I dropped out of HS and got my GED. Started community college the month I turned 17. Was probably the best thing for me. It helped me grow up. Also, I hated school before that. The CC was a totally different situation and I thrived in it. Academically thrived, I mean. This was a long time ago. Way before I got the schizoaffective dx. Even with the worsening psych symptoms, I still did well in the community college.