4 ms·
Ask HN: Should I drop out of uni?
At the time of writing this, I should be attending an exam.
I'm currently in my fifth semester, so in theory I should pass my bachelor's degree in another 6 months. That will not be the case.
Some months before starting to study, I co-founded a company. No really exciting startup, just building products for clients. We pretty much bootstrapped and have 5 employees now, making a decent amount of money. But I haven't been to uni for the last 1.5 years, because I was rather working. I haven't told anyone yet that I haven't passed or even attended a single exam after my second semester.
I'm not sure what exactly I'm asking for, but what are the Pros and Cons of completely dropping out of uni in favor of the secure job / the company?
- facorreia 12y agoIf I understand you correctly, you have already dropped out in practice, and you're wondering if you should go back and finish it. Without knowing much about your particular situation, in general I would encourage you to find a way to do so, particularly if your major is in a field with "hard" employability benefits (i.e. not "studies"). Of course there are exceptions where brilliant people didn't complete their education and achieved great success in business, but it's a huge gamble. Essentially the situation looks like trading long-term benefits for short-term ones. My advice would be for you to talk to your family and friends about this to reach a decision. They probably can help you in unexpected ways.
- whiteblizzard 12y agoThanks facorreia. My "plan" (if you can say so) was to continue the company after my graduation, anyway. So the degree would only serve as a backup in my view. But how much of a backup would a bachelors degree be? From others I've heard that real life work experience outweighs degrees in most tech companies, and I think this is what I'm looking for support in.
- facorreia 12y agoI hear you. Let me offer one counterpoint, as food for thought. Life is long, situations change. 10, 20, 30 years down the road you may regret missing some opportunity which requires a degree. If you are able, it would be great to get one while you're young. At any rate I wish you the best of luck.
- byoung2 12y agoWho has been paying your tuition all this time you haven't been attending? What a waste of money!
- whiteblizzard 12y agoHere in Germany it's very cheap (only around 260€/semester). I paid it myself. Nevertheless, the benefits that come with being a student here (health insurance, lower tax rates) prevail the costs. Some might think I've "stolen" the opportunity to study from someone else, but in my field of study, we're always under capacity, so that's not a problem.