Ok, so some straight talk. Follow your dreams, but after you get the degree. A degree now days primarily is a signifier of two things: you have the the patienc

Ok, so some straight talk. Follow your dreams, but after you get the degree. A degree now days primarily is a signifier of two things: you have the the patience and discipline to stick through it and do well, and you are able to conform. The biggest benefits conferred by a degree are the networking you will do while at a good college, and being able to pass hiring gatekeeper checklists. This is doubly so if you plan on doing any kind of research. There are still places that will block you if you do not have a degree. The person that does it is an initial screener that is just looking at a checklist and nothing more. This probably (possibly?) does not apply if you have software engineer at a FAANG company on your resume. Who am I to comment? I basically did this, but went the corporate route. I dropped out to work in the corporate world, rather than startups. For family reasons I am unable to move to SV or NYC. After a career spanning 25 years I am making roughly $180k salary, not counting benefits, in Maryland. I have worked my rear off to get there, and I am in the process of going back to get my bachelors...because there are positions where the division head has to sign a waiver for me to be hired to the project in that position, because I do not have a degree. There is a caveat..I am in a somewhat degree-obsessed are, defense consulting. Still, I urge the OP to reconsider.