For many people utilizing the yourcashcounts.com web site, the decision about high school graduation is in the past. Hopefully, the decision to graduate was done thoughtfully and reflected a thorough comparison of expected benefits to expected cost. This process should help make looking back on the choice to graduate a positive one. 

For those people that are currently making the choice or for those that decided not to graduate from high school and have now decided to rethink this decision this application and insight may be very helpful. As is the case with most decision, time is an important variable and short term versus long term perspectives are needed to feel comfortable in the decision that is made. The decision making guide should employ both time perspectives as this graduation question and answer impacts a person’s life now and throughout their life.

Application Insights-Should I Graduate From High School? is not to be viewed as an answer sheet or a recommendation as to what is the best decision. As most people know, the majority of high school students decide to graduate and most people recommend that choice, but every person is different and it is possible that a certain combination of values, goals, and life’s circumstances could support the decision not to graduate or not to graduate at this time. A growing number of options are available for people who have dropped out and now want to earn a high school diploma. Remember that decision making is a personal activity and it is all about you. Your responses to the guide’s questions and activities are yours.  The result of following the process as described in the guide will give you the confidence that you have considered the important factors both short and long term and blended them into being you.

• The question of should I graduate from high school seems simple enough because the parameters for graduation are clearly defined and it is a yes or no decision. Defining the question properly does require the realization that it is a time sensitive question and although it is yes or no, the decision to not graduate can be revisited later and coming back to school or getting an equivalent high school diploma is possible in the long term.
   
• The graduation decision requires a thorough understanding of what you value and what you want to do in your life. It is clear that going to school every day prohibits you from doing other things you might value like work, sleep, or play. These alternatives are financial and emotional and represent the opportunity costs of schooling. Don’t forget, however, that going to school also allows you to do things you value from seeing friends and playing sports in the short run, to going to college or getting a higher paying job in the longer term. Research clearly supports the notion that people with a high school diploma will earn much more money over their lifetime and their higher productivity levels will benefit society as a whole.
   
• When deciding the graduation question, it is important to identify all of the possible alternatives available to you. As mentioned earlier, the yes or no decision is a short term condition and the longer term opens up more alternatives.  In the longer term, determining the place to go to school is becoming more of an alternative. Dropping out now and coming back in a year or so is also an option. Many options exist these days for getting a GED from onsite to online.
   
• Each alternative has expected cost and expected benefits. These need to be identified for all options. Weigh the benefits and costs and in so doing some of the possible alternatives may fall off the list of acceptable alternatives.
   
• Remember to solicit information and opinions from others. This step is very important for this question. In some cases, you will need help in identifying alternatives and in many cases experts can provide you with more complete/accurate expected benefits and expected costs of the various alternatives. In addition, listening to “this is what I did or have you thought about this?” discussions will be very helpful and make you feel more comfortable with your upcoming choice.
   
• Be thoughtful and make your decision. By now you know where your decision will lead you and what action you need to take. Just remember to re-evaluate from time to time and marginal thinking is your friend.