Sandra Seeliger addresses the phenomena of school absenteeism and school dropout. Based on four case studies, she provides a deep insight into the various conditions that can hinder a successful school completion and integrates these findings into the current scientific discourse. The four analyses are connected to and reflected upon through approaches from resilience research. The author also demonstrates how students can be guided to a successful school completion even under challenging circumstances. Sandra Seeliger investigates how risky growing up in society can be, what real student biographies may look like, and how important it is for schools and teachers to be aware of these factors and to consider them in their own requirements.