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I dropped out this year and feel awful about it, despite being way better off. During that time, I've quadrupled sales in my ISV and have made a full-time livi

I dropped out this year and feel awful about it, despite being way better off. During that time, I've quadrupled sales in my ISV and have made a full-time living of it, and I now have no debt and decent savings. I'm no Mark Zuckerburg, but it's not a bad start. But I still kinda feel like a loser without a degree, even if I don't think I'll need it. Especially since I paid so much for the first couple years. I applied to another school (public this time) to transfer, just in case I come to my senses. I think there's credit bubble in education just like the one in housing. Lots of easily available, subsidized money for student loans, even if the rates aren't great. Plus it's a platitude that there's no sacrifice too big you (or your family) can make to get a college education. So even reasonable, well-meaning institutions have totally wacky prices, just as a reaction to market forces and a desire to stay "competitive" building fancy new stuff. This sounds really crazy and tin-foil-hat-ish, but sometimes I think that there's kind of a "educational industrial complex" if you will that's benefiting from this weird (hopefully temporary) situation, and I feel icky supporting it just because I'm afraid someone will judge me wrong without the piece of paper some day. One of the reasons I quit my job after I quit school was because I hate that feeling of knowing you're being fucked over a little bit each day because you don't have the balls or resources to do anything about it. I feel like school is that kinda situation now, and it shouldn't be, because there's a ton of good things about college and I want to finish.

jeff18 17y ago
Your post is all about why dropping out was great for you, yet you feel bad and you are trying to apply to get back in "in case you come to your senses". What is your motivation for going back to school, after proving to yourself that you don't need it?
- Asa-Nisse 17y ago
  Part of it (I'm also a dropout, not very successful though, I can pay my bills but thats about it) is the fact that very many social interactions congregate on "what education do you have"? It's a social status thing that people measure other people on in my group of people atleast. Most of the people I socialize with are either doctors, dentists or have a liberal arts degree. I'm on of the only few with a technical education and I always have a hard time explaning that "yes I did go to college" (I'm from Sweden so it's called University but its not the same as in US), "but I did not graduate". Their eyes flicker, and I'm instantly degraded to that basement guy with big computer screens they know so well from highschool. I know very well that my life in very many aspects would be other peoples envy. I organize my days myself, I pay my own salary and I can divulge on whatever project I choose. However, many people equate a steady paycheck with safety and responsibility. Two keywords that are atleast here in Europe quickly becoming very hot.
- clistctrl 17y ago
  (drop out here too) I definitely feel like I've managed to be "successful" without completed college (yet) I make a decent salary, and I can see that growing in the horizon. I also feel well respected and needed by my coworkers, and family. However I completely agree with the opinion above. While part of me wants to complete it for the sake of ensuring future employment. My main reason for wanting to finish is to gain that last part of self confidence i'm missing. A second reason, one that is less mentioned is more social. I try to skirt the issue when talking to people, but (even more on the east coast) people tend to think of myself differently when I tell them the truth.
- dangrover 17y ago
  I dunno. I think it's just the stigma of being a dropout. Also, I think it's generally a good thing to go to college for the intrinsic value, and nothing I'm doing is so critical that it can't wait. I actually had a 3.8 GPA before my last semester. Going back immediately after dealing with a brain tumor/surgery kinda screwed things up, though I should have been theoretically unaffected by it. A friend of mine who is far more successful than I'll ever be and shouldn't even be using "go back" and "school" in the same sentence, just went back, and after a semester, he's done again. So I dunno. I think there have been some pretty big changes with how companies, jobs, and credentials work ("High Res Society" kinda stuff), and the culture will lag behind 10-20 years.

jeff18 17y ago

Your post is all about why dropping out was great for you, yet you feel bad and you are trying to apply to get back in "in case you come to your senses". What is your motivation for going back to school, after proving to yourself that you don't need it?

Asa-Nisse 17y ago
Part of it (I'm also a dropout, not very successful though, I can pay my bills but thats about it) is the fact that very many social interactions congregate on "what education do you have"? It's a social status thing that people measure other people on in my group of people atleast. Most of the people I socialize with are either doctors, dentists or have a liberal arts degree. I'm on of the only few with a technical education and I always have a hard time explaning that "yes I did go to college" (I'm from Sweden so it's called University but its not the same as in US), "but I did not graduate". Their eyes flicker, and I'm instantly degraded to that basement guy with big computer screens they know so well from highschool. I know very well that my life in very many aspects would be other peoples envy. I organize my days myself, I pay my own salary and I can divulge on whatever project I choose. However, many people equate a steady paycheck with safety and responsibility. Two keywords that are atleast here in Europe quickly becoming very hot.
clistctrl 17y ago
(drop out here too) I definitely feel like I've managed to be "successful" without completed college (yet) I make a decent salary, and I can see that growing in the horizon. I also feel well respected and needed by my coworkers, and family. However I completely agree with the opinion above. While part of me wants to complete it for the sake of ensuring future employment. My main reason for wanting to finish is to gain that last part of self confidence i'm missing. A second reason, one that is less mentioned is more social. I try to skirt the issue when talking to people, but (even more on the east coast) people tend to think of myself differently when I tell them the truth.
dangrover 17y ago
I dunno. I think it's just the stigma of being a dropout. Also, I think it's generally a good thing to go to college for the intrinsic value, and nothing I'm doing is so critical that it can't wait. I actually had a 3.8 GPA before my last semester. Going back immediately after dealing with a brain tumor/surgery kinda screwed things up, though I should have been theoretically unaffected by it. A friend of mine who is far more successful than I'll ever be and shouldn't even be using "go back" and "school" in the same sentence, just went back, and after a semester, he's done again. So I dunno. I think there have been some pretty big changes with how companies, jobs, and credentials work ("High Res Society" kinda stuff), and the culture will lag behind 10-20 years.