What do people do after high school?

i vote travel.
Couch surf your way around Asia, sth america or australia.
work two jobs until you have the airfare then go.
there are several sites with a couchsurfing theme.
the best? of which seems to be couchsurfing dot org
http://www.couchsurfing.org/
its amazing how cheaply you can live if you need to and just take seasonal work or any crap job until you have enough money to move on.

Check out this website for volunteer opportunities in your local area as well as how to turn your volunteer efforts into money for school should you decide to take some classes in spite of how much school sucks.

http://www.americorps.gov/about/ac/index.asp

Generically, people try to get some direction in life after high-school, so at some point one can have a livelihood. High schools do not seem to prepare us for a livelihood these days, in my opinion. They prepare many for entry level jobs that may, or may not, lead to a livelihood, in my opinion.

So, if college is scratched off the "to do" list, there are other schools to learn some trade, or some people join one of the military branches. Sometimes that turns into a career.

Or, one can wait patiently to let time assist the decision, as one sees one's peers moving on in life with job, career, family, etc.

I wish you luck, since being young is not easy in these times, I believe, at least not as easy as it once was.

lots of ways to fill the days

breathing is always good, do a lot of breathing most days

Breathing is sooo overated!

a little like sex, you only realise how much you need it when you cant do it.

I never said I don't wanna get a full time job. I just said I don't wanna go to college. The reason I work and not stay in school is bc I don't wanna become useless to society. Therefore, professional moocher is out. I'm currently working part time at a job I like but I wanna do stuff w/ my spare time that won't require I give up my job. btw, self-respect is a big thing to lose. I wouldn't go that direction.

Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions like volunteering, etc. I'm deciding on Goodwill bc it's near the mall and I could go shopping afterwards.

Keep us posted on your social experiment of self-respect.

self respect is so overrated

However, when you realise, it is usually too late..

A lot of people are concerned about how they will be able to support themselves for their whole life, as depending on others to do that is, at the least, problematic. Some try to have the effort to make a living also be doing something that interests them. That in itself can take some years to figure out, how to make a living out of doing something interesting without starting to hate having to do that thing you used to like..

What interests you, dd?

You could collect welfare and be a drag on society.

Join the Peace Corps (or something similar). See how other parts of the world lives.

Yeah - just like you - give the kid something valuable. One of my friends did that - joined the Peace Corps - so cool.

Anything to do with money and Corporate America interest me a great deal. What's my chance of being promoted at McD's if I totally kick ass at my job? If I have any chance at all, how long would it take? Because someday, I want to make it to the headquarter.

The author of the book "Everything I know About Business, I Learned at McDonald's" started on grill at age 16. A coupla decades later, he's regional vice president, all with only a high school diploma.

Also, I read on the ad somewhere that a sizable number of managers started out as crew. My parents and counselor said I don't stand a chance, but my coworker said I'd make a great boss. Now I'm confused as to whether I really stand a chance or not.

Success depends a lot on how well you can forsee market changes and react to it. Being a manager of a McD is not necessarily Corportate America. Do you mean a franchise owner? Or one of those suit wearing honchos at the top? Two completely different types of managers......

Perhaps the managers went to college and got management degrees? Does McD have any kind of tuition or development programs you can take?

ranking:
4: crew
3: crew trainer
2: hourly manager
1: restaurant manager

Any higher is locally or regionally corporate and they oversee many stores in that area. However, there is only one headquarter and it's based in Illinois. I'm aiming higher and hoping to make it to the headquarter. The franchise owner pays part of his profit to the headquarter in exchange for being allowed to sell their products and that's where McD's stock comes from. Wehn I make it to Illinois, I hope to be in charge of whatever dept that deals with stock (marketing?)

better get some economics training then. having a full understanding of how stocks bonds and derivetives actually work would be a big asset.

i'm guessing she means stock as in product carried by the store or restaurant