Ask HN: 19, developer, burnt out, advice please

Really now, a major part of dealing with "burnout" is to think of it as a necessary part of personal growth and self-discovery process -- more like a simple need to detach and "sleep" once in a while, rather than a kind of a crash or a breakdown as we are inculcated into thinking it as being.

I tend to think that intellectualism in America is the label on a box called college, this box is then traded to companies, without being opened, in exchange for the ability to buy a house, fill it with crap, and park a nice car out front...

I think you're right actually. I actually had a lot of European friends in college because they were far less superficial than most American students.

I think we're coming to a time in the US, and the perhaps the world, where smart / creative people can find each other and find their passions without needing much school. The industrial revolution brought us this system, but now we need something further evolved. I think FabLabs, the Khan Academy, Open Courseware, etc. are all part of this new genus of educational species.

You don't have to go to college if you are self-motivated. I actually think it's detrimental because it fills the time and gives you an excuse for being lazy. "Oh but I'm going to school already, I don't have time to hack together X with all my schoolwork!".

My unqualified advice: learn machine learning/AI. MIT OpenCourseware has good lecture notes and I believe Stanford's ML course has free lecture videos. These were the most interesting parts of my undergrad experience (and very practical too)

> Why go to school, if you are not sure what your passion is? Only do that if you are 110% sure that's what you want to do the rest of your life.

What? This is one of the main things I think that he would get out of college. It expands your interests and lets you experience things you would not otherwise.

I'm 19, dropped out of school in grade 12 to work at a startup and continue my freelance career (internet marketing) that I had been doing throughout high school. I spent 7 months at a startup and the 9-5 burnt me out, it's pretty sad. I can do 100 hours a week for myself, but 40-50 hours for someone else is impossible. I have no idea how my parents did it, because it fucking killed me.

I quit my job and took a trip to London. Best idea I've ever had. Keep working until you have a small cushion and then quit, take a 1 month vacation in a country much different than your own and just try to enjoy yourself. Meet new people, spend time hacking on stuff you enjoy, just do what makes you happy. A couple weeks in London gave me a fresh look on stuff, gave me a chance to 'grow up' a bit. I've been called 'mature for my age' since I was 10, but this really made me realize I know absolutely nothing.

I got back, went back to freelancing and playing with startup ideas/meeting new people locally in my spare time (90% of my days). I had so many new business ideas and markets I could approach for freelance work, I thought of a handful of products. I meet with people who are much smarter than myself and bounce ideas off of them - bullshitting with another entrepreneur over coffee can give you so much insight on markets, product ideas, etc.

I have a few things that make me happy: friends, making my own money, and building cool shit. I've accomplished the first two, and working on that last part at the moment. I still live at home and my next big step in life is moving out, not sure if it will make me happy but I think it's a big step in the 'growing up' epiphany I had.

I can't comment on college, but for a few weeks last year I felt I might be missing out on something seeing my friends' facebook pictures of them at their new school. I thought about going to school for a 'real' non-tech degree, something simple like a pharmacist assistant (You have to try something new, get out of your current situation for a bit. If anything you'll recharge your batteries and come back with a new point of view on things, or have a total epiphany and make a drastic change. Just try to do what makes you happy. My email/twitter are in my profile, my phone number is on my website, feel free to email/call me because we're both kinda going through the same thing. I have ideas I want to bounce off of people, and am always putting myself in a position to make new friends or find a co-founder for some project I think could work. This offer is open to anyone else in the HN community as well.