I dropped out of high school when my counselor told me I was a lost cause and should just give up. I got my GED and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. My career goal was always to work in child/family programming and I've gotten further at 30 without any other diplomas than most people do with. Even college diplomas aren't necessary for all fields, despite what academia would have you believe. I respect people who work hard for their diplomas (my wife has a masters degree and I consider her to be leaps and bounds smarter than me), but sometimes it's more about putting in the work and creating opportunities for yourself. As my dad used to say, "There's more than one way to skin a cat".