4 ms·

I dropped out of college today

5 points by sauravt 11y ago

SonicSoul 11y ago
hey sorry to hear you had such a tough time in college. My time wasn't so rosy either and I graduated with poor grades but it did feel good to complete it, so maybe speak to some of your professors before you make the final call? Also, when you say 76 days to create something of value, do you have anything in mind or will it be writing? Having time pressure may add to anxiety so i recommend steady exercise routine, no alcohol, and a balanced diet. Also interacting with humans on somewhat regular basis can be good for keeping a positive outlook. Either way you go good luck!
paulhauggis 11y ago
"So starting today, I will start things afresh, I will work on my side projects and hopefully, while finding localy optimal solutions to small problems, I will eventually find a globally optimal solution to an important problem." 99% of any project is un-interesting, rote, work that just needs to get done. It's not all about changing the world with ground-breaking technology. I'm on my 4th (and finally successful) business and I've tried to partner with many, many people over the years and the majority quit mid-project because they weren't willing to push through all of the boring work to get to the end goal. You say one of the reasons you dropped out is because it's "boring". I graduated 15 years ago and although many things seemed boring at the time, I'm glad I learned them because they are fundamental to becoming a better developer. If you want to succeed at business, you will need to be able to work on anything, even if it's boring.
- honest_joe 11y ago
  I partly agree with what you have said. Persistence is important, there will be always some boring stuff to learn and repetitive tasks to do. We all have to deal with it. What would be your advice to a person that skipped college due to financial crisis (had to support family). However i found a job in IT and still am employed and this is my 4th company. I am now kind of financially secured. I feel like going to college would just kill time i have already turned into $ and knowledge. Yet I'd like to get exposed to some areas and stuff taught there. DISC: I am european, 24.
voidr 11y ago
I graduated a 3 year college in 4 years. I was working as a freelancer during that time, which also contributed to problem. I wasn't an academic person, I was struggling with most of the courses. At some point I started earning enough money to sustain myself. The thought of quitting was constantly tempting me. One thing I kept telling myself: I started this, I'm gonna finish it. There was a lot of pain and agony, but in the end I pushed myself hard enough to finish it. This was something that had a profound effect on me and helped me endure though times after college. I would recommend taking some time out and then regroup and revaluate your situation, it might not be all that dire and impossible as it seems.

5 points by sauravt 11y ago

hey sorry to hear you had such a tough time in college. My time wasn't so rosy either and I graduated with poor grades but it did feel good to complete it, so maybe speak to some of your professors before you make the final call? Also, when you say 76 days to create something of value, do you have anything in mind or will it be writing? Having time pressure may add to anxiety so i recommend steady exercise routine, no alcohol, and a balanced diet. Also interacting with humans on somewhat regular basis can be good for keeping a positive outlook. Either way you go good luck!

paulhauggis 11y ago

"So starting today, I will start things afresh, I will work on my side projects and hopefully, while finding localy optimal solutions to small problems, I will eventually find a globally optimal solution to an important problem." 99% of any project is un-interesting, rote, work that just needs to get done. It's not all about changing the world with ground-breaking technology. I'm on my 4th (and finally successful) business and I've tried to partner with many, many people over the years and the majority quit mid-project because they weren't willing to push through all of the boring work to get to the end goal. You say one of the reasons you dropped out is because it's "boring". I graduated 15 years ago and although many things seemed boring at the time, I'm glad I learned them because they are fundamental to becoming a better developer. If you want to succeed at business, you will need to be able to work on anything, even if it's boring.

honest_joe 11y ago
I partly agree with what you have said. Persistence is important, there will be always some boring stuff to learn and repetitive tasks to do. We all have to deal with it. What would be your advice to a person that skipped college due to financial crisis (had to support family). However i found a job in IT and still am employed and this is my 4th company. I am now kind of financially secured. I feel like going to college would just kill time i have already turned into $ and knowledge. Yet I'd like to get exposed to some areas and stuff taught there. DISC: I am european, 24.

voidr 11y ago

I graduated a 3 year college in 4 years. I was working as a freelancer during that time, which also contributed to problem. I wasn't an academic person, I was struggling with most of the courses. At some point I started earning enough money to sustain myself. The thought of quitting was constantly tempting me. One thing I kept telling myself: I started this, I'm gonna finish it. There was a lot of pain and agony, but in the end I pushed myself hard enough to finish it. This was something that had a profound effect on me and helped me endure though times after college. I would recommend taking some time out and then regroup and revaluate your situation, it might not be all that dire and impossible as it seems.