Ive been in a boarding school in virginia for about a year. I started second semester of my freshman year and I am currently in my second semester of my sophomore year. Ive met some amazing people and learned some valuable things while being here but i have always struggled to find my place this makes it very difficult for me to be happy here. The community is not for me the people annoy me and i tend to stay in my room most of the time. I have one friend who is also my partner and we get alone well but because of the strict rules against boys and girls being with each other I rarely get to see him. I live almost all the way across the country so i rarely go home and my mother thinks it is an amazing school and that I love it here. I have told her many times that I hate it here and that I don’t want to come back for my junior and senior year but she insists that I graduate from here. I have depression and OCD as well as severe anxiety, this school is not well equipped with the resources to give me the mental help and care I need. I really dislike it here and plan on dropping out of high school next year then take a gap year then finish online. I believe that this would benefit me greatly mentally and put me in a place where I am happy again. I want advise on how i should go about telling my mother my plans without her kicking me out of the house or getting extremely upset. I also want some advise on how to convince my family that i will still succeed even though I am dropping out. I also want to know if I am legally allowed to drop out even though the state law about the age of dropping out Is different in virginia then the state law of the state my home is in. I want to know if that would change the age for me to be allowed to drop out. Thank you
Can you talk to an adult you trust – ideally a counselor in the health center, or your advisor, or your dorm faculty? You need some help and support, real life will be much more helpful than CC.
I am so sorry that you are not happy or well. I agree you need to speak with someone in real life as we on the internet are not really equipped to help you at a distance.
Are you at episcopal? I know some kids there who seem happy, is there a way to see a counselor at school?
I am so sorry that you are unhappy. I second speaking to a counselor or advisor at school. They may be able to help you talk to your family. It’s really important that you have support. Sometimes young people are not completely transparent with their parents and parents sometimes are not good at hearing or reading between the lines. 100% honesty will be necessary, not just facts but being vulnerable about your feelings. Parents do not want their children unhappy. If your mother is surprised by the fact that you do not plan to go back to school she will be upset. I think with help you and your family can work out a plan where you can possibly be happier, stay in school (even if it’s not your current school) and you won’t have to be fearful of your family’s reaction. Please keep us posted.
Instead of dropping out I would consider your parents you want to start college early, either directly enrolling or through a public school that allows concurrent enrollment in your home state. That depends on you having good grades though.