Dropping out of college... now what?

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I could do law if it wasn't trial law. I'm a bit worried about finding work since how many lawyers are we churning out every year? I was going to do some sort of pro-bono human rights thing.

You indicated you didn't need to work for a living. Why don't you volunteer with a low-income legal clinic for a while and see what it's like?

Can you do that without a college degree? I get the feeling that without a degree, I'm pretty much sunk. Also, I live in a fairly small town and don't know of any places like that (although I'm quite keen on moving... even out of the country... although lack of a degree would definitely put me on a low priority for immigration )

What I hate most is that I didn't actually learn much in college. I was pretty much just there for the degree. I was only there to prove I know what I know. What a complete scam.

Yeah, I know. I got my BA by going to class when it was time to take the tests, for most of the classes. I'd read the books years before, nothing was really new. Sitting in those huge lecture halls listening to someone basically paraphrase the textbook was just excruciating, so I rarely actually attended those classes. And after a year in the workforce the diploma was just a line on my resume - my job experience counted for more.

There are TONS of things you can do without a university degree. I'm not sure what country you are in - neglected to check before posting, but here in the USA there are paralegals - they've gone through a short training program, not law school, and they are in demand to do the written documents. They make good wages.

Small town is tough, been there, done that, too! Approach a few organizations, ask to intern with them. Tell them you've been in college but want to take a breather and see what it's "really like" in their type of organization. Be flexible in the organizations you choose to approach. They may say "no," but then try another. If they do say no, ask if it's for liability purposes or if they just don't have a need for free help. You can start by doing filing and basic clerical work, and see how it goes at that level - keep your eyes and ears open, and you'll learn a lot. Be open to anything they offer to let you do. If they have no place for you, ask if they know anywhere that can use you as a volunteer. If you have a resume or CV, take it with you if you get the chance to actually go in and meet anyone at one of the places.

Immigration. Sorry, again I didn't see which country you are in. If you're trying to get to the States, there are a few ways I've heard of that you can pretty much fast-track that: be hired by a company that has you doing work that is "in the national interest" (Hard to do, that one. They're usually looking for high-tech/bio-tech folks there); be an academic - but that requires the University degree, usually an advanced one; or, go into nursing or physical therapy. I'm told that there's such a shortage of nurses and physical therapists in the USA now that you can pretty much both write your ticket as far as jobs (with many offering hiring bonuses) and pretty much will get a greencard if you apply for one. There's always marrying a national (strange idea!). Other than that, it's getting tougher to "get in" to the USA to stay. Even with all the space and resources we still have, there's a rampant paranoia that some intangible "they" are wanting to swarm the country and take over.... Don't know if you were thinking of emigrating here, but that's what I know of the process at present. Hopefully you have somewhere more accommodating in mind!

Good luck!