We know it may not seem like a big deal in theory- so you miss a couple of days of school- but a suspension is really not something to brush off.  Besides the age-old threat of “It’ll go on your permanent record!” a serious suspension can really mess things up.

You know when you’re out sick and you have to miss school?  It stinks.  You’re not going to school and you’re not having to do work but you’re feeling miserable and you’re falling way behind all your classmates- in fact you also have to sit there dreading all the extra work you’ll have to make up.  Being suspended is kind of like that.

You may be out of school but all your friends still have to go.  It won’t be like vacations where everyone is around to do things with.  You’ll miss out on a whole chunk of work that you’ll have to make up later and you’ll miss class information that you won’t ever be able to make up.  And it’s a good bet that you won’t be feeling to good about yourself and what you did to get suspended.

Now back to that old permanent record.  Why should you care?  You might be asking.  That one little suspension could follow you around, no matter what your life plan is.  College will make you explain it (and it could easily be the difference between being accepted and rejected) and possible employers might look on it with suspicion.

Expulsion is a whole other matter.  When you are expelled from school first of all it means you have done something (or several somethings) that really were out of line and probably caused someone harm.  Once you have been expelled it is up to you and your parents to figure out where you are going to get an education.  This could mean having to go to a private school- which could put your family in a tight financial spot- or could mean moving to another district or maybe you’ll have to be home schooled.  Whatever the choice ends up being, it is going to affect your entire family- not just you. 
 
It’s hard to understand now, but the right to an education is a very big gift that you have been given.  A free education for every citizen is a very unique idea in the world and gives each American student a leg up.  Your education will only take you as far as you let it, though, and once you have wasted the opportunity, it’s very hard to get it back.