High School drop out wanting to return to school through TAFE

[Nell_C]

Ok, so I have Bipolar Type 2 and several Co-Morbid diagnoses, just so you know where I am coming from.

I dropped out of my HSC year last year (July 2015). Whilst I regret dropping out I recognise that it was the best decision I could have made at the time.

Now I wish to return to my studies as my conditions have improved greatly (due to medications).

Basically I am looking for advice, what could I do to prepare myself for returning for the rigors of high school? Is there anyone else who has taken a similar path and succeeded?

Thanks.

[Elizabeth CP]

I haven't been in your position but would like to make some comments. Firstly your label "high school drop out is totally inaccurate. A drop out stops for no good reason & implies failure. In your case based on your post you left because you weren't coping due to your illness even if you were unaware that was your problem. You have used the time to get yourself better mentally. Not the actions of a drop out.

Because study can be stressful & you have an illness which can be exacerbated by stress I would ensure you have as much support as possible to help through the journey. Speak to trusted health professionals to get some advice re strategies to help manage stress, possible signs that show your illness is deteriorating & what to do. If you have parents or other people you can trust get them on board so they can watch out for you. Prevention is better than cure so catching potential problems early & dealing with them will give you the best chance of success. My son went back to study after suffering a severe mental illness. He found it challanging at times but with support he succeeded & loved his course.

Good luck

[pipsy]

Hi Nell_C. I would prefer you call your situation 'defer'. With the pressure you had bipolar type 2, plus the other mental health issues deferring was the best alternative. Could you approach your principle and ask about repeating, with HSC, being the goal. If you only require certain subjects Tafe can offer classes, but whether HSC is attainable through Tafe is something only they or your principle would know. I am concerned about the return to school as the pressure of studying for HSC could result in a relapse of your illness. Perhaps talking to your Dr would be beneficial before talking to anyone else. I do admire you for wishing to return with HSC being the goal.

Lynda

[romantic_thi3f]

Hey Nell_C,

Great advice here already.

One thing that I thought I'd mention though is why HSC? As the others have mentioned, it wasn't a drop out but instead leaving early to take care of your mental health.

One thing that might be worth considering is to look at other options such as TAFE. The reason why I suggest this is because that way you're bunny-hopping towards whatever it is you'd like to do. HSC is important, but it's a little overrated (in my opinion) as I know many people who have quit high school and then gone onto TAFE, Uni, apprenticeships etc and been successful in their careers.

In terms of returning though;-

- Rally your support team. This might be friends, family, GP or a Psychologist. These can be people that you can go to talk to, get advice from or keep you on track and let you know if they see any changes in your behaviour so you can tackle them early.

- Be aware of what makes HSC easier or harder for you. Is there anything that really stresses you? Anything that triggers you? Being aware of specific things can help because then you can look at strategies to work around it; such as having a quiet room to go to if you get stressed, or leaving early/arriving late. The student support officers should be able to help with this or the school counsellors.

- Remind yourself that it's only temporary. I never liked High School but one thing that got me through was reminding myself that it was never the be all and end all. From my own perspective, my friend circles were small and the pressure was high.

Also just reminding you that this is all my own experience. I struggled with High School a lot which is why I recommended TAFE, but as with the forums - you're going to get a variety of different opinions and perspectives. Whatever you decide to do hopefully you'll let us know so we can support you.

[LiveToday]

Hi, I'm 22 and was in a very similar situation to you. I didn't complete school due to complications and mental illness. Just this year I wanted to complete my schooling so I had found a flexible learning school. It was a great start to ease myself back into the study environment at my own pace. Usually, the teachers at flexible learning schools are very aware of mental illness and extremely supportive. It's also a great opportunity to meet new people and possibly others who have experienced similar circumstances 🙂

[Nell_C]

Thanks for the encouragement.

I have signed up for HSC at TAFE, and start on Monday, so far the contact I have had with Teachers and Staff at the TAFE has been very encouraging. Still a little anxious about starting to be honest, but I know I will be fine!

[Nell_C]

Thank you for your message, I have decided TAFE is the way to go, but I will complete my HSC whilst there. I previously attempted to complete other courses at TAFE, however they were either too noisy or not academically challenging enough. I loved high school, until I became unwell.

The reasons behind my choosing HSC are many and varied, but include the fact that I have been dreaming of getting an ATAR since I started High School. I enjoy the academic rigours the HSC requires, I love the way that it enables me to study a variety of subjects.

Thank you all for pointing out that my use of the words "drop out" was incorrect, I guess it had not occurred to me that I could be anything else. I think when explaining why I left school it is easier to say I "dropped out" when talking to people I don't feel comfortable telling about my mental illnesses. But you are correct in saying I should use the terminology "deferred". For the past 18 months returning to school was just a dream, one that seemed a long way off. I thought that I would end up at Uni as a mature aged student if anything.

Thank you once again for the messages of support and encouragement.

[Yoga_has_changed_my_life]

Hi Nell,

Congrats on making this decision! I can't talk from experience but as part of my life experiences I can try to offer some words of encouragement. I am also looking to change my career and currently doing the due diligence and deciding if I should do my masters. Ideally I'd love a sponsorship.

I have BiPola and maybe ADD what I have learnt is that people with BiPola are often very smart so I would say pick a TAFE you like, go explore, speak to people etc once you choose the place you like enroll!

All the best I'm sure you will achieve great things.