’s easier, and more effective. That’s the whole basis of our GED program.

The GED Academy

Name: Emma
Age: 63
City and State: Detroit, MI

What motivated you to get your GED? I’m tired of sitting around doing nothing.

How have your friends and family helped you? By telling me I can do it.

What problems have you faced? I need help in math mostly.

What do you hope to gain from getting your GED? At my age, I don’t know.

I finished cosmetologist school. However, they didn’t require a high school diploma, so I didn’t think much about it.

Emma,

Times have changed a lot. Today, almost all trade schools require a high school diploma. It wasn’t always that way. More and more employers require them as well. But your primary concern isn’t a career (though you may want the opportunities of a GED open to you).

At any age, the GED can be fulfilling. Since you wrote in, you must feel a desire to accomplish something through your GED. A sense of self-esteem and pride is just as important as, and maybe more important than, qualifying for jobs and colleges.

The GED Academy