DR. WALLACE: I'm a 21-year-old woman in my third year of college. I didn't have much of a dating life in high school; I was kind of quiet and average-looking physically — or so I thought.

Now that I'm out of high school, I find that I am much more willing to socialize with my fellow students in college than I ever was in high school. I often participate in various on-campus groups for people that enjoy various activities, and since I'm a decent student, I often lead study groups in subjects that many of my fellow students struggle with.

The best thing I've noticed is that my circle of friends has expanded dramatically! I kind of knew one or two girls casually during my high school years, but now I have dozens and dozens of close friends and many more acquaintances at the college I attend. I have a great roommate in my dorm room, and my dating life has been excellent. I've met many quality guys I enjoy spending time with, even though I haven't settled down into one long-term relationship just yet. My social confidence both with my friends and in my dating life is way above where it was back in my high-school days.

My reason for writing in is to let all the high-school girls know that there is indeed life beyond high school, and if we take a typical life expectancy of 80 years, four years of high school really only amounts to 5% of a person's lifetime. Yes, four additional years of college would be another 5% as well, but my point is to advise those coming up behind me to try not to get too high or too low emotionally based upon their experiences during their high school years.

Keep pursuing your goals, put one foot in front of the other and socialize with as many people as you're comfortable with, and you'll likely be richly rewarded with great friendships and enjoyable times. — Former High School Wallflower, via email

FORMER HIGH SCHOOL WALLFLOWER: Thank you for taking the time to write in with your viewpoint and personal experiences. Your story may inspire others younger than you are to look toward their own futures with renewed confidence and hopeful expectations.

SHOULD I GO BACK AND GET IT?

DR. WALLACE: I'm a little embarrassed to be writing to you as a 25-year-old, but this is something that has been on my mind for a long time. I grew up on a farm in the middle of our country, and I dropped out of high school at 17 to work extra hours and help our family make ends meet. I was the only girl out of five siblings, and my three older brothers all finished high school, but my younger brother and I both dropped out to work full time at our farm.

That was years ago, and things have changed a lot since then. My parents eventually sold the farm and retired, and I met the man of my dreams and have been happily married for three years now. I even have a beautiful daughter who will turn two years old this Thanksgiving.

My husband has an excellent job, and we absolutely have enough resources to live a comfortable life. However, for years I've wanted to go back and finish my high school studies and receive a diploma, especially because I want to set a good example for my daughter.

My husband, on the other hand, tells me that it doesn't matter, and he loves me just as much now as he ever has, and it makes no difference at all to him if I ever achieve a high school diploma or not.

My life is busy with a young child to care for, so it hasn't been convenient for me to pursue this dream in earnest recently. Do you feel it is worthwhile for me to go back and try to finish out my high school years, or am I simply being selfish or trying to unnecessarily boost my own self-esteem? — Happy Mother, via email

HAPPY MOTHER: Go back and do it at your earliest convenience! You'll feel a sense of accomplishment, and this will lift a bit of a mental weight off your shoulders as well. I trust you can accomplish this goal with enough preparation and due diligence when the time is right in your life.

Your husband has said that he loves you either way, so do it for the reasons you outlined to me: for your daughter and for yourself.

Start by researching the requirements in your part of the country. A local school district or county government office should be able to quickly point you in the right direction. You can take enough time to study up for the "GED" test, which once successfully completed, is the equivalent to a high school diploma. GED stands for the General Educational Development test, which is a commonly accepted standard these days. This test has four parts that are typically taken at different times in these subjects:

—Mathematical Reasoning

—Reasoning Through Language Arts

—Science

—Social Studies

These subjects are selected because they are the four core subject areas that make up most high school curricula and are requirements in most school districts to achieve a high school diploma. The test is designed to measure if students have the same knowledge in these core areas as students attending physical or online high schools or being home-schooled.

Each part of the test takes six to eight hours to complete, so it is indeed a thorough process that requires study, diligence and desire to achieve. I feel you have enough motivation to accomplish this, so begin your search in your area to learn more about how this process works. Good luck with your GED and with your growing family!

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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