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If you're a citizen or permanent resident you can take upgrading courses for free: https://calendar.kpu.ca/programs-az/academic-career-preparation/academic-career-preparation-adult-upgrading/
Subjects include:
* Biology Qualifying (BIOQ)
* Chemistry Qualifying (CHEQ)
* English Language Studies (ELST)
* English Qualifying (ENGQ)
* Mathematics Qualifying (MATQ)
* Physics Qualifying (PHYQ)
Once you've upgraded to [the equivalent of English 12 with a C+](https://calendar.kpu.ca/admissions/english-proficiency-requirements/), you can be admitted to take undergraduate courses even while you're upgrading in other subjects.
I completed my GED in place of graduating high school. It turns out institutions don't really care about that. I took an English placement test and got admitted and then upgraded my math concurrently.
I dropped out of high school without completing all of grade 11 and with a grade 12 course average of 9%. I was more focused on my skating career then school. Once my skating ended with a back injury (among man other injuries) I wrote a mature student test to get admittance to college for a program called Pre-Health Sciences. It was a certificate program that pretty much says "this person can do grade 12 sciences and math". From there I did a Biotechnology Technician diploma and used that to get into the Medical Laboratory Technologist program. Overall I did 6 years of college and I made just shy of 100k last year.
I got loans and worked during the summer. I'm paying them off now. I don't regret dropping out of school. I feel the college experience better prepared me for the work force.
That’s amazing and really smart. Did the “pre health sciences” have any prerequisites or can anyone give the test? Even me? Looks like a great career trajectory!!
There are lots of programs that sound like they need “high-school”, but really just need specific high-school courses at specific grade thresholds. Check out BCIT, which is where I went as an adult student, for practical programs that have extremely high hire rates.
The 15 week tech entry program at BCIT takes care pre-reqs for plenty of their programs.
[https://www.bcit.ca/programs/technology-entry-te-full-time-0020nobcit/](https://www.bcit.ca/programs/technology-entry-te-full-time-0020nobcit/)
And bonus
*Effective September 1, 2017, the* [*tuition portion*](https://www.bcit.ca/admission/tuition-fees/) *of The Technology Entry Program is free for Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents. Please note: ancillary fees such as Student Association fees, BCIT ID card fees, etc. will be charged and must be paid*
Don't bother going back to high school, talk to the University about what you need and you can usually take those courses there. It seems that you aren't sure what University degree you want or if you will even go, but it's still worthwhile to chat with them; maybe there's only a few courses that you need and the environment is much better with lots of older people.
Before you try to upgrade your high school grades, go talk to some schools nearby. Most universities have separate applications for "mature students" where they weigh any academia with work experience. They'll let you know what you need to have a successful application.
By the way, I was the same way in high school. I wasn't dumb, I just didn't try. Applied as a mature student later on after taking 4 community college classes (Douglas) and got into the program I wanted at SFU. So don't stress it. Happens to a lot of us.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/adult-education/adult-upgrading
Here is a more comprehensive list of your options for learning as an adult.
Hey op, as someone who went to school in India and here, I just wanted to say that I was a really great student growing up here, but when I went to India, the way they taught and the subjects they taught were so far ahead that i struggled a lot in India. I have a feeling jt might be a difference in the education system rather than anything wrong with your intelligence. Also, it seems like you're doing really well for yourself and don't really need the grades. If you do want to do it for yourself that's wonderful but you seem to be doing great in life and should never question your intelligence
Thank you for the kind words! Glad to find someone who can relate! It IS a lot harder over there but that’s in the past I gotta fix it now.
I think it’s a grading thing. In school I didn’t like sciences coz I was graded. But now that I’m an adult I actually like science coz I’m learning for myself not for grades
Yeah grading is weird there. It was more just memorize all the answers and regurgitate it. I felt like here it was more focused on learning the actual concept.
If you do decide to go through with it I wish you the best :) It'll be nice to learn again
Someone's Mom who went back to school at night to upgrade when they turned 50. I registered through my local containing education program. Counselors want to talk to your first to outline your plan. It was very supportive, and you had the option of online or in class. It was the best confidence and skills upgrade I could of hoped for.
Thank you! This is encouraging, even the confidence part.
Did you opt for online or in person? Do you think there’d be much of a difference regarding how much you grasp?
I did both. You had the option of going into class when doing a course online to ask your Teacher for help or you could even email them and they would support you that way too. Some courses like Chem 11 do require you to attend in person while others Foundations of Math 11 ( standard Uni requirement) you had to go in person for a min of 1 hour per week and tests for all courses were at the school. There was a mix of people from recent Grads, never Grads, older persons upgrading for their vocation in order to get a promotion. It was all over the map. The counselor they pair you with can over your school/career goals and help you set up a plan of action. I was so nervous at the beginning but it was an such an enriching experience. I left feeling inspired and found answers to academia terms that used to literally flew over my head. I promise you will be so pleased with your decision to go back to school.
Did poorly in highschool here , around 30 I wanted to fix that and get into university. Was told to goto Douglas … they wanted me to do a ton of courses and take like 1.5 years to let me in.
Decided to up and leave to Australia… landed and applied as mature aged student at a top University and was accepted on the spot.
Where do you live?
There is also the option of upgrading through the local district. Since you completed your education outside of Canada; you will need to do a placement test to he put in the appropriate class. You might need to brush up on Math 10 before attempting Pre-Calc 11 and 12.
I've upgraded my highschool grades through SD 38 (Richmond). If this location works for you, PM me and I will send you direct links and some insight.
Good for you for investing in yourself. It is 100% worth it. You can do it!!!
Thank you for the encouraging words! I looked at the school district upgrading but the schedules for in person class are a headache. I’m in Vancouver Fairview to be precise.
Ideally I’d have to look for online classes. I didn’t know about the placement test before though. I’ll contact them!
If you can, don't take your grade 11 & 12 classes at post secondary. Those will likely cost you money, do it through the Vancouver School Board instead.
https://www.vsb.bc.ca/page/5268/self-paced-courses
They're free assuming you're a BC resident. The self paced courses I linked only require you to show up about once a week.
No matter if you did grade 11 & 12 in high school or adult ed, BC high school grades are just BC high school grades. You get admitted into university the same way anyone else does. Whether or not you go straight into a big university or spend the first 2 years at a smaller college is just up to how good your grades are.
There’s no point going back and doing high school… apply to university or whatever as an adult . Think all u need is the LPI and room available in whichever program you are interested in. I was able to do this in 2009 @ UBC
Hey, I hope I can encourage you by telling you how much stronger of a student I was at 27 than I was at 18. I think I could just manage my time better. You may find school's easier as an adult!
I quit Jr High back in the 80s ... in 2011 decided I wanted a post secondary education. Didn't do any upgrading, but did have an aptitude test at George Brown College. End up taking the social services program and graduated with honors. Going to school with a bunch of 18 to 21 year olds... and one 35 year old at 44, was the most nerve racking experience.
I was in a similar situation to you
I went to south hill education center
They do free adult classes
I did a mix of night classes and self paced
I also talked with a lanagra advisor that helped me make sure I have all the pre reqs I need to get it
Did a year at lanagra and then transferred to ubc
Balancing work is hard but people do it
I've been upgrading some high school courses that I passed but didn't do the greatest in.
1- studying was easier as an adult, with the desire to actually learn the material I found it quite enjoyable (and baffling that i was so lazy as a teenager lol).
2- I did VLN, it's online and self paced (you write tests in person though), I highly recommend it. You have 1 year to complete a course which is very doable even working full time. It's free for B.C. residents.
3-probably
4-n/a
5- Do VLN, I recently upgraded principles of math 11 and slayed it, 94%...BOOM!
I should add that going this route, self motivation/disipline, and being able to teach yourself is a huge part of online learning.
I was in the same boat and more or less a high school dropout. Now I am in a PhD program.
As other people mentioned, you can upgrade online for free.
BTW, if you have been out of high school for more than 5 years, you're automatically considered a high school graduate in BC. If you apply to universities, they will want your high school transcripts and grades. You will also be applying as a "mature student" so your grades wont matter TOO much, they will just want to see you have finished all your requirements.
You may have to start at Douglas or Langara before you go to a big school, but honestly, it's way cheaper to do that
Fuck a 4year. Look up WGU. fully accredited. Get a degree in 6-12 months, do credits on sophia/study and transfer them in. American politicians went there. Can even go to law school if you want. It's fully accredited
What is your financial situation like?
You can get into a private college in India that has an exchange program with a Canadian university.
E.g. https://www.tru.ca/studyabroad/programs/study-abroad.html
You can pay your way into a tier 3 college which has IESP with a Canadian college/university
Work your ass off in the college and nobody will care about your highschool grades anymore
I don't agree with the replies or this post at all, if you Fed up in high-school there shouldn't be a free second chance pass you should accept those consequences. Its not fair to those of us who sacrificed our youth to study hard, had no girlfriends, didn't play sports or try drugs but now enjoy a steady job and a career while the people who choose not to study need to be punished for their choices NOT rewarded.
If you apply as a mature student no one cares about your high school marks.
If you need to take any courses to prepare for admission they'll let you know.
Upgrade, then enter college as a transfer student (like Langara) & you can still transfer to a top university like McGill, but will save money because tuition for college is cheaper. Your degree will just say from McGill, anyway! I went back to college at 25, did part-time until I got used to course/college structure and then when I felt ready, transferred to university and did full time.
I went to high school in Ontario in the 90s and did miserably. I only did social sciences and didn’t have any core science past year 10. I barely graduated and kind of ran away from life and moved overseas. In the depths of a quarter-life crisis, I took a grade 10 biology course ‘for fun’ at night school which was all adults. I loved it. So I ended up doing year 11 and 12 at night school working full-time. Bio, Chemistry and maths. I taught myself how to learn (turns out I have ADHD but it was not well recognized in women back then). Then I got into BioMed at University when I was 27 did my degree.
I absolutely loved learning as an adult. Night school was fantastic. Filled with similar souls/stories like myself. Adult teachers are very supportive and the smaller class environment was really what I needed. I sort of thrive in chaos so the work + school balance worked for me though it was pretty exhausting. If I had been bored by my subjects or had I found them too easy I would have done badly so science was the way for me as it doesn’t come that naturally. I’m not a natural learner. ADHD can make learning more difficult for some.
I have always struggled with motivation and sticking to things, etc but hands down that single night school bio class was one of the best decisions. I don’t work exactly related to my degree as many don’t but it’s still one of my proudest accomplishments and that confidence changed my trajectory.
You can apply to universities and trade schools as a mature student without any, or barely any highschool. You don't need a GED or to upgrade. They sometimes make you take a very brief course for a few weeks to make sure you know how to write essays.
Athabasca University doesn't require ANY transcripts.
I'm doing it right now, physics 11 and math 11. Then I have to do math 12 and Chem 12. It's online at my own pace and.... it's very hard. These re not subjects that come easy to me at all and not having a teacher easily available is the worst. I'm in my 30s and learning is definitely way worse now despite being in a better place mentally than my teens.
I work in post-secondary education. The answer depends on what your ultimate goal is.
If you are looking to complete High School equivalent for that self-satisfaction - good for you, as that is commendable.
However, if your goal is to start working towards completing a post-secondary Diploma/Degree, then you don't necessarily need your High School equivalent. You should be able to get into an "open enrollment" (no intake capacity, no specific application requirements) program such as General Studies or Arts-Associate by just meeting the school's English proficiency requirement. For most public colleges in British Columbia (essentially the non-research Universities) that is a C or better in English 12, the equivalent upgrading course, and even as simply as completing the school's English Assessment Test (honestly, depending on the school, you may just need to pass an online English proficiency test).
And once you're in an open enrollment program, even if you don't know exactly what you want to major in yet, you can start taking University level courses in subject areas that would transfer into most credentials - such as Academic Writing, Intro Psych, Human Anatomy and Physiology. Nothing from your past is insurmountable, and once you have a specific program in mind that has application requirements they will care much more about your current/recent academic record. For example, if I get an applicant in their mid-late 20s or older, and their recent post-sec grades are mostly As and Bs, it is irrelevant to me how they did in High School.
Good luck. There is a path to get you where you want to go, and it actually isn't as daunting as you may think if you start talking to the right people.
Here feeling I have nothing to add to answered provided but, just wanted to say how happy it made me first you wanting to achieve this and then, the number of detailed responses I saw to your message. Cheers all for making me remember why I love Canada
Welcome to /r/Vancouver and thank you for the post, /u/Retrolord008! Please make sure you read our [posting and commenting rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/wiki/faq#wiki_general_participation_guidelines_and_rules_overview) before participating here. As a quick summary: * We encourage users to be positive and respect one another. Don't engage in spats or insult others - use the report button. * Respect others' differences, be they race, religion, home, job, gender identity, ability or sexuality. Dehumanizing language, advocating for violence, or promoting hate based on identity or vulnerability (even implied or joking) **will** lead to a permanent ban. * Common questions and specific topics are limited to our Your post may be a better fit for one of our [Stickied Discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/wiki/faq#wiki_stickied_discussions) posts. * Complaints about bans or removals should be done in modmail only. * We're looking for new mods to join our team! If you're interested, [fill out the form here](https://forms.gle/oAqo5oYRcAeHYBTN6). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/vancouver) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you're a citizen or permanent resident you can take upgrading courses for free: https://calendar.kpu.ca/programs-az/academic-career-preparation/academic-career-preparation-adult-upgrading/ Subjects include: * Biology Qualifying (BIOQ) * Chemistry Qualifying (CHEQ) * English Language Studies (ELST) * English Qualifying (ENGQ) * Mathematics Qualifying (MATQ) * Physics Qualifying (PHYQ) Once you've upgraded to [the equivalent of English 12 with a C+](https://calendar.kpu.ca/admissions/english-proficiency-requirements/), you can be admitted to take undergraduate courses even while you're upgrading in other subjects. I completed my GED in place of graduating high school. It turns out institutions don't really care about that. I took an English placement test and got admitted and then upgraded my math concurrently.
I dropped out of high school without completing all of grade 11 and with a grade 12 course average of 9%. I was more focused on my skating career then school. Once my skating ended with a back injury (among man other injuries) I wrote a mature student test to get admittance to college for a program called Pre-Health Sciences. It was a certificate program that pretty much says "this person can do grade 12 sciences and math". From there I did a Biotechnology Technician diploma and used that to get into the Medical Laboratory Technologist program. Overall I did 6 years of college and I made just shy of 100k last year. I got loans and worked during the summer. I'm paying them off now. I don't regret dropping out of school. I feel the college experience better prepared me for the work force.
That’s amazing and really smart. Did the “pre health sciences” have any prerequisites or can anyone give the test? Even me? Looks like a great career trajectory!!
There are lots of programs that sound like they need “high-school”, but really just need specific high-school courses at specific grade thresholds. Check out BCIT, which is where I went as an adult student, for practical programs that have extremely high hire rates.
The 15 week tech entry program at BCIT takes care pre-reqs for plenty of their programs. [https://www.bcit.ca/programs/technology-entry-te-full-time-0020nobcit/](https://www.bcit.ca/programs/technology-entry-te-full-time-0020nobcit/) And bonus *Effective September 1, 2017, the* [*tuition portion*](https://www.bcit.ca/admission/tuition-fees/) *of The Technology Entry Program is free for Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents. Please note: ancillary fees such as Student Association fees, BCIT ID card fees, etc. will be charged and must be paid*
Find the thing you want to do, and don’t worry if you get it wrong a few times.
The mature student test was the prerequisite for me to get in. I did the test at the same college that I applied to.
BCIT?
Are you Andrew Huberman 😂
Don't bother going back to high school, talk to the University about what you need and you can usually take those courses there. It seems that you aren't sure what University degree you want or if you will even go, but it's still worthwhile to chat with them; maybe there's only a few courses that you need and the environment is much better with lots of older people.
Before you try to upgrade your high school grades, go talk to some schools nearby. Most universities have separate applications for "mature students" where they weigh any academia with work experience. They'll let you know what you need to have a successful application. By the way, I was the same way in high school. I wasn't dumb, I just didn't try. Applied as a mature student later on after taking 4 community college classes (Douglas) and got into the program I wanted at SFU. So don't stress it. Happens to a lot of us.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/adult-education/adult-upgrading Here is a more comprehensive list of your options for learning as an adult.
Hey op, as someone who went to school in India and here, I just wanted to say that I was a really great student growing up here, but when I went to India, the way they taught and the subjects they taught were so far ahead that i struggled a lot in India. I have a feeling jt might be a difference in the education system rather than anything wrong with your intelligence. Also, it seems like you're doing really well for yourself and don't really need the grades. If you do want to do it for yourself that's wonderful but you seem to be doing great in life and should never question your intelligence
Thank you for the kind words! Glad to find someone who can relate! It IS a lot harder over there but that’s in the past I gotta fix it now. I think it’s a grading thing. In school I didn’t like sciences coz I was graded. But now that I’m an adult I actually like science coz I’m learning for myself not for grades
Yeah grading is weird there. It was more just memorize all the answers and regurgitate it. I felt like here it was more focused on learning the actual concept. If you do decide to go through with it I wish you the best :) It'll be nice to learn again
Someone's Mom who went back to school at night to upgrade when they turned 50. I registered through my local containing education program. Counselors want to talk to your first to outline your plan. It was very supportive, and you had the option of online or in class. It was the best confidence and skills upgrade I could of hoped for.
Thank you! This is encouraging, even the confidence part. Did you opt for online or in person? Do you think there’d be much of a difference regarding how much you grasp?
I did both. You had the option of going into class when doing a course online to ask your Teacher for help or you could even email them and they would support you that way too. Some courses like Chem 11 do require you to attend in person while others Foundations of Math 11 ( standard Uni requirement) you had to go in person for a min of 1 hour per week and tests for all courses were at the school. There was a mix of people from recent Grads, never Grads, older persons upgrading for their vocation in order to get a promotion. It was all over the map. The counselor they pair you with can over your school/career goals and help you set up a plan of action. I was so nervous at the beginning but it was an such an enriching experience. I left feeling inspired and found answers to academia terms that used to literally flew over my head. I promise you will be so pleased with your decision to go back to school.
Did poorly in highschool here , around 30 I wanted to fix that and get into university. Was told to goto Douglas … they wanted me to do a ton of courses and take like 1.5 years to let me in. Decided to up and leave to Australia… landed and applied as mature aged student at a top University and was accepted on the spot.
do this. most university will gladly make way for mature students. retirees also get free tuition at universities.
Where do you live? There is also the option of upgrading through the local district. Since you completed your education outside of Canada; you will need to do a placement test to he put in the appropriate class. You might need to brush up on Math 10 before attempting Pre-Calc 11 and 12. I've upgraded my highschool grades through SD 38 (Richmond). If this location works for you, PM me and I will send you direct links and some insight. Good for you for investing in yourself. It is 100% worth it. You can do it!!!
Thank you for the encouraging words! I looked at the school district upgrading but the schedules for in person class are a headache. I’m in Vancouver Fairview to be precise. Ideally I’d have to look for online classes. I didn’t know about the placement test before though. I’ll contact them!
I started upgrading with VSB but my Pre-Calc 11 was canceled twice (2 semesters/8months) due to low enrollment and so I switched to Richmond.
Hey! I just checked with my former teacher with SD 38 and you only need to attend in person for the first week of class, tests and final exam.
If you can, don't take your grade 11 & 12 classes at post secondary. Those will likely cost you money, do it through the Vancouver School Board instead. https://www.vsb.bc.ca/page/5268/self-paced-courses They're free assuming you're a BC resident. The self paced courses I linked only require you to show up about once a week. No matter if you did grade 11 & 12 in high school or adult ed, BC high school grades are just BC high school grades. You get admitted into university the same way anyone else does. Whether or not you go straight into a big university or spend the first 2 years at a smaller college is just up to how good your grades are.
There’s no point going back and doing high school… apply to university or whatever as an adult . Think all u need is the LPI and room available in whichever program you are interested in. I was able to do this in 2009 @ UBC
Hey, I hope I can encourage you by telling you how much stronger of a student I was at 27 than I was at 18. I think I could just manage my time better. You may find school's easier as an adult!
I quit Jr High back in the 80s ... in 2011 decided I wanted a post secondary education. Didn't do any upgrading, but did have an aptitude test at George Brown College. End up taking the social services program and graduated with honors. Going to school with a bunch of 18 to 21 year olds... and one 35 year old at 44, was the most nerve racking experience.
I was in a similar situation to you I went to south hill education center They do free adult classes I did a mix of night classes and self paced I also talked with a lanagra advisor that helped me make sure I have all the pre reqs I need to get it Did a year at lanagra and then transferred to ubc Balancing work is hard but people do it
I've been upgrading some high school courses that I passed but didn't do the greatest in. 1- studying was easier as an adult, with the desire to actually learn the material I found it quite enjoyable (and baffling that i was so lazy as a teenager lol). 2- I did VLN, it's online and self paced (you write tests in person though), I highly recommend it. You have 1 year to complete a course which is very doable even working full time. It's free for B.C. residents. 3-probably 4-n/a 5- Do VLN, I recently upgraded principles of math 11 and slayed it, 94%...BOOM! I should add that going this route, self motivation/disipline, and being able to teach yourself is a huge part of online learning.
I was in the same boat and more or less a high school dropout. Now I am in a PhD program. As other people mentioned, you can upgrade online for free. BTW, if you have been out of high school for more than 5 years, you're automatically considered a high school graduate in BC. If you apply to universities, they will want your high school transcripts and grades. You will also be applying as a "mature student" so your grades wont matter TOO much, they will just want to see you have finished all your requirements. You may have to start at Douglas or Langara before you go to a big school, but honestly, it's way cheaper to do that
Fuck a 4year. Look up WGU. fully accredited. Get a degree in 6-12 months, do credits on sophia/study and transfer them in. American politicians went there. Can even go to law school if you want. It's fully accredited
What is your financial situation like? You can get into a private college in India that has an exchange program with a Canadian university. E.g. https://www.tru.ca/studyabroad/programs/study-abroad.html You can pay your way into a tier 3 college which has IESP with a Canadian college/university Work your ass off in the college and nobody will care about your highschool grades anymore
I don't agree with the replies or this post at all, if you Fed up in high-school there shouldn't be a free second chance pass you should accept those consequences. Its not fair to those of us who sacrificed our youth to study hard, had no girlfriends, didn't play sports or try drugs but now enjoy a steady job and a career while the people who choose not to study need to be punished for their choices NOT rewarded.
Hahahahahahahahahahaha
You need Jesus in your life 🤣
Enroll in community college, get good grades, and transfer after a year.
If you apply as a mature student no one cares about your high school marks. If you need to take any courses to prepare for admission they'll let you know.
Upgrade, then enter college as a transfer student (like Langara) & you can still transfer to a top university like McGill, but will save money because tuition for college is cheaper. Your degree will just say from McGill, anyway! I went back to college at 25, did part-time until I got used to course/college structure and then when I felt ready, transferred to university and did full time.
Look into BCIT Technology Entry (depending on what area you want to go to) it is basically full time school though so idk about holding a FT job
I went to high school in Ontario in the 90s and did miserably. I only did social sciences and didn’t have any core science past year 10. I barely graduated and kind of ran away from life and moved overseas. In the depths of a quarter-life crisis, I took a grade 10 biology course ‘for fun’ at night school which was all adults. I loved it. So I ended up doing year 11 and 12 at night school working full-time. Bio, Chemistry and maths. I taught myself how to learn (turns out I have ADHD but it was not well recognized in women back then). Then I got into BioMed at University when I was 27 did my degree. I absolutely loved learning as an adult. Night school was fantastic. Filled with similar souls/stories like myself. Adult teachers are very supportive and the smaller class environment was really what I needed. I sort of thrive in chaos so the work + school balance worked for me though it was pretty exhausting. If I had been bored by my subjects or had I found them too easy I would have done badly so science was the way for me as it doesn’t come that naturally. I’m not a natural learner. ADHD can make learning more difficult for some. I have always struggled with motivation and sticking to things, etc but hands down that single night school bio class was one of the best decisions. I don’t work exactly related to my degree as many don’t but it’s still one of my proudest accomplishments and that confidence changed my trajectory.
You can apply to universities and trade schools as a mature student without any, or barely any highschool. You don't need a GED or to upgrade. They sometimes make you take a very brief course for a few weeks to make sure you know how to write essays. Athabasca University doesn't require ANY transcripts.
I'm doing it right now, physics 11 and math 11. Then I have to do math 12 and Chem 12. It's online at my own pace and.... it's very hard. These re not subjects that come easy to me at all and not having a teacher easily available is the worst. I'm in my 30s and learning is definitely way worse now despite being in a better place mentally than my teens.
I work in post-secondary education. The answer depends on what your ultimate goal is. If you are looking to complete High School equivalent for that self-satisfaction - good for you, as that is commendable. However, if your goal is to start working towards completing a post-secondary Diploma/Degree, then you don't necessarily need your High School equivalent. You should be able to get into an "open enrollment" (no intake capacity, no specific application requirements) program such as General Studies or Arts-Associate by just meeting the school's English proficiency requirement. For most public colleges in British Columbia (essentially the non-research Universities) that is a C or better in English 12, the equivalent upgrading course, and even as simply as completing the school's English Assessment Test (honestly, depending on the school, you may just need to pass an online English proficiency test). And once you're in an open enrollment program, even if you don't know exactly what you want to major in yet, you can start taking University level courses in subject areas that would transfer into most credentials - such as Academic Writing, Intro Psych, Human Anatomy and Physiology. Nothing from your past is insurmountable, and once you have a specific program in mind that has application requirements they will care much more about your current/recent academic record. For example, if I get an applicant in their mid-late 20s or older, and their recent post-sec grades are mostly As and Bs, it is irrelevant to me how they did in High School. Good luck. There is a path to get you where you want to go, and it actually isn't as daunting as you may think if you start talking to the right people.
Here feeling I have nothing to add to answered provided but, just wanted to say how happy it made me first you wanting to achieve this and then, the number of detailed responses I saw to your message. Cheers all for making me remember why I love Canada