"I could do well at school if it was a priority of mine. [...] this BA would not be unlocking any doors for me." If philosophy degree is nothing for you, than

"I could do well at school if it was a priority of mine. [...] this BA would not be unlocking any doors for me." If philosophy degree is nothing for you, than tell your parents. Come clean, start a new and maybe take on a technical or software degree, or symbolics, or math, physics. You should do something your comfortable with! "Finishing college is just so not in line with where my desires really are." Education (College/University) is one way to guide young people. Kind of a guiding light. Some young people don't read HN or use the internet to educate themselves, teach themselves, learn to discuss, learn to write (say blogging), ... But when you are already orientate your life and future among your peers (HN, friends who code too, conferences) and identify yourself in them, than this BA in Philosophy is in your way. What you have to do is to monetize (business model ;-) your passion, your skills, ... look around your peers what they are doing. And I know it is easier said than done. Especially in this time. But identification within somebody else (peer/parents/older friends, brother) beyond the age of 18 is crucial, and sometimes young people take the wrong route, or postpone it and thus underperform at formal education because of the lack of motivation. And why formal education systems don't pick that up, the theme of identification, is that there is too much BS out there, rock stars, glamor, TV, ... there is too much 24/7 illusions out there. And media is making the majority of kids delusional by showing and presenting them values which are wrong, wrong in the context, wrong that this happened without sweat and hard work ... you get me. "Well, that's a neat idea, but you need to get your degree first." Then do philosophy as minor and do a major you are fascinated with. "I just refuse to accept that my degree is truly something that I need in order to follow through on my plans to build a company." You need lots of sweat equity, passion and learning on the go (accounting, economics, management). A formal education gives you only a paper with your name and that you read some books, the rulers, the pencil, and the rules you have to abide. But creativity, cognitive skills, soft skills, and working without boundaries in mind isn't something you don't learn. What a rant this is again. Uhm.