Should I drop out.

Post Reply New Topic

I plan to complete this semester at least, but really maybe I should just quit while I am ahead.........I already probably owe more than I can hope to pay back in loans and that amount will only increase the longer I stay in college. So while I complete this semester I think I will keep my options open and find another way to have enough to live on.

As I have mentioned in other threads, I belive this is a sick society so I don't plan to just be another part of the machine so working out how exactly to have any income with that mindset will be a challenge I imagine. Maybe I could find a job at one of the smoke shops in the area or a liquor store...that is at least tolerable, I mean when someone comes into a smoke shop they are probably going to look around at all the pipes for a while before buying anything so there wont be hasty impatient customers which will mean less anxiety for me.

Also it is worth noting it is getting to the point were I really cannot fake it anymore......yeah i was able to pass for normal enough in public school and graduated and all that and went on to college. But I cannot pretend I actually plan to get a degree(because I really don't know if that is what I plan to do or not.) and I cannot play it off like I hardly drink and never smoke cannabis around my family.........I currently live at my moms place but I feel I should find somewhere else because my lifestyle and hers are significantly different and i know its possible she might not like who I really am.

I just really don't know what direction I should go........yes the idea of having a degree and using my knowledge to do something to change some of the things I see wrong with society is appealing, but quite honestly I don't know that I can handle the stress...as intresting as college is I still get stressed over every paper, I still feel like I am not getting as much out of it as I would like to because a lot of times my depression interferes with my motivation and then I feel like I am just going through the motions. So should I just drop out?

I can not tell you what you should do, but this podcast may be of some interest:
"Freakonomics: The Upside of Quitting" [audio]
http://freakonomicsradio.com/the-upside ... tting.html

Also, with regards to the benefits/ value of education, see this old post
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postp3761334 ... t=#3761334

If you're close to finishing I would suggest doing so. I don't have a degree and while I've always been able to find a job there's a significant pay difference between what I'm offered and what I could ask for if I had one (in anything, subject doesn't seem to matter much). There are lots of people who act like not having a degree means you're an idiot. Granted, that's their weak-minded bigotry, but you may find that it affects your prospects.

If your depression is creating problems for you with school it will probably also cause problems for you in the work world and in your personal life. Quitting things because they're hard is almost never the answer. If you are legitimately unhappy with your major or your college experience, maybe consider changing the major or switching to vocational training instead. But if it's the depression. Do whatever you need to do to treat/manage it. That in itself may solve your problem. I dropped out in the throes of a major depression because I didn't have a support system and didn't know how to ask for help. I regret dropping out, but I regret not getting help for my depression more.

Also, in my experience, patrons in smoke shops really like to chat.

What are you studying? Aside from the debt and the social difficulties, is there anything you like about school? Have you tried discussing your plans with a counselor?

I was smoking a lot of pot last year. Initially I started smoking it because I thought it would help make me more interested in my work and because it helped me let go of my inhibitions and write more -- but I found it created problems too. As you mentioned, it increased the tension between me and my family. I also got a letter at the end of the year from my professors complaining I had been sending them rambling, half-baked emails. I ended up stopping with the marijuana.

I'm not saying you should quite drinking or smoking -- everyone has a right to decide for themselves whether and to what extent they want to do that sort of thing -- but you should remember it can sometimes make existing problems seem worse than they are. You should at least be careful before making a decision: for instance, you should try to make definite plans as to where you'll go and what you'll do and have lots of applications lined up so you have somewhere to go when you leave college. (While you're in college you'll at least have health insurance and a roof over your head. If you leave, would your parents take you in? Sounds like you wouldn't like that very much. Well you don't want to end up on the street if you can avoid it!) Also you should try and get in contact with other people who dropped out of college -- ask them what they did and whether it worked for them.

Just be careful. Things usually aren't as urgent as they seem. And good luck!

You didn't say what you're studying. What interests you (or has interested you in the past)?

Sweetleaf, please reach out to a professional about these depression issues. You can usually find references through your school or you could look for local clinics, programs that offer sliding scale counseling and prescription plans for all incomes. In the past I've used psych clinics and been counseled by grad students and even gotten medication on the cheap or free because I didn't have insurance and wasn't making much money.
Yeah, you've tried it all before. Try it again. Seriously, it's worth the effort.

In my opinion, anyone who is not totally committed to getting a university degree would be better off without one.

It's the OP's choice to make, but if working the cash register in a smoke shop is preferable to any of the higher-paying professional careers that a degree may enable, then the choice may be obvious.

Good luck.

So have you been taking classes in those areas?

I'd say try some driving or going out and getting some fresh air. If this is a thought that has just come to you then maybe give it a couple more days to resonate and really sink in so you make a better decision. You have a full day till monday so try to give it some thought.