At the end of my junior year I was placed on academic probation, and later kicked out of college. At that point I considered quitting school for good, but ultimately begged my way back into school and completed that degree. Now I work at a reputable company making sweet money. Getting a degree was so worth it. Don't quit, just hang in there.
Ask HN: Did you ever consider dropping out?
11–20 of 22 posts
Re: Ask HN: Did you ever consider dropping out?
#12You'd have to be crazy to leave at this point. You're only young once. Enjoy your senior year, smooch some ladies and / or dudes, read some books, join a club. You have a lifetime of toil ahead of you.
So much this.
Re: Ask HN: Did you ever consider dropping out?
#13Also consider this in your decision making: Not having a BS makes it harder to get some visas. You never know when you may feel like changing countries.
Will vouch for this. Sure, you can make your way in tech based on your skills without a degree but there will be limits you face if you really want to be adventurous.
I'm currently enjoying an opportunity that involved foreign relocation which was really only possible because of the degree. Literally, I had to fly the original diploma certificate out here with me and present it to immigration officials.
I felt my degree was worth it when it enabled me to get this job about 7 years ago. I feel it's worth has only increased since taking this particular position last spring.
Re: Ask HN: Did you ever consider dropping out?
#14You'd have to be crazy to leave at this point. You're only young once. Enjoy your senior year, smooch some ladies and / or dudes, read some books, join a club. You have a lifetime of toil ahead of you.
"lifetime of toil ahead of you" does not make me feel better about the now (semi-joking).
Unless you're independently wealthy you're going to have that regardless, and software is pretty high up on the easy end of the scale.
Re: Ask HN: Did you ever consider dropping out?
#15I was in the same spot. I got a job doing consulting and let my degree lapse for a semester or more for a single history paper. The professor accepted my paper and I was able to graduate, but I regret having done it. I was offered a teaching position on the assumption I had graduated. It was embarrassing to explain that I hadn't graduated over something as small as that.
One other thing to consider: Are you a finisher in general? Do you complete the things you say you will? Is dropping out another example of a sequence of things you didn't complete? Don't let it be that latest evidence that you don't finish things.
Re: Ask HN: Did you ever consider dropping out?
#16I'd put it to the Leary test.
What turned you on?
What tune is worth dropping out?
Good luck.
Re: Ask HN: Did you ever consider dropping out?
#17What are your most important classes? My point is that until I finished my degree I didn't know the importance of each subject.
Re: Ask HN: Did you ever consider dropping out?
#18I personally regret not dropping out when I had the chance. The extra debt really wasn't worth it. It might be harder to get a job without a degree though. HR departments for big companies are pretty keen on college degrees.
Speaking of debt, why don't you Americans spend money studying your degrees in other countries with cheaper education.
I can understand that you want to be in America if you end up accepted in an top university, but what about the rest of the students?
Re: Ask HN: Did you ever consider dropping out?
#19People that I've seen drop out do it in the first year or even more so in the first quarter/semester. Sounds more like you're burnt out. I say dig deep and push through it.
I'd advise people in that position to do the opposite: go to work for a year or a few years, after which you're in a much better position to decide whether you have the drive and/or discipline to finish.
Re: Ask HN: Did you ever consider dropping out?
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
"lifetime of toil ahead of you" does not make me feel better about the now (semi-joking).
Unless you're independently wealthy you're going to have that regardless, and software is pretty high up on the easy end of the scale.
Not necessarily - some people find it worth it to take 20-40% of their work hours off (unpaid or not), I would define that as not "toiling". You can live on 60-80% of a 100k+ salary very comfortably.