Should I drop out of college?

[CarolinaAllDay]

ballin' on a budget

[Inimicus]

God dammit trolls, I'm not going to drop out and start selling drugs while working fast food. At the very least, I would go to trade school and work a trade job for a few years then go from there. I'm certain I'll return to school in my mid 20s with a brand new view on life..

Anyway, I'm going to work and see my options at the end of the semester, whether it be staying at school, military etc. I am kind of wary of talking to counselors for the school, because I already know what their answer would be (stay), but I'll do it anyway. Anyway thanks for the help guys.

What you see as trolling I see as presenting the stark reality of the situation.

Here's a pair of numbers for you, 8.3 and 9.9. Those are the unemployment rates for the nation and North Carolina respectively.

Toss that in with a little story. I just interviewed nearly 30 candidates out of several hundred resumes for an entry level job. Entry level - no experience required. I can tell you for a fact I put any resume without a degree on it in the circular file next to my desk. I didn't care what the degree was in, there just had to be one.

Associate Degrees are the new High School diploma and that's fading pretty fast. Wont be long that without a 4 year degree you will be dead in the water.

Stay in school.

Stay in school.

Stay in school.

Stay in school.

Stay in school.

Oh and just in case that wasn't clear enough...

Stay in school.

[Epistaxis]

What Inimicus just said is rather important.

Some have danced around the topic of choosing a major wisely, and there is merit to that concept.

HOWEVER, the point of many degrees would be to show that you CAN in fact complete a task, and if your grades are solid it shows you not only finish what you start, but you are smart enough and determined enough to do it WELL.

Good post man.

[Lumps]

I thought the same way before I graduated. I already had a good job lined up, a place I wanted to work at. However the difference is that I enjoyed the knowledge, I enjoyed learning. When I went to school I did everything just to get a degree, just to graduate. I am not going to use my degree (I could, but I don't) and there was no reason to get it as far as getting a stable job and having a bright future, in my scenario.

Like I said however, college is more than a degree. People who go to college have proven to be better critical thinkers and that is why I went, for the knowledge, to strengthen the mind etc. I can honestly say it has really changed my outlook in general and problem solving skills. But then again, I enjoyed the knowledge (albeit not college life in general so much) so I say if you aren't enjoying it or can't find reasons for doing it, you should leave, but think more about the future too, remember that you might NEVER have a chance to go back and people AND situations change.

Personally, I think you're just bored, if you put in effort and strive for perfection (honors, getting involved, internship) you'll find there is a reason to be there and you can benefit from it. However if a good job, and going to school strictly to make better money is your goal, it's going to be rough.

A degree will not guarantee you anything it will ONLY give you a better chance of success, that's it a chance- and if you have a problem with that you need to leave. Too many people expect so much from just a degree but the degree is nothing but paper. Get involved, get contacts, internships, meet people, new experiences and situations. You will learn A LOT from all those things and those experiences are what will make you money.

Bottom line: College is not for everyone (which has nothing to do with being smart or not) and if you are not doing this for yourself at all whatsoever, you need to quit and pursue what you want in life.

[4Corners]

What college do you currently attend?

[Cat]

No, get a degree. Push through and get a degree in something useful. You will always have that to fall back on. Look at a business degree, you can do tons of stuff with that and it's not too hard. If you like math and building stuff get a degree in engineering.

[MadHatter]

Did you go to an Ivy League school?

Nope. Turned down scholarships to Northwestern and Duke to accept one at West Point.

Decided that I did not want to be a military officer and resigned my commission. Came home at Christmas. Enrolled at UNCC for a semester to keep taking classes (thought I still wanted to be an Engineer). Hated engineering and settled on Accounting (loved it). UNCC acctg graduates have one of the highest avg scores on the CPA Exam.

Graduated UNCC in 3 years with a 3.9 GPA. Went back there and got my MBA with a double concentration in Finance and International Business....graduated first in my class with a 4.0

[PhillyB]

i dropped out of college because i was listless and had no clue what i was passionate about or wanted to do with my life. i sold my poo and backpacked around australia and southeast asia for a couple of months living on a shoestring budget and doing nothing but reading and writing and talking to people and learning things.

when you're caught up in the american way of things, as most of us are brought up, you can't really see the value of that until you actually get out and do it. in a lot of european countries - great britain in particular - nobody goes straight into college. they get out of high school and then go trek off to southeast asia or india or africa or somewhere for a year and then return home at age 18 or 19 having seen more of the world than most americans will ever see in their entire lives, and then go into college.

it's a surprisingly clarifying experience. at least it was for me.

good luck with whatever you decide. and don't take the advice of the milquetoasts suggesting the best course of action is to trudge through a business degree because you have no passion for anything else and that's what'll land you the most money. you will want to kill yourself at age 40.

[Inimicus]

Yeah for God sake don't listen to the successful people...

[ladypanther]

Career counselors are not there to see the school. They are there to help you discover the path for you. It involves some interest and career testing which you may find helpful. Don't prejudge it. Try it...you have nothing to lose.

[Squirrel]

Make you a list of things you like to do and what you want to do. Even if you think there is no way you could do it. Then research what it takes to do it. I never thought I could do the job I do know without a degree but after I researched it I found out all I needed was a license and go to a school for 3 months. While I love the job there is some down sides with not having a degree.

1. I am pretty much at the top of where I can go. To move up in the company I need a degree.

2. If I leave the company or they shutdown I have to start at the bottom again and would have to move.

You have to decide what you want to do. No one else knows better than you what that is. It sucks I floated around a couple of jobs just trying them out before I found out what I wanted to do. I could have went to college but to me it was a waste of money at the time and I would have had to pay for it. Looking back I would have went just to get a degree in business but I didnt. Just have a plan before you do anything like leaving school.

[PhillyB]

also don't discount the value of an education for the simple sake of being educated. even if it doesn't lend itself immediately to being heavily marketable to employers, attaining knowledge is power by itself.

[Woodcookedbbq]

I joined the Coast Guard. Long story short...it saved my life. I'm still in after 8 years. If you have any questions, let me know

[Kurb]

sounds like somebody needs some hobbies.

Sounds like someone should go fug themselves.