By Dr. Larry Larsen
Family Matters
May 11, 2008 04:45 am Q: I usually think you are right on the button with your columns. However, I think you stopped a little short on this one. I also have a son who left high school and later earned a GED. He now has a four-year degree, although it took some time. Maybe people should be more aware that many two-year community colleges will admit students with GEDs. They also should have some career counseling. You have to take a placement test and may have to take some remedial work — but if he is serious, it is an option and not extremely expensive. I also think all technical schools do not require high school diplomas. A: Then how about we continue the discussion? For the uninformed, the column last week was about an e-mail which spoke about a son who regretted having left high school even though he "hated" it. The answer had to do with resiliency and doing away with regret as a problem solving strategy. You are raising a slightly different question, namely do people who try alternative plans, such as GEDs, do well. I wholly endorse your opinion and am certain that your son has conquered any "regret" he may have had. May I share a very real story with you? Some years ago I taught at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. A student had asked to be admitted. He did not have a high school diploma. He had a GED and had been in the Navy. While in the Navy he had realized what he wanted to do with his life and had begun applying to colleges. He was admitted on probation. His first semester he earned a 4.0, an A average. He studied hard, worked a full-time job, and began his family, having married a great lady who was a special needs teacher. He graduated four years later, cum laude! This young man joined my office as a psychometrist. He went on to earn a master's degree. One day he told me he wanted a doctorate. I replied that I did not see any door marked "no admittance," and he began his studies for a Ph.D. As we speak he is a wonderful tenured professor of counseling psychology at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire. His name is Dr. Leo Sandy. At Harvard a psychology professor named Dr. Gilbert, author of "Stumbling Into Happiness," is proud to make the same claim. He never graduated from high school. Both of these gentlemen are examples of possibilities outside the accepted norm. May their tribe increase! nnn Dr. Larry Larsen is an Andover psychologist. If you would like to ask a question or respond to one, e-mail him at lrryllrsn@cs.com.
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